Radishes are strong root vegetables in the same scientific family as broccoli and cauliflower. Many varieties have a pungent smell or flavor which makes them distinct and often leaves people either vehemently for or against the vegetable. They grow best in cool seasons and will sprout fast, often taking less than a month to appear and be ready for consumption.
Harvesting radishes is a simple process. The first step to figuring out when your vegetables are ready to pick is to make sure you know which type is planted in the garden. There is a broad range available...
Picking radishes is actually quite simple, and there is no secret. All you have to do is grasp the plant by the leaves that grow above ground and gently pull the vegetable out of the dirt. If for some reason, the ground is hard or has become overgrown by moss, you can use a small trowel to gently pick through the dirt until it is loose enough to remove the vegetable.
Once radishes have been removed from the ground and cleaned, there is actually little that needs to be done to store them. They work well when kept in the fridge because the cool temperature helps protect the vegetable from decay. If you want, the radish itself (not the greens) can be kept in the pantry. If the greens aren’t stored in a cool environment, they will wilt quickly.
In short, be prepared to harvest spring options after 3-5 weeks, and winter ones after 2-3 months. If you’re unsure of what variety you have, try to match the seeds or a sample radish (pulled early) to the standard descriptions and pictures. If you still can’t tell, then hope the vegetable was put in the ground during the right season and base your harvesting decision off of that information.