Ready to grow? Get radish from our trusted partner nurseries and seed suppliers.
Links may earn GrowScore a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Radish (Cherry Belle) is the fastest-maturing vegetable commonly grown in home gardens — going from seed to harvest in just 22–25 days under ideal cool-weather conditions, making it an essential crop for impatient gardeners, children learning to garden, and anyone wanting to fill gaps between slower-growing crops. Cherry Belle produces perfectly round, smooth-skinned, bright-red radishes averaging 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter with crisp, white, mildly peppery flesh that is noticeably milder and juicier than hotter Asian radish varieties. The flavor is at its best when harvested young and eaten the same day, before the flesh becomes pithy and the heat increases. Cherry Belle won the All-America Selections award in 1949 and has remained a benchmark for backyard radishes for over 75 years.
Sow Cherry Belle seeds directly in the garden 3–4 weeks before last frost — or even earlier, as radishes are exceptionally frost-tolerant and germinate in soil temperatures as low as 40°F. Plant 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart in short rows; thin to 2 inches apart once seedlings emerge. The key to radish quality is speed: radishes develop best when growing conditions are optimal and they mature quickly. Anything that slows growth — drought, compacted soil, crowding, heat — produces radishes that are pithy, very hot, or cracked. Water consistently to maintain even soil moisture. Do not fertilize with nitrogen; high nitrogen causes excessive leaf growth and small roots. Harvest at exactly 22–25 days (or when roots feel nickel-to-quarter-sized when you peek at the top) — radishes left in the ground past prime become hollow, pithy, extremely hot, and inedible within days in warm weather. For continuous harvest, sow a small row every 10–14 days from early spring through May, then again starting in late August through October. Summer radishes bolt without making useable roots — they are strictly a cool-season crop. Cherry Belle is one of the best choices for introducing children to gardening: the near-instant gratification of harvesting a bright-red radish just 3 weeks after planting never fails to inspire.
More vegetable that grow in similar conditions:
Find the best deal on radish from top-rated retailers. We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.