Oriental Radishes Well Worth the Effort

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Oriental Radishes Well Worth the Effort
Radishes have always been hyped as one of the easiest of winter vegetables to grow in the home garden. And, if conditions are right, that's true. Sometimes the radishes are really sweet and mild, other times they can seem a bit hot and spicy. I've also had a time or two in my garden where all I get is foliage and not much radish. I had that problem with my first planting in the 2009, fall vegetable garden. All leaf, no radish. Realizing I wasn't going to get the radishes I wanted I pulled up all the plants, tossed them in the compost and planted fresh seed in the very same place. This time I got plenty of leaf growth, but I also had nice, large, mild radishes that held in the soil for quite a long time before they started to get a bit woody. The 2008 vegetable garden I had to give up on the regular radishes because they didn't want to grow foliage or the swollen root. But both years I had excellent success with the oriental radish know as the Daikon and it's become one of my favorite winter vegetables for growing and eating.

The Daikon is a large, sometimes extremely large, usually white radish that holds in the soil for a long time and is as easily if not easier to grow that regular radishes. And they're so mild in flavor that I've had people wonder in they were Jicama when I served them cut in strips on a relish tray for dunking in vegetable dip.

Fall, direct seeded Daikons, an oriental radish ready for harvest.
If the soil is too hard or shallow the Daikon radish will have more growth above ground and possibly a distorted or forked root.

I like to serve them on salad, or as big slices with a bit of salt on them. They can be used in stir-in-fry or pickled. Thinking about them as I write this article makes me want to go cut a few slices, add some salt, and grab a cold beer for a snack. Okay, it's probably not a good idea to drink and write, so I'm only munching on Daikon slices. Tasty little devils and not much in the way of calories. I don't believe I've ever had any of the some what unpleasant "radish belch" with the Daikons. I'll know for sure before this days over, because I have been eating what I'd call a bunch of radish slices. (Editor's note: sometimes the writer probably gives you more information than you need to know. Sorry about that. And apparently an antacid was needed by the author after the Daikon snack.)

With an inch and a half width, and a 15-inch length there's plenty of mild radish flavor from a single Daikon.
Which takes up less space in the garden and holds longer in the soil? White oriental Daikon or your more familiar red radish?

I plant my Daikon seeds in the fall in raised beds with rich, deep and loose unobstructed soil. The radishes can vary greatly in length and you don't want them hitting stones or hard spots in the soil where they will branch out or curve the growth. Another problem is the portion of the radish that grows above the soil line isn't as blanched and is often more firm with a green tinge to the skin. A potato or carrot peeler can be used at harvest to remove the Daikon radish skin before serving.

When I plant the seeds, I plant them three or four inches apart so I don't have to go back and thin at a later date. If there are missing plants that didn't germinate I'll plant a few more seeds to make sure I have a complete row of plants. Keep them watered and watch them grow. Harvest at any size you like. I usually wait till they get large or, if I misjudged the spacing, I'll pick the smaller ones to thin them a bit.

I've never had much of an insect problem but I have noticed holes in the leaves so loopers of some kind probably dine on the leaves as do some of the birds, especially quail and finches. As the weather warms the radishes will eventually go to seed and you'll want to make sure they are harvested shortly there after.

The big radishes are cleaned and can be stored in a refrigerator for a short time before they start to lose their rigidity. In other words, they do go limp. I have found if I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap they will stay firm and fresh quite a bit longer.

Currently I've been growing the Minowase and/or April Cross Daikons. They seem to be a narrower radish. Some of my earlier Daikon seeds produced long, yet three or four inch wide radishes. They all tasted similar so I never kept track of what I grew as long as they were considered a Daikon. (2010)

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