[muckyboots]

Hi, can anyone give me any tips on how to grow radishes.I have tried for 3 years, in the ground and in a trough all results have been pitiful.

[heygrow]

I'm not sue I can give any advise, just my experience.
Previous to this year I sowed radishes in the ground (quite heavy soil) and never got any success. The bulbs never filled out.
This year I planted sparkler variety in a trough with filled with a light compost (veg mix) and they have grown very well. Nice size and taste. So not sure if it was the soil or the variety, probably both! I do keep them well watered though.

Hope it helps some.

[cadalot]

Reverse that last year all leaf no radish in pots of compost, this year I scribed a line in the ground about 15mm deep sprinkled and lots of radishes grew 

[maxie]

Whats going wrong with them? i always get a few that dont amount to much but usually just sew and grow quite easilyIf its your soil you could try adding a bag of decent compost to your radish patch or just growing in straight compost in a trench.
Slugs have a liking for the small seedlings as well.

[strider84]

As mentioned above what is actually happening?

They do need quite fertile soil but given there size people often just sow them in neglected corners.

I find the best radishes are ones grown in large garden pots I have x3 large pots on the go with about 20 in each and have had a constant healthy crop of radishes all summer.

I have some sown direct in the ground but these seem to be more affected by flea beatle.

Good luck

[snow white]

my first sowing gave lovely radishes, the soil was lovely and wet.  As the dry summer proceeded they gave poor grmination and those     that grew did not grow as well even though I watered.  Then the flea beetles got them and finally I worked out the slugs got them as they were coming through.   So, moist fertile soil, netted and slug pellets.    Hey presto - radishes again.   Hope that helps.

[mumofstig]

as DD. is away I'll link to his way with radishes 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=36159.msg444515#msg444515

[Yorkshire Lass]

That looks fab really easy, this may be a stupid question but do they stay in the cat litter tray until they are harvested. 

[mumofstig]

yes 

[m1ckz]

my first an 2nd sowing are allways great ,,, after that nothing just top end  grrr

[JayG]

I've often noticed the same thing m1ckz, and I don't really know why, although I suppose it has to be something to do with higher temperatures later in the summer . 

If you can get hold of a packet of mixed radish seed I find that at least some of them will do OK even if the growing conditions aren't entirely to their liking, and some of the white(-ish) globe types can grow to what looks like being rather too big without getting woody, which is a bonus. 

[Yorkshire Lass]

I have to agree I got a packet of mixed radishes and had a 50/50 success/fail rate.   

[Growster...]

It's taken us a few years to grow radishes properly too!

This year they've been fine, and while we don't bother to eat them as they should be, (whole, and just trimmed top and bottom, with a few cuts at the top, to spread them out a bit), they're just great for the first time in years!

Mrs G is better than me with sowing in succession as well...