Gadenin日本語Get the appA different crop from the round red radish
The basics of the round red salad radish are covered on the Radish page. This page is about the long white type: the same species, but the root grows 2 to 6 in (5 to 15 cm) straight down into the soil instead of sitting as a marble at the surface. It looks like a miniature daikon, and that shape changes how deep you dig, how far apart you thin and how you judge harvest time.
All three varieties below mature in about a month, but root length runs from 3 in (8 cm) to 6 in (15 cm) and the bite ranges from mild and juicy to noticeably peppery.
| Variety | Root length | Flavor | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Icicle | 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) | Juicy with a peppery bite | Most US seed catalogs; an 1899 heirloom |
| Shirahime (Tohoku Seed, Japan) | Slender cylinder; packet gives no length | Tender, juicy, mild | Japanese seed racks and importers |
| Shironaga hatsuka daikon (Asahi Noen, Japan) | About 3 in (8 cm), 0.8 in (2 cm) wide | Mild, the easiest in pots | Japanese open-pollinated seed sellers |
White Icicle: the American classic
White Icicle was introduced in 1899 as the first long white forcing radish and has stayed in catalogs ever since under names like Lady Finger. The pure white, tapered root reaches 4 to 6 in (10 to 15 cm) in about 30 days. It is juicy and somewhat spicy, and the heat climbs when the weather turns hot and dry. Picked young and slender it is mild; left to fatten it turns woody.
- Dig the deepest for this one Of the three, White Icicle sends its root the farthest down. Loosen garden soil 8 in (20 cm) deep and pick out stones. In a container, use a pot at least 10 in (25 cm) deep.
- Grow it for the bite Slice it thin with butter and salt, salt it overnight, or pickle it. If your family wants a mild radish, choose Shirahime instead.
- Save seed if you like It is open-pollinated. Let a few spring plants bolt and dry their pods. Radishes cross readily, so keep seed plants away from other flowering radishes.
Shirahime: tender and mild
Shirahime, from Tohoku Seed in Japan, is described by the breeder as a translucent white, tender and juicy little radish whose bright green leaves are eaten along with the root. The packet gives a sowing window that runs from early spring through mid fall in temperate areas and 15 to 30 days to harvest. It is the easiest choice for a family that wants a mild white radish and plans to use the greens.
- Best for quick salt pickles and salads The flesh is soft and watery in the good sense, so a thin slice with a pinch of salt, left overnight, is all it needs. Children usually like the gentle flavor.
- Treat the greens as part of the harvest The leaves are tender enough to chop into stir-fries or salt with the roots. Pull plants by the crown, not the leaves, so the greens arrive in the kitchen intact.
- Fine for a late sowing Because its window reaches into mid fall in temperate zones, an early-fall sowing in a mild climate still matures before hard frost.
Shironaga hatsuka daikon: short enough for pots
Asahi Noen's Shironaga hatsuka daikon is listed as a snow-white root about 0.8 in (2 cm) wide and 3 in (8 cm) long, ready in 20 to 30 days, open-pollinated, and with roots, stems and leaves all edible. Being the shortest of the three, it fits a standard 8 in (20 cm) deep planter without the root hitting the bottom and curling.
- A standard planter is enough An 8 in (20 cm) deep vegetable planter gives a 3 in root plenty of room. Loosen the mix to the bottom and keep out stones and lumps of fertilizer.
- Feed up front The seed company advises relying on fertilizer mixed in before sowing, since the crop grows so fast. One light side-dressing after thinning is all it needs afterward.
Decide by soil depth and heat
The growing method is the same for all three, so choose by how deep you can dig and how peppery you want the root. Deep garden soil grows any of them; a shallow pot wants the short variety; heat lovers want the American heirloom; a mixed household is usually happiest with the Japanese type.
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Front-yard bed, family table | Shirahime | Mild, greens are usable, 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) of loose soil is enough |
| Deep pot or bed, you like heat | White Icicle | Long root, real bite, needs 10 in (25 cm) of depth |
| Standard planter on a balcony | Shironaga hatsuka daikon | Only 3 in (8 cm) long, fine in 8 in (20 cm) of soil |
| Sowing every two weeks spring and fall | Shirahime or Shironaga | Long sowing windows, easy to succession-sow |
Seed packets may say radish, salad radish or icicle. Judge by the picture: you want a long, white, slender root.
Reading the packet before you buy
Long white radishes are not on every rack, and online listings mix similar names. Check three things before ordering: the root length, the sowing window for your region, and days to maturity. That avoids the surprise of a short-rooted variety when you dug deep for a long one.
- Look for a length in inches A 3 in root and a 6 in root need different soil depths. If the packet gives no number, judge from the photo whether the root is a short cylinder or a long taper.
- Match the sowing window to your climate Packets list cool, temperate and warm regions. A mild coastal climate reads as temperate to warm, and an early-fall sowing falls at the end of the temperate window.
- Skip the rainbow mixes Mixed-color radish packets may hold only a few white seeds. If you want a bed of white icicles, buy a single-variety packet.