Radishes are a fast-growing, cool-weather root vegetable most often revered for their highly flavorful crunch. Aside from their position on your dinner plate, radishes are also used as a “companion crop”. Their strong fragrance is repellent to insects and pests, so they are often grown near other crops to reduce damage to them. The enzymes responsible for the strong fragrance provide a potent, peppery flavor, which is most commonly enjoyed raw. Although the root is the section of the vegetable that is associated with consumption, the entire plant is edible. The seeds and leaves also have culinary function.

Are you going to plant radish in your garden? According to our research, we don’t recommend planting hyssop herb near radish in the garden.

The good news is that Radishes play nicely with most other plants, herbs, and vegetables. Based on our research, the only herb you don’t want to plant with radish is hyssop (mint family). Enjoy!

Radishes are best suited for cool weather. It is inadvisable to plant them during the summer; instead one should sow their seeds in the spring or the fall. Gardeners need only plant their seeds 1/2” below the surface, and about 1” apart from each other. One week after planting, one must “thin” the seeds by moving them to 2” apart. The growth process is short; it should only take about 3 weeks until you have mature radishes. It is of the utmost importance to harvest them as soon as they are mature, as they will deteriorate quickly if left in the soil unattended.

Once they are harvested, radishes are a great source of many nutrients. This is especially true for their vitamin C value. Radishes are usually used in salads for their flavor and crisp texture, although some European dishes do include cooked radishes. Their leaves are sometimes used in soups, or in healthy smoothies. Their seeds can be sprouted and eaten similar to a mung bean, or processed and used as a biofuel.