[mobilekat]

OK it sound pathetic but I cannot grow radishes to save my life...

Well I can grow nice radish plants, but they don't develop the bulbous root, so not much use.

I have tried 2 variety's this year- Mantanghong, which are meant to produce nice big roots ideal for salads etc, and look great as they are white on the outside and red in the middle, and Munchen Bier, which should have white roots and then produce pods for adding to salads.

Both have started fine, but gone leggy and whilst plenty of leaf growth the roots are thin and spindly.
They are in a raised bed on a mixture of compost, soil and well rotted horse manure.
The Pak Choy in the same bed are doing great guns, and the leeks too.

Am I being too nice to them, they have been watered well (what hasnt this year) and thinned out as required.
I let a couple of the Mucheins go to seed, which they did well, but they still never developed a root.

In desperation I have also planted radishes into a flower bed or much poorer soil, and these are doing no better....
I do have a pigeon issues, so they are covered in chicken mesh, but cant see why that would be an issue!

Any suggestions (other than give up on radishes!)- or is it just this year it not to be!

[fatcat1955]

Could be too much nitrogen producing top growth. Probably the manure. I don't feed any radish , carrot or parsnip plants as i think that the further the root has to travel to find food the longer it get,s. If you feed them the plant has no need to send it's root down looking for food so just put's on nice lush top growth. I might be wrong but that's my thought's for what their worth.

[Christine]

Mine do better planted very early in the season in a sunny spot using good compost in a tub shoved in a spare space - have lots of that called a concrete hard standing. Have never done so well later in the season.

[Yorkie]

My first thought was the same as fatcat's, that you'd given them too much nitrogen feed.

[mobilekat]

Thanks- will have to let the soil 'age' then, as I was a bit restricted as to what I could use to fill the raised bed.
So most of what went in was 'old compost' that had been used in large planters for a couple of years, plus the very well rotted manure (so well rotted it looks like soil!)

The thing that confused me is the ones that are in poorer quality soil - in an old and neglected flower bed, which has had no real feed for years, and was where an old shrub was dug out this year are doing the same thing.

[ryetek]

Mine do better planted very early in the season in a sunny spot using good compost in a tub shoved in a spare space - have lots of that called a concrete hard standing. Have never done so well later in the season.

Our radishes do better early in the season too. Like you they seem not to perform too well as the seasons draws on.

Also something nibbles the top of the actual radishes (not the leaves). It can't be the pigeons or other birds because they are under an enclosed wire mesh. Not sure what does that!