I harvested this batch of elegant ‘French Breakfast’ radishes from a large trough on the roof nearly two weeks ago. I try to make it a habit to replace each radish harvested with a new seed so there’s always a batch coming up and a batch going in.
Gayla is a writer, photographer, and former graphic designer with a background in the Fine Arts, cultural criticism, and ecology. She is the author, photographer, and designer of best-selling books on gardening, cooking, and preserving.
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6 thoughts on “Radishes ‘French Breakfast’”
I have a question about root vegetables like radishes, beets, and carrots: How do you know when they’re ready to pick?
I don’t know about carrots and beets (yet) because mine are still growing, but radishes pop up when they’re ready to harvest. The red part shows quite well above the soil. :)
I love radishes — they were always a staple in my Dad’s garden. He loved them so much, he used to make sandwiches out of them. :) I like them in salads or freshly plucked from the soil.
Hey! I have those same radishes growing on my roof! I threw a bunch of seeds in on the edges of my planters just for fun, and I’ve been blown away how quickly they grow, but disappointed with how they taste. They just aren’t crunchy enough. When I think of radishes, I think of peppery water-chestnutty crunchiness. Is it just the french breakfast variety, or are they not getting enough water? They do get pretty hot up there…
Thanks, Melissa! I just noticed this morning that one of my beets was poking a bit above the surface, so I picked it. It was round, but not big enough yet. I’ll wait for the others to show themselves more fully!
Kevin: They probably need more water and less heat.
Lori: What Melissa says pretty much applies to carrots as well. They take longer than radishes. Radishes have a fast turnaround from seed to harvest.
I have a question about root vegetables like radishes, beets, and carrots: How do you know when they’re ready to pick?
I don’t know about carrots and beets (yet) because mine are still growing, but radishes pop up when they’re ready to harvest. The red part shows quite well above the soil. :)
I love radishes — they were always a staple in my Dad’s garden. He loved them so much, he used to make sandwiches out of them. :) I like them in salads or freshly plucked from the soil.
Hey! I have those same radishes growing on my roof! I threw a bunch of seeds in on the edges of my planters just for fun, and I’ve been blown away how quickly they grow, but disappointed with how they taste. They just aren’t crunchy enough. When I think of radishes, I think of peppery water-chestnutty crunchiness. Is it just the french breakfast variety, or are they not getting enough water? They do get pretty hot up there…
Thanks, Melissa! I just noticed this morning that one of my beets was poking a bit above the surface, so I picked it. It was round, but not big enough yet. I’ll wait for the others to show themselves more fully!
Kevin: They probably need more water and less heat.
Lori: What Melissa says pretty much applies to carrots as well. They take longer than radishes. Radishes have a fast turnaround from seed to harvest.