Today we will discuss Grow White Radish From seeds in Containers. Raphanus spp. or the Radishes comes in a variety of colors and textures. Though only two of them are prominent in gardening. The first one is the regular sweet pink or purple round radish. Another one is the long white Radish. It is more spicy and strong in taste. White radishes look similar to carrots with a distinct taste. You may like the taste if you like spicy flavor.
Radishes need soft moist soil with good drainage. Gardeners say that the soil for radishes must feel like cotton. Soft light and healthy soil are essential for longer white radishes. After all, radish is a root vegetable, its root is the main edible part of the plant along with leaves.
Growing radishes is very easy. It is a fast-growing vegetable and can germinate within 3 to 7 days. You can directly sow the seeds in pre-prepared garden beds. Spring and Fall is the right time to sow radish seeds. Sow radish seeds in time and get the yield in 55-60 days.
Check out my previous post: Proper Spacing for Radishes in the Garden
Do Radishes Grow Well in Containers?
Yes, They Do. Radishes grow well in containers especially if it is big enough for root growth. Although container gardening can be tricky sometimes, yet growing radishes in containers are pretty easy.
You will need a deep and wide container that can support the optimum root size, especially for long white radishes. White Radishes can grow longer than 12 inches. They can expand up to 4 inches in diameter. So the size of the container is very important.
Other than that you will need healthy potting soil that will nourish the radishes. Maintain proper space between each radish seedlings and keep them hydrated. That’s it if you fulfill these requirements the Radishes are very easy to grow even in containers.
How Deep should a container be for White Radishes?
White Radish grows in length instead of breadth. They can easily grow to a length of 12-15 inches. Therefore, you should use containers that can hold the optimum size of these white radishes without damaging their structure.
Therefore, you must use a 12, 15, or 18-inch planter or container to grow radishes. You can grow radishes in a small container but they will not produce proper size radishes. Either the plant will not grow to its full potential or the roots may bend or split to elongate further. Both of these conditions are not good for the gardener.
So you must use a big 15-inch container to grow radishes. It is better if the container is also wide to accommodate multiple radishes.
How long does it take for Radishes to germinate?
Radish seed will take 3 to 7 days to germinate in ideal conditions. Late summer or fall-grown radishes germinate faster than spring radishes especially due to high temperature.
Most radish seeds will definitely start germinating in 7 days although you may find a few germinating after 10 days. This usually happens if the seeds are too crowded or they don’t get proper nutrients and sunlight.
Factors that can affect Radish Seed Germination
There are a few factors that can affect the germination rate of radishes. These factors can boost as well as retards the seed germination according to specific situations. So try to understand these and use them in your favor to grow radishes in containers.
- Variety of Radishes
- Temperature
- Moisture
- Soil Condition
The variety of radish that you choose determines the natural germination rate. Different radishes have a slight difference in their germination time. That’s why you may get faster germination in white radishes than purple radishes.
Temperature is the prime factor that determines the germination of radish seeds. The seeds will germinate at 65-78 degrees Fahrenheit. Though temperature lower or higher than this range is not very good for radishes, still you can try.
Moisture is an essential part of seed germination. No seed can germinate without moisture. Water acts as a stimulant for the seeds to initiate sprouting. Sufficient moisture for a specific amount of time initiates chemical changes within the seed. These changes determine the success of germination.
Finally, the soil condition is also very important. Radish seeds may germinate without any media though they can’t sustain without it. Essential nutrients and minerals in the soil mix help the radish seed to develop into a plant. If you use a no soil seed germination media still it is important to determine whether the seed will germinate or not.
Therefore, You must take care of the soil, temperature, and moisture to successfully germinate radish seeds.
Container selection for Radishes
The term container gardening is incomplete without Containers. We can grow any plant or tree in a container. All it needs is the space that can accommodate the entire root system. In simple words, the bigger the plant, the bigger container it will need. Similarly, if you want to grow radish in containers then you have to use something big.
The container for radishes must have 10 to 15 inches depth. It should be wide enough to accommodate a dozen or more radish together. There must be some bottom hole for drainage.
You can use a 5-gallon bucket to grow radishes. Each bucket will support 15-20 white radishes. Grow bags are also good for radishes. You can easily wrap and store them after the season ends. It will save space for other uses.
Wide 18 inch planters are ideal to grow radishes. They can accommodate 20-25 long white radishes.
