The period for harvesting radishes vary from varieties to varieties. On average, radishes will be ready to harvest as early as three weeks after planting. For most varieties, it is expected to harvest when roots are approximately one inch in diameter at the soil surface.
However, you can pull a radish plant out and test it before proceeding to harvest other radish plants. For the small red radish which are the most common, they can be harvested as soon as three weeks from planting.
You can begin to harvest them when the roots are about an inch across. For the winter radishes such as Daikon which can grow quite big before the quality starts to deteriorates, pull them out before the ground freezes. You can store winter radishes in moist, cold storage for up to four months. Leaving radishes for too long before harvesting them can make the roots become pithy or woody.
I) How to Pick Radish
To pick radish, first of all, test if your radishes are ready for harvesting by pulling one out from the soil. Having a hard, crusty, or compacted soil? Simply use a trowel or garden fork to loosen it and gently lift the root from the soil.
Cut the tops and tail root from the radishes and wash them thoroughly with clean water. Afterwards, dry thoroughly and store them in a plastic bag. The plastic bag should also be stored in the refrigerator until they are ready for usage. Note that radish greens are also edible and can be stored separately for up to three days.
II) Radish Types and When to Harvest
Small, round, radish types are generally easy to grow and mature early but for the larger varieties, they take a longer time to mature. Spring varieties are known to grow at a fast rate and mature fast. Examples of spring varieties include:
- Early Scarlet Globe: This radish variety produces round red roots which mature in 22 days.
- Belle: A spring radish variety which is round and reddish and matures in just 22 days.
- Easter Egg: This variety of radish produces oval shaped roots in different colours and mature within just 25 days.
Just like how we have the spring variety, we also have summer and fall radish plants which are more heat tolerant compared to spring varieties. However, they can still struggle during prolonged periods of hot weather. Examples of summer and fall radish varieties include:
- Scarlet Globe AGM: They produce bright red radishes with white flesh. They are known for mild flavour and mature within 25 days.
- Icicle: This variety is known to be heat tolerant. It produces long, slender white radishes and matures within 25 days.
- French Breakfast: For this variety, they produce oblong shaped roots and serve as excellent choice for pots and planters. French breakfast variety matures within 28 days.
Winter radish varieties are known to take longer time to mature and so, are always harvested at a later time. Typically planted in late summer, they are ripe for harvest before the deep winter frost sets in. Winter radishes last longer than spring varieties and can be left in the ground until when they are needed. Examples of winter radishes include: - Daikon: This is a long, white, winter radish variety which has a mild flavour and matures in 60 days.
- China Rose: China Rose is an attractive winter radish variety having red skin with white flesh. It matures in 52 days.
Conclusion
You can begin harvesting your radishes between 3 – 5 weeks after planting most especially for the garden radishes which mature early. For the winter radishes, they should be harvested at a later time. The number of days at which these radishes mature also indicate when they should be harvested. Once they are mature for harvesting, harvest them. If left in the ground for too long instead of harvesting, they can get fibrous and have a strong taste.
