Here’s how to get a bumper crop of big, bulbous radishes
QWe planted radishes from seed this spring. The plants grew well, but most of the radishes in the ground failed to develop into the round shape, leaving a plump root.
We are wondering if there was something that we can do next time to promote full, round radish roots? — Brad, Danville
AAs I don’t know what you did or didn’t do, here’s a quick primer on successfully growing radishes.
The first step is in preparing the soil. Do not prep the bed with fresh manure or fertilizers high in nitrogen. Radishes don’t want soil that is overly rich, since it will produce lots of nice leafy tops but not much underground.
Radish seeds are fairly tiny, making it difficult to plant just one seed per hole. So do the best you can, and when the seedlings are about 2 inches tall, thin them out. The seedlings need room to bulb up in the ground, or you’ll end up with shriveled, inedible radishes. They should be about 3 inches apart.
Once the radishes are up and growing, you can mulch them with compost, which will nourish the bulbs and help maintain moisture in the soil.
Radishes like water, but don’t overdo it. If it’s too wet, the radishes will rot; too dry and they’ll bolt (go to seed), and the bulbs will be pithy and not have much taste or size. Just don’t let the soil dry out.
Radishes can grow pretty quickly, depending on the variety and the season, but you can extend your harvest time by doing succession planting. Plant some seed, then two weeks later plant another row or two, and two weeks after that, plant another couple of rows. That way you’ll have plenty of radishes throughout the season.
Q Several years ago, I planted some Lamium maculatum in a shady spot in my yard. It flourished for several years, but for the last two or three years, not so much. It seems to get eaten.
I’ve planted new ones a couple times, and they suffer the same fate within a few months. I have put snail bait out, and it neither produces snail bodies nor stops the problem. I don’t like to spray insecticide unless absolutely necessary and won’t use rat bait.
We live next to undeveloped land with a leaky fence, so we have all sorts of animals, excluding deer and coyotes, which are kept out by the fence. Could it be rats? Or do you think some insect? — Donald Lewis, Lafayette A Lamium maculatum, also known as spotted dead nettle, is resistant to most insects but extremely attractive to slugs and snails, and I suspect that’s the culprit. Although no plant is completely deerand rabbit-proof, the nettle is not usually appetizing to animals, and if you aren’t seeing damage to other plants, it’s likely the slugs and snails.
Now would be a good time to review your growing conditions to make sure everything is the same as when the plant thrived. Insects, slugs and snails will often be drawn to less healthy plants.
If you don’t think your snail and slug bait is working, try creating a ring of diatomaceous earth around the plant’s base. Diatomaceous earth comes in different types, including some used for pool filters and some that is labeled foodsafe. Look for packages intended for insect control and follow directions. You’ll need to wear a mask to prevent inhaling it, but otherwise it is considered safe.