Black radish, and how to grow it in your garden

It looks ugly, but it’s stuffed with qualities and vitamins. If the production exceeds your consumption, consider making juices, for revitalizing cures.

To cultivate it Prepare the ground

It is a root vegetable from the cabbage family, the Brassicaceae. It therefore requires its share of fertilizers and requires deep soil. Carefully scratch the surface of the soil with a hook to a depth of 15 cm. Remove the stones. Finish with a rake on the surface to obtain a homogeneous layer of soil as thin as possible. Finally, spread 2cm of very ripe compost.

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Sowing black radish, or winter radish

They are sown from May to September/October depending on the climate.

Sow the seeds directly where they are to grow.
Trace furrows ½ to 1 inch (2-3 cm) deep.
Sow the seeds by spacing them regularly, about one seed every 1¼ to 1½ inches (3 to 4 cm).
Cover the furrows over without pressing the soil down too much.
Water regularly with a fine drizzle.

Black radish, and how to grow it in your garden

Once the seeds have sprouted, thin them out. This means removing the weakest sprouts and only keeping the most vigorous ones, spaced every 15 to 20 cm.

Ensure the ground stays clear of weeds by removing them as they appear.
Lightly break the surface regularly with a small hoe to let water trickle down to the roots.

You also have the option to sow your black radish in a garden box, with soil mix and regular watering. This will give you nice radishes to nibble straight from your terrace or balcony.

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Growing and caring for black radish

Once they have been sown, the only care they need is regular watering, especially in case of high temperatures in summer.

Water frequently in summer to ensure that the soil remains cool.
Apply mulch on the ground to sustain soil coolness.

Harvesting black radish

Black radish harvest is preferably targeted before the first frost spells but they can also be harvested during the entire winter.

Black radish, and how to grow it in your garden Black radish harvest generally takes place at least 4 months after sowing.

Harvesting before the ground freezes over makes pulling them out less work.
A good hint for timing the harvest: the tip of the black radish will start jutting out of the ground.
Once harvested, dry the black radish outdoors, but keep them out of the rain.
After that, keep the black radish in a dry, cool and well ventilated spot. The ‘Noir long maraicher’ keeps for a very long time in winter.

With high levels of vitamins B and C, phosphorus and magnesium, it also has diuretic properties. You can ingest black radish raw or cooked, or even in the form of black radish juice. But it is also possible to purchase black radish capsules in a pharmacy, ready to swallow.

And a escret about black radish: To have crunchy black radishes all season long, it’s a good idea to sow small batches every once and a while. Sowing every 2 to 3 weeks guarantees always having ready-to-eat radishes at hand.