Radish
- A Description of Radishes
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History: Radishes are an old and venerable vegetable. They originated in China and spread quickly to Europe and the Mediterranean. The ancient Greeks offered up radishes in "vessels of beaten gold" to the god Apollo. By the 16th C., they had been introduced to England and Gerarde mentioned four garden varieties. By the late 1800's in the U.S., radishes were so prized as an early vegetable crop that over 20 acres of greenhouses were used around New York City to supply radishes to meet that city's demand. Cultivation: Easy to grow. Radishes are one of the easiest crops to grow. They are a cool weather crop and are best direct-sown in successive plantings in very early to late spring and then again in late summer through to early fall. Sow seed 1/4" deep and thin to 2-3" apart. Radishes are often sown with slower-germinating crops like carrots to mark the rows. As the radishes mature and are harvested, room is made for the carrots to expand. Companions: Radishes are one of the best companion plants in the garden and will benefit almost all other vegetable crops except some of the brassicas. Nasturtiums are beneficial to radishes.