Radish - Watermelon (Raphanus sativus acanthiformis) Organic - Asian Mantanghong Daikon Radish Xin Li Mei Heirloom Vegetable
Radish - Watermelon (Raphanus sativus acanthiformis) Organic - Asian Mantanghong Daikon Radish Xin Li Mei Heirloom coated Vegetable
Height
Watermelon radishes are an heirloom variety of Chinese Daikon Radish - named for the bright pink interior and green skin, and not the taste! They look like inside out beets and when cut, the rayed bright pink and white flesh makes a beautiful accent for any salad!
Watermelon radish is a member of the mustard family. This variety grows best in mild weather. Watermelon radish grows best in temperatures around 60 °F to 65 °F (15 °C to 18 °C)
Stores very well. Plants typically produce radishes ranging in size between the from a golf ball to a tennis ball, and averaging 5 to 8 centimeters in diameter, with a round to oval appearance and a single hairy taproot extending from the root’s base.
The skin is pale green and white, semi-thin, with a smooth texture; the coloring will vary in each radish depending on cultivation practices, growing environment, and soil type. The flesh is firm, succulent and tender with a crisp snap like consistency, and the taste is subtle, sweet and mildly peppery. Cooler climates produce radishes with a less spicy flavour.
Roots may also have green shoulders, indicating the presence of chlorophyll due to exposure to sunlight. Underneath the surface, the flesh has a ring of white just below the skin, transitioning to bright pink, fuchsia, or a deep magenta pink center.
Greens: watermelon radish greens are edible, containing an earthy peppery flavor. The leaves can also be used - raw or lightly cooked or steamed. Radishes are delicious raw, pickled or cooked.
Plant watermelon radishes at midsummer for fall harvest only. They size up and get sweeter as temperatures drop at the end of the growing season.
- Recommend Direct Sowing: plant seeds in well-worked, fertile soil in full sun. Space seeds 1 inch apart, in rows 6 inches apart. Cover 1/2 inch deep. Keep soil evenly moist and well weeded. If the first sowing comes up unevenly, replant right away. After the seedlings reach a height of 2-3 inches, thin them 2-3 inches apart.
- OR radishes can be started indoors, but they are difficult to transplant to the garden with success. If started indoors and transplanted, allow two additional weeks as a result of root insult at transplanting; nip off the long thread tip of the radish root when transplanting.
- Spacing: watermelon radishes grow up to 3-4 inches in diameter and requires space to grow even bigger
- Watermelon radish is a root vegetable that is best grown as a cold season crop. Depending on where you live, you can even grow this radish in winter if the weather is mild enough
- Matures in approx 65 days
- Cold temp improves sweetness; less spicy
- Seed Count: 1 gr