Root Vegetable

When to Plant Radishes

The fastest vegetable in the garden — some varieties are ready in just 25 days. Perfect for impatient gardeners and kids.

Sun

Full to partial sun (4-6 hours)

Water

1 inch per week

Days to Harvest

22-30

Difficulty

beginner

Spacing

Frost Tolerance

high

The Short Answer

Radishes are best direct sown when soil temperature reaches at least 40°F. Plant 4 weeks before your average last frost date. Radishes can also be planted in fall, 6 weeks before your first frost. Enter your zip code on our homepage tool for exact dates.

How to Grow Radishes

Radishes are the gateway drug of vegetable gardening — nothing else gives you a harvestable crop in 22-25 days. Plant a pinch of seed every weekend from early spring, and you'll have fresh radishes for salads all season. Most people only know red globe radishes, but the world of radishes is vast: French Breakfast (elongated, mild), Watermelon radish (green exterior, pink interior), and Daikon (foot-long Japanese type for stir-fries and pickling). Winter radishes are planted in late summer and store for months — they're a completely different crop from spring radishes.

Direct Sowing

Radishes can be direct sown 4 weeks before your last frost date. Plant seeds 0.5" deep, spaced 2" apart.

Fall Planting

Radishes are planted in fall, 6 weeks before your average first frost date. Plant 0.5" deep, 2" apart.

Growing Tips

Don't let them stay in the ground too long — they get pithy and hot. Succession plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest.

Companion Planting

Good companions:

Peas Lettuce Carrots Spinach

Radishes Planting Dates by State

Click your state for radishes planting dates specific to your location:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Note: Planting dates are based on average frost dates from NOAA Climate Normals (30-year averages). Actual conditions vary year to year. Always check your local forecast before planting frost-sensitive crops.

Last reviewed: March 29, 2026