Therapy. That’s what gardening is to me right now. It is so satisfying to go out in the sun and breeze and put seeds into the soil and watch for every green sprout to bob its head up. The whole family gravitates to the garden, to work together and to witness each new day’s transformation. Right now our lilacs are in full and fragrant bloom, along with bright white snowballs, so pure against the vivid blue spring sky! In the veggie garden, we are pulling big fat white radishes out of the barely warm soil. Have you tried these?
White radishes are amazing! They are fatter and faster to grow than red radishes. They taste like a fresh pop of springtime, crunchy and refreshing, very mild tasting! And, as always, they are the very first crop—ready to harvest just 3 weeks after you put the seeds in the ground! Radishes are a very rewarding gardening experience for the impatient!
If you haven’t tried white radishes, I think you will be delighted, especially if you don’t like radishes. If you can locate the seeds for White Hailstone Radish, you’ll have the mildest, most delicious radish! Leave just one in the ground to go to seed: it will send up a big stalk and eventually flower. By fall time the seed pods will be dry and you can pick them off before they burst open and store them in a paper sack. You’ll have more than enough to plant your garden with next year’s radishes. If some pods do burst open and reseed themselves, less work for you!
Rather than planting your whole seed packet at one time, plant a new bunch of radishes every week and you’ll have a continuous crop. Radishes like cool weather with plenty of water. If you let red radishes dry out and stay in the ground too long, they’ll turn hot as fire. These white radishes are very mild, but I haven’t tried them in a hot summer. We’ll see how that works.
Only 2 calories per radish, yet high in vitamin C and fiber, the radish needs more respect. Plant some now, and you’ll be eating white radishes before you know it.
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