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Radish differ in color, shape, taste and the time of cultivation. We present the best radish varieties and their properties.
The radish (Raphanus sativus var. niger) provides he althy, fresh, crispy and hot vegetables almost all year round and can sometimes even stored for months. We give an overview of some radish varieties and their growing times.
Radish varieties: how many are there?
The genus Raphanus in the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae) comes mainly from the Mediterranean region and is divided into three radish species:
- Raphanus confusus
- Field Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)
- Garden radish (Raphanus sativus)
Only the latter group is used in vegetable production. This includes radishes and the hotter, larger radishes. It is impossible to give an exact number of how many radish varieties there are. We would like to introduce you to the wide range of varieties and introduce different white, black and colored radishes.
Best radish varieties to grow at home
Radishes form a colorful and diverse group that differ in terms of cultivation time, storage life and taste. Introducing the best varieties for growing radish in the home garden.
Asian Radish
The Asian radish is an inconsistent type of radish, which is mostly suitable for autumn cultivation and has a very sharp to mild taste. The large, mild daikon radishes are traditionally pickled, boiled or dried in Japanese cuisine and served as a spicy side dish with numerous dishes.
- 'Green Luobo': Green radish for autumn cultivation with a less pungent taste than other Asian radishes. The 20 - 25 cm large, cylindrical radishes are also apple-green on the inside.
- 'Minowase' Daikon radish: Japanese radish with very long and thick white roots up to 60 cm long. Heis ideal for pickling or as fried vegetables in the wok.
- 'Minowase Summer Cross No. 3 F1': Giant radish for summer cultivation with a length of 40 - 60 cm and ready for harvest after 8 - 10 weeks. The mild Japanese radishes are tolerant to the radish black fungus (Aphanomyces raphani).
- 'Red Meat': Fall radish variety, also known as watermelon radish. The round, white 'Red Meat' radish is burgundy on the inside and can reach a diameter of up to 15 cm.
- 'Shunkyo': Chinese radish with dark pink skin and white flesh, ideal for growing in spring or fall. The taste is sweetish-spicy.
Purple and Red Radish
Red radishes are preferred to white ones in some parts of Germany. However, there is no noticeable difference - apart from the color - neither in taste nor in growth. Purple varieties are rarely grown and are often among the favorite varieties for the home garden.
- 'Blue Autumn and Winter': Oblong, purple-blue radish with white flesh and a length of 15 - 18 cm. Classic and popular Radi variety for autumn cultivation.
- 'Bluemoon F1': Purple radish with purple skin and even lavender interior too. The attractive summer radish is grown between March and August.
- 'Largo Rojo de Mallorca': Spanish variety with up to 20 cm long, dark pink roots and a sweet-spicy-hot taste similar to the radish 'Round Black Winter'. It is suitable for us for spring or autumn cultivation.
- 'Ostergruss Rosa 2': One of the best-known varieties in German-speaking countries is the 'Ostergruss' radish. The wedge-shaped magenta roots with flavorful white flesh can be grown between March and August.
- 'Salad Rose': Dark pink, elongated radishes with early maturity and good suitability for forcing in the greenhouse. The hot and spicy variety is extremely resistant to fungi and high-yielding.
- ‘Violet de Gournay‘: Old, purple radish variety from France with harvest starting in autumn. The approximately 15 cm long roots are easy to store and have a pleasant sharpness.
- 'WinterRed Lobo': Round, red radish for winter cultivation, which is reminiscent of an oversized radish in shape and colour. The fist-sized, red radishes provide vitamins in the lean season.
Black radish varieties
Many of the black radish varieties are among the winter radishes that can be stored for a long time, sowing from July and harvesting in late autumn to the end of November.
- 'Murzynka': Polish, pear-shaped to round radish variety with black skin. The taste is extremely aromatic and sweet, but hardly spicy. The harvest time is in late autumn. This radish can be stored for up to 6 months.
- 'Noir long poids d'Horloge': Hardy, attractive, black radish with elongated roots up to 20 cm and a typical spicy-hot taste. Sowing takes place between March and August.
- 'Round Black Winter': Round, black radish with good storability, 16th century with black skin and white flesh. The taste is mildly spicy and sweet.
- 'Black Long': Aromatic, hot and sweet-tasting black winter radish with a tender, dense texture. It can also be made into radish juice or cough syrup to relieve cold.
White radish varieties
Pure white radishes are among the most popular varieties, which is why there is an extremely large selection. Cultivation can therefore take place almost all year round.
- ‘Agata‘: Early white radish, ready to harvest 50 - 60 days after sowing. The long, pure white radishes have a juicy, mildly spicy flavor and can be stored well.
- ‘Bamberger Radish‘: Old local variety from the Bamberg vegetable gardeners with slightly narrower, white radishes and a mildly hot taste. The radish variety, which has often been propagated and selected by gardeners for generations, is cultivated in summer.
- ‘Icicles‘: Radish with comparatively long, white radishes. They are already harvested with a diameter of 1 cm, when they taste crisp, fresh and less spicy. 'Icicle' is sometimes also assigned to the radish varieties.
- 'Fridolin': Early, white radish, also suitable for greenhouse cultivation. The namesakeVariety 'Brauner Fridolin' is a rare old radish variety with light brown skin.
- 'Laurin': Radish for outdoor cultivation and greenhouse forcing without the white radish becoming furry. So can be sown in spring, autumn and winter.
- ‘Margelanskaja‘: Russian variety with half white, half light green radishes, only 7 cm long. The short radishes are easy to harvest, taste spicy, hot and crispy.
- ‘Münchner Bierrettich‘: World-famous beer radish, which should not be missing from any Bavarian snack. The white summer and autumn radish tastes aromatic, spicy and hot.
- 'Rex': Radish with long, wedge-shaped, white roots and fast growth. It can be harvested after around 45 days. The variety is also suitable for forcing in the greenhouse.
Once the right variety has been found and sown, most radis don't have to wait long for the harvest with their rapid growth. We share tips for successfully harvesting and storing radishes.