Soil Preparation for Radishes in Containers
The soil for radishes must be super soft and light. It must not contain any pebble or debris. The soil should have good drainage with sufficient organic matter. You cannot grow radishes in poor soil. These plants are heavy feeders. So they will require a consistent supply of moisture and nutrients.
You can use commercial soil mix or any all-purpose potting soil to grow radishes in containers.
I always prepare my soil mix for the container garden. It is cheap and more effective.
I use 20% regular garden soil, 20% fine river sand, 50% compost, 5% cocopeat, 3% NPK 20:20:20 with sulfur, and 2% contact fungicide.
This homemade potting soil works better than many commercial soil mixes. Sometimes I also amend this soil mix with wood ash, DAP, and bonemeal to get bigger roots in radishes.
The longest radish in my terrace garden was 13.86 inches. It was grown in the fall of the year 2020 with the same soil mix. This white radish took 63 days to mature.
Check out: Can you Grow Carrots in Containers?
Temperature and Sunlight Requirement for Radishes
Radish plants especially white radishes require 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit to grow. We usually sow the white radishes from late summer to fall. We don’t experience heavy frost in winter so it grows throughout the season. Although you should sow the radish seeds according to your local temperature.
White radishes need full sun for 4 to 6 hours every day. The amount of sunlight can be easily adjusted for container-grown radishes. You soul adjust sunlight according to the plant’s needs as well as the local temperature.
How to Grow White Radish from seeds in Containers?
- Choose a big 12-15 inch container to grow white radishes. It should have a few drainage holes at the bottom.
- Select Dwarf or short white radish varieties instead of long ones for your containers. Short radish varieties are more adaptable to the container garden. You can buy radish seeds on Amazon.
- Fill the containers with potting soil. Level it properly and gently tap on the top to release any air pocket.
- Make 1 cm or 0.5-inch holes in the soil at a 1-2 inch distance. Put 1 Radish seed in each hole and cover it with the same soil mix.
- Water the soil surface thoroughly until it drips out of the bottom hole. Reduce the amount of water from the next spell.
- Place the container directly in sunlight or near a window. It must receive a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight to germinate. Sunlight is very important to maintain proper soil temperature.
- Once the radish seeds germinate they will keep doubling their size in 7-10 days. You only have to keep them hydrated and well-fed throughout their lifecycle. Use all-purpose liquid fertilizer with DAP and Potash fertilizer once in 15 days.
- Radish seedlings can easily get crowded even with proper space management. Therefore, thinning is essential to support healthy radish growth in containers. You should read Proper Spacing for Radishes in the Garden.
- Keep the pests in control with organic pesticides like neem oil.
- The white radishes will be ready to harvest within 55-60 days of sowing.
Precautions with radishes in Containers
Plants in containers need extra care. that’s why I always recommend regular observation of container gardens especially if you grow vegetables like radishes. Rashis is a fast-growing root vegetable. It requires continuous nutrition and water supply. Even a couple of days of dry spells can spill or break the roots and your crop will be waisted. So keep an eye on the precaution given in the list below and keep your radishes healthy in containers.
- Use a big container, at least 10 or 12 inches deep to grow radishes. Shallow containers are not good for long white radishes. Though you can grow round radishes in a shallow container. long radish root may deform due to insufficient space.
- Always keep the soil moist. Potting soil can dry out faster than garden soil. Therefore, regularly water the soil mix and never let it dry completely. Radishes usually crack or split in low moisture. They also lose their specific flavor and become chewy and fibrous.
- Don’t use chemical pesticides for pest control in container-grown radishes. These chemical are very harmful to our health and they can easily contaminate the soil as well as the roots. both leaves and roots of radishes are used for cooking purposes. So in one way or other these chemicals can reach your plates.
- Sow radishes seeds with proper spacing otherwise the plant will not yield well. You can also thin some extra seedlings to maintain spacing.
- Feed your radishes in the container with organic compost, DAP, Superphosphate, and Potash twice every month at a 2% concentration. A spoon full of the mixture is sufficient for an 18-inch container. Don’t forget to water the soil after fertilization.
- Harvest the radishes before their maturity time. Early harvest can yield tender roots while late harvests will become fibrous in texture and pungent in smell.
Final Words
What’s your opinion on how to Grow White Radish From seeds. Write your thoughts, suggestions, or queries in the comment section. Keep reading and Enjoy Gardening.
