The radish is quite hardy and may be grown throughout the winter in
hotbeds at the North, in cold frames in the latitudes of Washington,
and in the open ground in the South. For the home garden the seed
should be sown in the open ground as soon as the soil is moderately
warm. Plant in drills 12 to 18 inches apart, and as soon as the plants
are up thin them slightly to prevent crowding. Radishes require to
be grown on a quick, rich soil, and some of the earlier sorts can be
matured in two to three weeks after planting. If the radishes grow
slowly they will have a pungent flavor and will not be fit for table
use. For a constant supply successive plantings should be made every
two weeks, as the roots lose their crispness and delicate flavor if
allowed to remain long in the open ground. As a rule a large percentage
of radish seed will grow, and it is often possible by careful sowing
to avoid the necessity of thinning, the first radishes being pulled as
soon as they are of sufficient size for table use, thus making room for
those that are a little later. Radishes will not endure hot weather and
are suited to early spring and late autumn planting. There are a number
of varieties of winter radishes, the seed of which may be planted the
latter part of summer and the roots pulled and stored for winter use.
These roots should remain in the ground as long as possible without
frosting and should then be dug and stored the same as turnips. This
type of radish will not compare with the earlier summer varieties,
which may be easily grown in a hotbed or cold frame during the winter.
One ounce of radish seed is sufficient to plant 100 feet of row, and
when grown on a large scale 10 to 12 pounds of seed will be required to
the acre.--(F. B. 255, 295; U. Id. E. S. 10; Mich. E. S. 20; N. Car. E.
S. 132.)