Crisp, juicy, and bursting with a fresh, peppery taste, radishes (Raphanus sativus) are cool season vegetables that are fast and easy to grow.
And thanks to their compact size and easy care habits, these root crops are a breeze to grow in pots, planters, and even window boxes – no garden beds needed!
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Ready to harvest in just four to eight weeks after sowing, radishes are one of the earliest crops to reap and can be sown in late summer for an autumn harvest – the perfect plant to start and wrap up the growing season.
So are you ready for a few pots of these fiery (or mild) root veggies? Then let’s dig into the easy steps of how to grow radishes in containers.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead:
Radishes, Raphanus sativus, are grown for their round, tapered, or cylindrical taproots in pretty shades of gold, mauve, pink, purple, red, and white with white flesh.
Cool season annuals, they do best in spring and fall temperatures.
Fast growing, the roots are typically harvested when they’re an inch or two in diameter, or about 30 days from planting, although some are ready in as little as 22 days.
All parts of the plant are edible, including the flavorful, mild-to-spicy greens, flowers, and seedpods!
And growing them in containers is just as rewarding as in garden plots – so let’s dig into the details now.
Choosing a Container
Any pot or planter can be used as long as it’s at least six inches deep for globe varieties and 10 inches deep for oblong ones.
And they must have drainage holes – radishes love lightly moist soil but wet conditions can cause root rot.
If desired, you can line the bottom with a layer of drainage material such as broken pottery or pebbles to keep the soil draining freely.
