Four Common Problems Growing Radishes and What to Do About Them

BY MARIE IANNOTTI

Updated 09/28/17

  • SHARE SharePIN PinEMAIL Radishes can be one of the easiest vegetables to grow and they certainly are one of the fastest, but there are a handful of problems that can plague home gardeners when trying to grow radishes, such as being too hot to eat, not forming a bulb or growing tough, woody, and/or cracked. There is not much you can do about these problems once you have harvested your radishes. Luckily, all of these problems are avoidable if you grow your radishes in good conditions.
  • French Breakfast Radishes
    Photo: © Marie Iannotti

    This is one of the most common radish growing problems. The "hotness" of radishes results from the length of time they have grown rather than from their size. The radishes either grew too slowly or are too old. Radishes like cool weather, but it needs to be warm and wet enough for them to fill out before the weather heats up. They need to grow fast and be harvested as soon as they reach their mature size. Unlike carrots and beets, they do not get sweeter if stored in the ground.

    If the...M

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    Why Do My Radishes Crack Open?

    Sliced Radishes
    Tetra Images / Getty Photos

    Sometimes radishes simply split open as they mature and get older. However very often cracking is the result of uneven watering. Trying to make up for a period of drought with a lot of water all at once will cause the radish to grow too rapidly and split open. Make sure your radishes are getting at least 1 inch of water per week.

    Just because the radish bulbs have split does not mean they are no longer edible. If it is just a cosmetic split or two, you can still enjoy them in your salads. 

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    Why Do My Radishes Get Tough and Woody?

    Black Spanish Radish
    Photo: © Marie Iannotti

    Radishes need to grow quickly, to ensure they are tender and plump when harvested. If radishes don’t get the cool temperatures they need and lots of regular water, they will start to get hard and dry.

    Spring and fall are the easiest times to grow radishes. Some radishes, like 'Black Spanish', prefer being grown in the shortening days of fall. They are left in the ground over winter and harvested in the spring. Black radishes look tough, but the skin is actually quite tender. 

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    All I Have are Green Tops. Why Aren't the Radish Bulbs Forming?

    'White Icicle' Radishes
    Photo: © Marie Iannotti

    The most frequent cause of radishes growing only greens is hot weather. Once the weather warms up, the radish plant bolts and tries to set seed.

    Planting too thickly and not thinning to about 1-2 inch between plants will also cause radishes not to develop. They are too crowded and don’t feel they have room to plump up, so again, they will go to seed.

    Another cause of under development in radishes is not enough sunlight. Radishes can handle a little shade, especially if the temperatures are hot.