Raphanus sativus
Pink oriental radish, pink winter radish, pink daikon: this is a summer and autumn radish with an elongated root, up to 20 cm long, in a vivid pink. Its flesh stays mild and crunchy, whereas many large radishes become hot—making it one of the few that can be eaten raw without reservation.
Characteristics:
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Long pink root: up to 20 cm long, very decorative when sliced.
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Mild flavor: barely spicy, perfect raw in salads.
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Late harvest: from summer through autumn, when small radishes are finished.
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Easy to grow: undemanding, it mainly requires consistent watering.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: partial shade to full sun.
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Soil: light, loose, moist, deep, and free of stones—essential given the length of the root. Compact or stony soil produces forked roots. Avoid fresh manure, which causes the same problem.
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Method: sow directly in the ground from June to September, in groups spaced 20 cm apart, at a depth of 2 cm. Direct sowing is essential: it does not transplant well. See how to sow your seeds.
Care advice:
- Thin to one plant per group. Water regularly and evenly: alternating drought and watering makes the root hollow and hot.
- Late-summer sowing is preferable: sown too early in spring, it goes to seed before forming its root.
Harvest advice:
- Harvest before hard frosts, loosening the soil around the root before pulling it up—the root is long and breaks easily.
- The leaves can also be eaten, sautéed or in soup.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its taproot creates channels that aerate the soil deep down and make it easier for earthworms to move through it.
- If allowed to flower, it produces clusters of white to lilac flowers heavily visited by bees and hoverflies, whose larvae devour aphids.
Uses:
- Raw in thin slices or grated in salads, marinated as pickles, or cooked in soup and stir-fries. Its pink color adds a real visual touch to raw vegetables.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave one plant in the ground over winter: it will go to seed in spring and form swollen siliques, which should be harvested when dry. Caution: Raphanus sativus plants cross-pollinate with one another, so isolate it from other radishes. See saving your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them, without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
A large, mild, colorful radish for late-season harvests.
