Planted 11/3 in the GH. Fertilized a couple times with organic veggie fertilizer. Started adding more supplemental light a couple weeks ago. They're barely 3 inches long and dont look like radishes at the root at all. Hum...

That is actually what my radishes look like as seedlings. When I transplant them, I put them deep enough to cover this red stem, since I think this is what ultimately becomes the radish. I assume "white" radishes, would have white stems.

@drdawg I had no idea! Haha. I will transplant some the way you do and see what happens. First time I've ever grown radishes.

Those seedlings seem awfully tiny for being planted 2 months ago... Carol, what has the temp been like where you are? Most radishes are just about ready to eat in 2 months, and those have barely gotten started. Are they planted in the ground in the GH, or in a container? and if in a container, what sort of growing medium are you using? Did they germinate quickly and then just kind of stay that size? Radishes usually sprout quickly and grow quickly... (I've had larger sprouts than that in my salad seed sprouter within 2 weeks!)

The problem is (perhaps) they are growing in cool temperature. Radishes are warm/hot weather plants. I have never even tried to grow them in the winter (in the greenhouse) and don't start those seeds until mid-spring.

Radishes are one of the first things I plant in the spring ! (as in, April, when we are still getting frost and even snow...) They're much milder when grown in cool weather.

Radishes are cool season goodies here, too. We plant them late in the fall, October or so, and also in January.

They need loose soil, lots of water and fertilizer because they grow so fast.

"Cool-season" for you is dead-of-winter for most of the US, Elaine. If I planted radishes in the fall, they would quickly be toast here. They are warm-growing vegetables, not suitable for anywhere else in the winter (like many vegetables) than FL and S. CA.

Nah, radishes are 'cool growers' Ken. I used to plant them in Utah in March, and the seedlings would survive even a late snow or two in April. Most places they are planted along with the peas, lettuce, carrots and cabbage-y things.

Here in FL, if I waited to plant them at the same time as the warm growers, tomatoes and peppers, (end of Feb), they'd be woody little golf balls by the time they were ready to harvest in April-ish.

Our agriculture extension recommends planting from February 1 to April 15 here. February 1 is the colder part of winter here. Anywhere in that time frame is still before the last frost.
Old Farmers Almanac says
"Radishes are a hardy, cool-season vegetable that can produce many crops each season due to its rapid days to maturity. Radishes can be planted in both the spring and the fall, but growing should be suspended in the warmer months. They are a very easy vegetable to grow."

http://www.almanac.com/plant/r...

Okee, dokee. If mine were in the ground now, they would surely be soon frozen. We will have the next seven days in the 20's and teens, with highs in the 30's. One day the low is predicted to be 15 F and the high will only be 28 F. That being said, I will plant my radishes earlier than I usually do. Perhaps I can get two crops.

I planted them in containers in the GH. In Nobember here in Central Texas we had plenty of sunny days but they were short. I started supplementing light a few weeks ago and I think they look healthier they just aren't thriving. Night temps in there are 54-59 usually. Daytime it gets into the 70s if it's sunny. We have had a fair number of cool cloudy days this past month so I've kept cfl lights on and it has boosted the temps at least to the low 60s. I reserve the heater for nights or the occasional really cold day

Do you think these are even worth transplanting or should I start over? It just seems like the stems are long and leggy.

PS I used miracle grow organic soil--brand new. Fertilized a couple times with an organic vegetable fertilizer. I do notice there are a lot of tiny flying knats in a lot of my plants. Jeepers I need to go to school on gardening-haha.

LOL, Ken -- I wouldn't plant them with temps as low as you describe, either; but the temps Carol is currently having can be summer days up here ...

Carol, if you aren't trying to grow other things that need more heat, I don't see where you would need to use your heater for the radishes right now. And, sad to say, if those seedlings were planted in early November, then, yes, I would start over. Do you know what variety you planted? My inclination would be to try a different packet of seed and see if that makes any difference. (but don't toss the original packet out yet if you still have seeds left -- no sense wasting them if that isn't the problem).

Though it is some trouble, you can transplant any of these plants into 4" and then again into gal. pots. I do this all the time with vegetable and herb plants, those that I am going to sell. They can easily be transplanted into large, patio pots or into the garden from either the 4" or gal. pot. You might want to try this and then go ahead and start over with another batch in a month or so. This can be a "fun-experiment".

"This can be a "fun-experiment".

Yep, that's what I always say when something in the garden doesn't go the way I expected or intended... seems like I do an awful LOT of experimenting at times

Me too!

All good info from ya'll. I transplanted some of them today and for others just added some dirt-experimenting until February. I had planted two kinds, one by Martha. They were just the regular radishes. Other one was misoto rose radish which is round and large. Neither did well but I've learned I won't plant them in November. Will wait until February as @horntoad suggested since that's the recommended date in Texas. I did plant some by Baker Creek (something like that). They are Chinese red/watermelon radishes and they are doing much better. Planted 12/22 and they sprouted quickly and look healthy. All the seeds by that company are doing the best.

I'm surprised that the earlier two kinds just seemed to have roots in the ground and all the red "stem" above leading up to the leaves is above the dirt level. Since it sounds like that red part should be deep In The dirt. In assumed you just plant them and they do what they're supposed to do. I mean, when you just grow them in the ground (as opposed to in containers) don't you just plant them and it does its thing without transplanting? Maybe my dirt in the containers settled down or something and exposed those red stems. Geese...I didn't realize I knew so little about this. I need "Gardening for Dummies"---good thing I have mentors on this site. I will get the hang of it --I'm just disappointed I haven't done better this first year. Lots of notes being taken and maybe the February crop will be a winner!

Maybe the seeds could have been planted a bit too shallow?

Last time I grew radishes, when they matured, the shoulders of the little radishes were up out of the soil.

It might depend upon your soil, too.

All true, Elaine. Low light conditions will also cause this to happen.

I'm late to the party but I planted radishes around Labor Day. Maybe even later. I have been eating them for awhile and when I got back from being gone for about 2 weeks, this is what I pulled YESTERDAY and these are planted outside and have sustained freezing temps.



I wouldn't plant seeds now, but maybe in about a month or so I will plant more.