Ready to harvest just a few weeks after sowing, radishes are a great addition to any spring garden. Adding them to your garden this month means you’ll have a crop of radishes ready to enjoy by the warmer months, and their peppery crunch is a great addition to salads.
While they’ll easily find a comfortable home in any vegetable plot, the compact plant can also grow in the smallest of places, from windowsills to balconies. But to get the most from the crop, it’s best to continue sowing them in small, regular batches for a continuous harvest that will see you through the summer. Easy to grow as long as they’re regularly watered and in a warm spot, close attention should be paid to how much space seeds have when planted, as this is crucial to a successful sow.
Knowing how much space to leave between seeds can be difficult to gauge and can vary depending on the variation of radish, but one gardener has shared a handy method that will allow you to plant seeds evenly.
Patrick Vernuccio, who is also known as @thefrenchiegardener, posted a video on Instagram sharing how he uses a wooden plank to help him sow healthy radishes that can be used to grow them in your garden or on your balcony.
“Healthy radishes need the right spacing,” he said in the video, instructing viewers to find a wooden plank measuring 4cm by 20cm. Once you have your plank, the gardener demonstrated drawing a line in the middle of it.
Creating his own DIY radish ruler, he then placed the first mark 2cm from the edge and the second one 4cm from the edge, continuing with this until reaching the end of the wooden plank and there’s an even row of markers along the length of it.
For the next part, you’ll need to find a set of screws and place these on the markers drawn onto the wooden plank, but Patrick warns to leave the screws roughly 1cm out of the plank. This will be essential for the next part, so it’s important not to skip this step.
Whether you’re planting your radishes outside in your garden or in a pot on your balcony, make sure the soil is watered before using your DIY wooden plank. To evenly space your seeds, press the plank onto your soil, creating an even row of holes.
Depending on how big your plot is, Patrick advises using a pen to help you keep track of where each row finishes so that you can continue to make holes “at the right depth and with the right spacing”.
He also shows how you can use the lid of your pen to easily grab seeds, placing one radish seed per hole. Cover the holes with soil, keeping it watered and moist everyday, “and in three weeks time you’ll be able to enjoy your own radishes.” For a “crunchy delight” Patrick reccomends enjoying them with some butter.
Slightly peppery, and mildly sweet flavor, Patrick used this method for the French breakfast variety, which are readily available at most garden centres, including Dobbies where they’re sold for £1.19.
These are Patrick’s essentials for growing healthy radishes at home:
Plant in soft and loose soil that’s well-drained
Water regularly to keep the soil moist
Choose a sunny location in spring
Don’t wait for too long before harvesting, or they can get very spicy with warmer weather
