That's a Radish? You're Kidding, Right?

Watermelon Radishes

When most of us hear the word “radish,” the mental image is of shiny scarlet globes with firm white flesh. Am I right? Well, not always: ever seen a watermelon radish? It doesn’t look like an ordinary radish from your local grocery, and it doesn’t taste like one, either. Both the color and taste lend variety to salads, although your kids might suspect that you’ve added beets. They’re also well-suited to those rare dishes calling for cooked radishes. 

These radishes are red and white like the more familiar variety, only backward: they come with a thick, tough whitish skin wrapped around crisp, deep reddish flesh. When still small, they are pretty "tangy"; not unlike the flavor of good horseradish. The taste mellows out as they reach their full of three to four inches in diameter. A hot growing season will tend to keep them somewhat on the small side. 


I had about 95% germination with my Seeds Direct Watermelon Radish seeds last year, which is pretty good considering that they were about two years past their “plant-by” date. As with other radish varieties, Watermelon Radishes should be planted in about half an inch of fine soil. The seeds germinate in five to seven days, after which you should thin the seedlings to a two-inch spacing. If left unthinned, the root bulbs can’t develop. They are sensitive to high temperature, so they may perform better as a fall crop in hot locales. I’ve even had them overwinter when we didn’t have a hard frost on the Gulf Coast. 



Radish fans will need extra patience: watermelon radishes mature more slowly than the Cherry Belle variety usually planted; thirty-five days or so compared to twenty-five. When you harvest your first crop, though, you're in for a taste treat! And that’s not to mention how many people will be fascinated by your "backward radishes."

Summary

PLUS: these tangy radishes are also conversation pieces
MINUS: slow to mature, heat-sensitive 
What They're Saying: Watermelon radishes add color, and maybe some confusion, to salads; and they're tasty and tangy.

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