Crops › Radish
How to grow Radish
in the US
Sow March to September, plant out October, harvest April to October. About 28 days from seed to plate. You can sow it this month.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Radishes, to be honest, they're a cracking little crop for any backyard gardener. They're part of the Brassicaceae family, dead easy to grow, and you can get a harvest in about a month, which is proper chuffed-worthy. They don't take up much room on the plot, so even if you've only got a small space, you can get a good crop going.
Sowing
Radishes are cool-season crops, so you'll want to get them in the ground when it's not too hot. For folks in warmer spots, like zone 10, you can be sowing from January right through to May, then again from September to December. In cooler zones, say zone 3, April to August is your window. Sow the seeds directly into prepared soil, about half an inch deep and an inch apart. I like to do a small batch every couple of weeks, that way you get a steady supply rather than a big glut all at once. They don't really do well from plug plants, so direct sowing is the way to go.
Growing on
Once your radish seedlings are up and growing, you'll need to thin them out. Give each plant about 2 to 3 inches of space, that'll let the roots swell up properly. If they're too close, you'll just end up with a lot of leafy tops and no radish. You can grow radishes in pots or containers too, as long as they're at least 6 inches deep and have good drainage. They're not fussy, but they do need that bit of room.
Looking after it
Radishes need consistent moisture to grow well and stop them from getting woody or bolting too quickly. Give them a good drink, especially in dry spells. You don't usually need to feed them much if your soil is decent, but a bit of compost worked in beforehand always helps. Keep an eye on the watering, that's the main thing.
What goes wrong
Like a lot of brassicas, radishes can get hit by flea beetles, root maggots, and cabbage worms. Aphids can be a nuisance too, sucking the sap. A good way to keep the cabbage worms off is to use row covers, especially when the plants are young. If you see tiny holes in the leaves, that's likely flea beetles, just keep an eye on them.
Harvest
The best bit! Radishes are usually ready in about 28 days from sowing, depending on the variety and the weather. You want to pull them when they're a good size for eating, usually an inch or so across. Don't leave 'em too long or they'll get woody and hot. Just pull 'em up by the leaves. You can store them in the fridge for a week or two, or if you've got a proper glut, they're lovely sliced into salads or even roasted.
I always find that sowing a few radishes in a slightly shadier spot during the hotter parts of summer helps them grow on without bolting too quick, keeps 'em sweet.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Cherry Belle Cherry Belle is a really reliable performer, always a good choice for consistent yields. It's a classic red radish with a crisp, mild flavor, great for salads. | No club votes yet |
| French Breakfast This French Breakfast variety is an early maturing type, giving you quick harvests. It's an elongated radish, red with a white tip, offering a delicate crunch. | No club votes yet |
| Easter Egg Easter Egg radishes are a delight, a reliable performer that brings a mix of colors to your plate. You'll get purple, pink, red, and white roots, perfect for kids. | No club votes yet |
| Watermelon (Mantanghong) The Watermelon (Mantanghong) variety is a real showstopper, a reliable performer with a vibrant pink interior. It's got a milder flavor and keeps well, a proper winter radish. | No club votes yet |
| Minowase Daikon Minowase Daikon is a long, white radish variety, a reliable performer that grows quite big. It's got a milder flavor than some round radishes and is great for cooking. | No club votes yet |
| Sparkler Sparkler is another reliable performer, a lovely round red radish with a distinct white tip. It's got a good, crisp texture and a bit of a bite. | No club votes yet |
| German Giant German Giant lives up to its name, a reliable performer that produces impressively large roots. Despite their size, they stay crisp and don't get woody quickly. | No club votes yet |
| White Icicle White Icicle is a pure white, elongated radish, a reliable performer with a mild taste. It's a lovely choice for adding a different shape and color to your salads. | No club votes yet |
| Plum Purple Plum Purple is a stunning, deep purple radish, a reliable performer that adds a splash of color. It's got a crisp texture and a pleasant, slightly spicy flavor. | No club votes yet |
| Malaga Malaga is a unique purple radish variety, a reliable performer with a lovely round shape. It offers a nice crunch and a slightly pungent flavor that stands out. | No club votes yet |
| Ping Pong Ping Pong produces perfectly round, white radishes, a reliable performer that's great for small spaces. Their uniform size and mild flavor make them ideal for containers. | No club votes yet |
| Helios Helios is a bright yellow radish, a reliable performer that brings a sunny touch to your garden and plate. It's known for its crispness and mild, sweet flavor. | No club votes yet |
| Champion Champion is a classic red radish, a reliable performer that lives up to its name with robust growth. It's a good all-rounder, producing good yields of firm, crisp roots. | No club votes yet |
| Rover Rover is an excellent early-maturing radish, a reliable performer for quick harvests. It produces round, red roots with a good crisp texture and a pleasant, mild zing. | No club votes yet |
| Sora Sora is a beautiful round red radish, a reliable performer that's particularly well-suited for container growing. It's got a lovely crisp texture and a good, slightly spicy flavor. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Radish seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April to August | May to September |
| Zone 4 | April to August | May to September |
| Zone 5 | March to September | April to October |
| Zone 6 | March to September | April to October |
| Zone 7 | February to October | March to November |
| Zone 8 | February to October | March to November |
| Zone 9 | January to November | February to December |
| Zone 10 | September to May | February to December |
Cook the harvest
Kkakdugi is a classic Korean kimchi made with cubed radish that ferments into something spicy, tangy, crunchy, and deeply umami. It is quicker to make than traditional napa cabbage kimchi and delivers the same bold flavors. Serve alongside rice, Korean BBQ, or any meal that needs a punchy, probiotic kick.
30 min · mediumA visually stunning salad built around the spectacular watermelon radish — pale green on the outside, vivid magenta within. Shaved thin, the slices reveal their dramatic color and have a milder, slightly sweet flavor compared to red radishes. Dressed simply with citrus and sesame, this is a salad that makes people reach for their phone before their fork.
15 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: lettuce, peas, cucumbers, beans, spinach
Questions people ask
When do you sow Radish in the US?
Sow Radish from March to September in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out October, after the last frost.
How long does Radish take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 28 days, with the harvest April to October.
Which Radish varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Cherry Belle, French Breakfast, Easter Egg, Watermelon (Mantanghong) and more.
Track your Radish from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.