Successional Sowing and Harvest Dates for Radish Outdoors (Southern England)
Succession Sowing of Radish. Radish Thrive Outdoors In Southern England’s Cooler Seasons. Here’s A Guide For Successional Sowing To Maximise Your Harvest.
Table of Contents
I’ve written previously about succession sowing and succession planting and here I want to demonstrate an extreme situation where a really fast growing crop, radish, can be grown successionally with as many as 12-16 crops a year being grown under glass. Outdoors the number will be lower but multiple crops grown over the spring to autumn period are relatively easy, especially now we have much better quality fleece than wee had a few years ago. Succession Sowing of Radish is really worthwhile if you love this crop.
Radish Can Be Sown In March and thoughiut the year
Factors Affecting Plant Growth Rate
Temperature: Ideal radish growth occurs in cooler weather (15-20°C). Very hot weather can cause radishes to bolt (flower prematurely) and become bitter. However, growth under glass is still possible if the temperatures are controlled
Daylight Hours: Longer days in spring and summer can lead to faster growth, while shorter days in autumn and winter slow it down.
Radish: Succession Planting Schedule
Month
Approximate Sowing Dates
Approximate Harvest Dates
Notes
March – Early April
Every 2-3 weeks
3-4 weeks after sowing
Choose varieties suited for cooler weather, like ‘French Breakfast’ or ‘Sora’.
April – Mid-May
Every 2-3 weeks
3-4 weeks after sowing
Warmer temperatures allow for faster growth. Opt for faster-maturing varieties.
Mid-May – June
Every 3-4 weeks
3-4 weeks after sowing
Consider providing shade during the hottest part of the day. Heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Red Comet’ (if you can source them), or ‘China Rose’ are ideal.
July – Early August
Sow sparingly, every 4-5 weeks
4-5 weeks after sowing
Hot weather can be challenging. Choose fast-maturing varieties and harvest quickly.
Late August – September
Not recommended
–
Temperatures are often too high for optimal radish growth.
October (Early)
Every 4-6 weeks
4-6 weeks after sowing
Sow earlier in October for a potential harvest before first frosts. Opt for cold-tolerant varieties.
Tips:
Sow seeds thinly to prevent overcrowding and healthy growth.
Maintain consistent moisture by watering regularly, especially during dry spells. Dryness leads to bolting!
Harvest radishes when the roots reach a good size, typically for conventional radish between 2.5-5cm in diameter. Mooli are judged on their girth and length for variety. See below.
Don’t try this regime with the slower mooli type radish. They need longer to reach their size potential. but s similar system can be used with longer maturity dates.
Follow the above and keep an eye on the weather and you can enjoy a continuous supply of fresh radish outdoors in southern England throughout much of the year. Remember to adjust your sowing schedule based on specific varieties and actual weather conditions.
The difficult times are when it gets very hot, or very cold.
Plural V Singular Crop Names
English experts will tell us that vegetables that are countable use a s or es ending to form the plural. But as a retired commercial grower of lettuce, radish, cabbage and many other crops I know very few growers that say radishes, cabbages etc. The exceptions are tomatoes and potatoes. Cucumber is a strange one. No grower I know talks about cucumbers but they do say cues.
