Green gardening: growing Asian radishes

Asian radishes are a far cry from the small, generally round radish commonly grown in North America. They can be white, have red or green flesh, and are frequently served cooked, like turnips. Follow these basic steps to growing your own varieties of radishes from home.

There are two main types of Asian radish, the white "mooli" or daikon type, often called Japanese radish, and the Chinese ones with coloured flesh or skins.

Mooli radish have a crisp texture and vary in flavour from sweet to very hot. Most of the pungent taste is in the skin, so these radishes are usually peeled before use. Raw, they can be grated, cubed, or cut into thin slices for use in salads or with cooked meats. Cooked, they can be used in place of turnips, be stir-fried, grated into sauces, or added to soups.

They are a cool-weather crop and are sown either in early spring to mature in early summer or in summer for a fall crop, depending on the variety. In very mild regions, a late- fall sowing can be made to overwinter for cropping the following spring.

Varieties to grow:

• For early- spring sowing: 'Omni', 'April Cross', and 'Mino Early'
• For late-summer sowing: 'Karaine', 'Resist Riso', and 'Wakayama White'

Sowing seeds:

• Sow seeds one to two centimetres (half to one inch) deep and sow thinly to make thinning easier.
• Eventual spacing will depend on the variety, but seedlings should be thinned in stages, starting when they are large enough to handle.
• Space the rows 45 centimetres (18 inches) apart.

Chinese radish comes in several forms, often having pink, green, or purple flesh. Because there is so much variation in size and spacing due to the many varieties available, it is impossible to give a general recommendation here. See the individual packets for sowing and cultivation instructions.

Varieties to grow:

• Good varieties to grow: Beauty heart — 'Mantanghong' and 'Red Meat'.
• Green-fleshed — 'Green Meat' and 'Misato Green'.
• Red-skinned — 'China Rose' and 'Cherokee'.

The "Beauty Heart" radishes have a rough green exterior, but the inside is white with rays of pink to red radiating from the centre. They need a warm climate and should not be sown until the temperature is above 15°C (59°F). They take about 90 days to mature and weigh up to one kilogram when ready.

Green-fleshed radishes are more cold tolerant and can be sown in spring or late summer. They mature in about 60 days. Depending on the variety, the flesh may be dark green at the top becoming lighter, or pale green shading to white. They grow with much of the radish exposed above the soil and can weigh up to 450 grams (one pound).

Red-skinned radishes are like the ones normally grown in North America, except they weigh up to 450 grams (one pound). Sow in early summer for fall use, and, where winters are mild, in midsummer for winter use. They can be left in the soil and be lifted as needed if given a covering of straw.