Carrots and Radishes
By Lori Rose
Radishes are truly the simplest and fastest vegetables to grow. Some varieties are ready to harvest as soon as twenty-one days from sowing seeds. While radishes are one of the easiest root vegetables to grow, carrots have the reputation of being difficult to grow in the home garden. Here are some tips to make growing carrots just as easy and fun as growing radishes.
As with radishes, success with growing carrots starts with the soil. It should be loose and fine to a depth of at least two inches deeper than the carrot is long, with nothing in it that may prevent the roots from penetrating the soil easily. Remove dirt clumps, sticks, stones, and even leaves from the planting bed.
Radishes and carrots grow best in moist but not soggy soil in full sun. Plant radish and carrot seeds outdoors as neither of them transplant well. Sow both radish and carrot seeds two weeks before the last frost date, around April 1 in our area (a time of year when we are excited to get out into the garden, but when it is still too cool to plant summer crops) then again every two or three weeks until mid-May. While young carrot seedlings are weak and grow slowly, radish seedlings are strong and grow quickly. Neither will grow well in the heat of summer.
Carrot seeds are tiny, and more than one may end up in each hole. Pelletized seeds are easier to manage and nourish the seed as it sprouts. When the seedlings sprout, cut the smallest extra seedlings at soil level so as not to disturb the roots of the others. Radish seeds are bigger and easier to place exactly where you want them, so thinning radish seedlings may not be necessary.
Sow radish seeds in 1/2-inch-deep holes and carrots in 1/4-inch-deep holes about three inches apart and put one seed in each hole. Cover them with a little bit of soil, then water gently. While carrot seeds can take up to two weeks to germinate, some radish varieties sprout in as little as three days.
There's no need to devote a special section of the garden to spring radishes. They can grow in the same beds as slower-growing root crops like carrots, parsnips, and beets. Or sow them where you plan to grow summer vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. The radishes will be harvested before the other vegetables need the space.
When weeding near any root crop, try to stay away from the roots by clipping the weeds at soil level instead of pulling them. Water both radishes and carrots consistently throughout the growing season, keeping the soil moist but not wet to prevent cracking.
To prevent carrots from sun burning, where the top of the carrot root turns green, mound soil over the top of the root when it starts to swell. Sun burned carrots are still edible, simply cut away the green part and use the rest of the root.
Because they grow so quickly, check spring radishes frequently as they mature. For both radishes and carrots, check the seed package for the days from planting to harvest, then harvest by digging around the top of the root to assess the size. Small radishes can easily be pulled out by the leaves, but the leaves of larger radishes and carrots are not strong enough to pull the root from the ground, so dig them up gently to prevent damage. Carrots are at their sweetest when they are on the small side, and radishes become hotter the larger they grow. Overgrown radishes and carrots are less tasty, and they may develop a tough woody core.
Start a fall crop of spring radishes and carrots by sowing seeds again from mid-August to mid-September. August is also the perfect time to start winter radishes. These are the larger daikon-type radishes that are so useful in Asian dishes and for pickling. Winter radish varieties can grow quite large, and are typically less spicy than the spring varieties. Harvesting a delicious crop of winter radishes in early winter is very satisfying.
Winter radishes enjoy the same soil conditions as spring radishes – deep, loose and consistently moist but not soggy soil. Sow winter radish seeds about 1/2 inch deep and six inches apart. Winter radishes take longer to mature than spring radishes, between eight and ten weeks, so spring radishes can be planted right along with winter radishes and carrots for fall harvest.
Winter radishes love the cold, and they will keep well for months in cold basements or garages. To keep them firm in the refrigerator, cut off the greens, rinse and dry the roots, and store them in plastic bags. They will remain crisp for a month or two. Or keep them right in the garden under a heavy straw mulch through most of the winter and harvest them as needed. Harvest all the winter radishes before the ground freezes and store them inside.
Here are some delicious winter radish varieties to try: ‘Chinese Rose’ is a popular pink daikon radish that grows six inches long and two inches in diameter. ‘Watermelon’ is a unique heirloom daikon radish that is white on the outside and red on the inside. Slice it horizontally then once vertically for a beautiful presentation. ‘Daikon Long’ is a white Chinese green-necked variety that grows to fourteen inches long.
When spring radishes are ready to harvest, pull the roots whether you need them immediately or not, and cut off the leaves. Rinse and dry them, then put them in plastic storage bags in the refrigerator. They will stay crisp for a week or two. If some radish plants grow tall and set seed before you have a chance to harvest them, leave a few to develop seed pods. They look like tiny pea pods and are great in salads. Slice radish roots thinly and use them in salads or as chips for dips. Sliced radishes can also be sauteed quickly in a little bit of butter for a unique side dish.
Try some of these spring radish varieties: ‘French Breakfast’ is one of the most popular heirloom radish varieties with oblong three-inch rose red roots with white tips. ‘Cherry Belle’ is the classic round red heirloom radish. ‘Early Scarlet Globe’ is a popular round red radish with a surprising white inside.
To harvest carrots, dig the roots up, cut the tops off and wash away any soil. Dry them and store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Carrots grown without pesticides do not have to be peeled. Raw carrots are sweet, but cooked carrots are even sweeter, and they do not lose much nutritional value during cooking. They are delicious roasted, boiled, steamed, stir-fried or grilled, and in soups, stews or salads.
Here are some great carrots for the home garden: ‘Thumbelina’ is a sweet little round carrot, a good choice for our clay soil. ‘Little Finger’ is a five-inch-long golden orange carrot that is sweet and crisp. ‘Purple Dragon’ is seven inches long, with unique and tasty purple skin and a yellow core.
Carrots and radishes are perfect garden companions. Try growing some later this summer to extend the gardening season right in to winter.
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.