Radishes are one of the fastest-growing vegetables. Patio and small space gardeners may wonder, “Can radishes grow in containers?” The answer is yes. Planting radish seeds in pots produces food quickly and with minimum effort. Start your garden early when you learn how to grow radishes in pots.
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Not many vegetables can be harvested in under four weeks, but some radish cultivars reach harvest size 23 days after planting seeds. If you don’t have garden beds, you can try growing radishes in pots; they aren’t picky.
Whether you have a large homestead garden or an urban container garden, everyone should try growing radishes.
You might be surprised at the wide range of colors and sizes available. There are purple, pink, red, white, yellow, and rainbow radishes and all of them can grow in pots.
When to Plant Radishes
Start your radish seeds in spring when the soil temperature is above 40 F (5 C), and the weather starts to warm up. Even if the weather is not favorable, you can easily plant the radish seeds indoors in early spring and continue to do so every other week for a regular harvest. Keep growing radishes till early summer and stop. Then, again, begin planting from late summer or early fall (autumn) till early winter.
If you’re not living in a hot subtropical and tropical climate, growing radishes in pots in summer is also possible. Sow seeds of summer varieties and take advantage of the microclimate you can create by container gardening. Water summer radishes more often and change location to save them from the intense afternoon sunlight.
In hot, frost-free climates, begin planting radishes in containers from late fall or early winter and continue planting successively throughout the winter.
How to Grow Radishes in Pots
Container gardening radishes require a wide gallon (4 L.) pot and well-drained soil with rich organic amendments. Use a vegetable starter mix, or make your own with a combination of compost and peat mixed with a small amount of sand or other grit. Mix in a vegetable fertilizer before planting to jump-start root growth after radish seed germination.
Ensure that the pot you choose has a good drainage hole and use unglazed pots that encourage the evaporation of excess moisture. If you use a saucer, make sure it is not filled with water constantly.
How to Plant Radishes in Pots
Radish seeds are tiny, so you may scatter the seeds over the prepared soil or use a special seeding tool to individually place the seeds. After germination, you can thin seedlings to ½ to 2 inches (1-5 cm.) apart, depending on the variety. For best results, brush a ¼ inch (6 mm.) of soil over the surface of the seeds.
Keep the pot evenly moist and place it where it is sheltered from high wind and gets at least six hours of sunlight.
Caring for Radishes
As soon as the seeds are in the pot, begin watering to maintain damp but not overly saturated soil. So long as your pot has adequate drainage and you are not using a saucer, you shouldn’t have to worry about the soil getting too soggy.
Shallow pots are at a greater risk of over-drying than those with more soil volume. Be sure to check your soil daily and water as needed.
Fertilizer is typically not necessary with radishes.
These root veggies mature quickly and thus don’t require a lot of added nutrients. Adding extra fertilizer can even hinder the root growth process by encouraging leaf development over bulb growth.
Pests and Diseases
Container-grown radishes have no major pests or diseases problem. But aphids and flea beetles might irk you. Wash aphids with a blast of water or use insecticidal soap.
In diseases, downy mildew can affect your plants. To avoid this, provide proper air circulation and don’t keep the foliage wet.
Harvesting Radishes
Radishes take as little as 23 days to reach maturity, but it does depend on what type of radishes you grow. Some do take longer, potentially up to 6 weeks. If you want to make sure yours are fast-growing, take a look at their days to maturity before harvesting.
