Winter radishes are notably different from the smaller, brighter and often punchier ones you can grow from spring onwards. Winter radishes are left to grow for longer, so they can become larger, and while they can be eaten raw, there are many recipes for cooking them in soups and stir-fries, or roasting them like other root vegetables.
The first winter radish I ever encountered was the ‘Black Spanish Round’ (Raphanus sativus). This heritage variety develops into tennis ball-sized spheres with a rough black skin that conceals bright white, crisp flesh. I didn’t even realise the mooli – or daikon – was a winter radish when I was eating it pickled in a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich or fermented into kimchi. They develop an impressively long, conical root with a mild flavour and pleasingly crunchy texture, and I would grow them if only my heavy clay soil would allow it. The watermelon radish is my personal holy grail. It’s the prettiest radish that I’ve failed to grow despite trying these past few seasons. They’re not much to behold until they’re sliced open to reveal a vibrant fuchsia flesh. I blame end‑of‑summer exhaustion for all the times I’ve tried but haven’t succeeded in growing what ought to be a fairly easy crop.
As with spring radishes, winter radish seeds are best sown direct into free-draining soil as they aren’t fans of being moved after germination. Having said that, I’ve started spring radishes successfully in module trays, so I don’t see why these would be different, as long as they’re transplanted in good time. I tend to multi-sow my spring radishes as they grow well in small clusters, but these varieties are on the larger side so I’d be more diligent about thinning seedlings to the spacing given on the seed packet. Choose a spot with a good amount of sunshine, and keep your young plants well watered and protected from the last of the summer’s flea beetles by covering with insect-proof mesh. Like other root crops, the soil texture needs to be accommodating as they’ll push down into the earth as they grow.
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Some advice suggests it’s possible to grow these varieties year round, but it’s likely that if you try to sow winter radishes in spring, your plants will bolt and develop flowers before the roots have had a chance to swell.
Winter radishes can be ready to harvest in as little as eight weeks and, in fine weather, can be left in the ground to await being picked and eaten. Additionally, they store well if lifted before the first frost. Trim off their edible leaves and make a plan to eat those before storing your winter radishes somewhere cool and dry.
