Watermelon radishes
Watermelon radishes are one of those odd-colored vegetables you buy so it looks good on your table. After you taste it you buy it because it tastes good.
I admit I bought seeds last spring because I liked the way they look—creamy white skins with green underneath and the interior a delicious looking pink, just like a watermelon.
According to the seed package they take 65 days to mature, twice as long as regular garden radishes. I eagerly planted them, looking forward to pink fleshed radishes ready to eat just when the regular garden variety radishes were all picked and eaten.
Locally, our spring weather was cold, wet and dreary long past the usual time, then the weather turned hot and dry to the point of a drought. Most of the radishes bolted before they could fully mature. I was able to find a couple of a size large enough to eat. They were very tasty.
Because it was the first time I had ever grown them, I left the watermelon radishes growing to observe their growth and give them a chance to set seed. The seeds were fully mature in about 45 days after the flower stalks shot up.
Watermelon radishes are an heirloom variety of Daikon radishes. In Chinese they are called Shin-Ri-Mei, which means “Beauty in the Heart.” Its Latin name is Raphanus sativus acanthiformis.
Watermelon radishes taste milder than most radishes and their taste mellows as they mature, in contrast to other radish varieties.
Plant watermelon radishes from early to late spring, planting every two weeks for a continuous harvest. They like a fairly rich soil and plenty of water at all stages of their growth. Plant seeds evenly about 1/2 inch deep in rows 6 inches apart. Firm soil. When seedlings are an inch high, thin to stand about 2 inches apart.
If you love radishes, grow watermelon radishes for a month or more worth of radishes after the regular garden variety of radishes have finished. Watermelon radishes can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be roasted, stir-fried, or added to soups and stews. Their unusual color is a welcome addition to the relish tray.
From now on, just like regular garden variety radishes, watermelon radishes will always have a place in my vegetable garden.
Tags: watermelon radish
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