Radish growing tips please

[Sweet savory]

I have discovered the delight of a crisp radish this season but have only managed to grow a handful fit to eat. The seed I have is for a ball variety (scarlet globe) but they seem to lever themselves out of the soil and many grow to a squiggly worm rather than a small globe.
Should I sow them deeper, draw the soil up around the root or would a longer variety (the ubiquitous french breakfast) do better? I grow them in a raised bed to protect from flea beetle and slug damage.
Any thoughts gratefully received

[ameno]

By the sounds of it you are either growing them too close together, or else they are starting to bolt and you haven't realised it. Growing somewhere too shaded can also cause the roots not to swell.

I've found that success with radishes is highly dependent on the variety you grow, however. Modern F1 varieties always do significantly better and are far less likely to bolt. In the past I have grown cheap, old varieties like Sparkler, Scarlet Globe and French Breakfast 3, and success has been patchy at best. This year, I have been growing Escala F1 to great success. They quickly grow into large round red radishes, and are slow to bolt for radishes even in this hot weather (they will still bolt if you leave them in the ground too long, though, or if you don't water them enough). Rudi F1 is another that has done well for me in the past.

So grow them somewhere reasonably sunny (not in the shade of other crops, either), give them plenty of water, and most importantly, grow a modern F1 variety.

[Sweet savory]

Thanks I will try your advice. F1s from now on

[Chippy Minton]

The other thing I found when I got similar results was that, as a brassica, they like to be in firm soil, so after sowing I give them a good tamp down with my hand. Seems to work, although might be any number of other factors.