Why won't my radishes grow properly?

[Newbiegrower1970]

Instead of in long thin stalks?

[veggiechicken]

Are they bolting?

[Newbiegrower1970]

They don't form roots at all, just 2 inch long pink stalks

[fishpond]

Do you have a photograph of one?

[Zelenina]

Radishes can be trickier than you might expect. Mine are sometimes successful and other times not. That pink bit should swell up but sometimes it doesn't. If they are all failing to swell I guess something isn't to their liking.

Some possibilities are: not enough water, not enough nutrients, not thinning out enough so they have space to grow, not enough sunlight. They tend not to like very hot weather but I don't think that could be a problem yet.

Maybe a champion radish grower will come along with some better advice.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Funny you should ask that question, my first pot of radish failed this year and I do quite well with them.

Second sowing looks better and I have just set seed in another pot.

[Chris11]

I'd say similar to Zelenina. Although radish are supposed to be one of the easiest things to grow, in practice that's not always what people experience.

There's a good older thread here:
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...igh_79219.html

[maverick451]

I think radishes are quite hard in that they require good conditions

Imo then need a sunny position to form good size roots but also need lots of water.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I have checked my records and found I set seed over two weeks earlier than usual, that may just explain things.

[samthor1]

I've grown radish for many years and rarely have any problems except for the odd bit of slug damage I tend to find that they grow best in semi shade or in a cooler part of the garden as too much heat will encourage bolting. I sow mine at anytime of the year apart from the winter but as the other folk have already said they do need a fair bit of care! The ground should be friable and stone free, don't use acidic peat compost, they prefer slightly moist soil. Remember to keep thinning them out as they develop and give them tons of water on a regular basis, the roots need to swell and too little water will result in little or poor growth especially in hot weather, it also prevents woody growth. If you are growing French Breakfast then they will develop long thin roots wich will swell given space and water

[john9159]

I too had this problem with no swelling of the root just long thin growth but the leaf formation was perfect.
I thought the problem may have had something to do with me trying for the first time to grow them in leaf mold which was very crumbly and well rotted.
I always have a problem growing supposedly simple crops such as spring onions and radish.

[Penellype]

I can't grow radishes with any reliability at all (or spring onions for that matter). As I don't particularly like either I have given up, except for growing radishes as microgreens in winter for a bit of colour in salads. You can eat the whole plant, and when very young the leaves are not as rough as they are in older plants.