Radish April Cross F1 NT Winter Radish - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Winter Radish April Cross is a variety of Japanese winter radish. Its roots are long, conical, and white. The flesh is juicy and sweet. Harvested in autumn, these radishes have excellent winter storage. They are perfect raw, pickled in brine, grated in salads, or used in sauces. Sow from July to August. Harvest from September to October.

The radish is a fairly hardy annual or biennial vegetable plant, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, which is mainly consumed for its raw root, but also for its freshly picked leaves added to soups or stews. There are radishes of different colours, from red for the most common ones, but also pink, white, or gray. They are usually classified into 2 main types: the radishes for every month, represented by varieties with small roots, and the winter radishes, represented by varieties with long roots.
Japanese radishes or "daikon" are also found, which have a long, white, and conical root, sometimes marketed as turnips. The winter radish has a large taproot with black, pink, or purple skin. The flesh is white. The leaves are green and serrated, forming a compact tuft at the base of the plant. Its taste is much stronger than that of the radishes for every month. It has a pungent flavor and can be eaten cooked, like turnips, or raw, like carrots. The winter radish has many virtues: it contains vitamin C and sulfur, as well as phosphorus and magnesium. It is antiscorbutic and diuretic and is recommended for people with liver and gallbladder problems.

Harvesting and Storage

The harvest of radishes for every month and summer radishes takes place 4 to 6 weeks after sowing. Regular harvests, as soon as the radishes are formed, without letting them grow too large, help to limit the risk of them becoming hollow, pungent, or indigestible. Radishes for every month or summer radishes should be consumed quickly. The freshly harvested leaves can be cooked into a delicious soup.

The harvest of winter radishes takes place 4 to 5 months after sowing. Harvest by gently lifting with a fork spade and let them dry on the ground before bringing them in. If they remain in the ground during winter, cover the soil with straw.

Gardener's Tips

Sowing radishes and carrots in the same row and at the same time naturally separates the carrot seeds. Once the radishes are harvested, it will leave space for the carrots to grow. When accompanied by mint, radishes will be less susceptible to attacks from flea beetles, insects that feed on the leaves and create small irregular holes.
To have crunchy radishes throughout the season, it is good to spread out the sowings every 2 to 3 weeks in your garden or in pots.

Non-treated or "NT" seeds come from conventionally grown plants (often using pesticides), but they undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.