Gadenin日本語Get the appWhy half an inch more than round radishes
Round radishes finish at 2 in (5 cm) apart; long white ones want 2 to 2.5 in (5 to 6 cm). The deeper root comes with a larger rosette of leaves, and crowded plants put everything into foliage and leave a thin root. With room, each root gets its share of water and nutrients and fills out into a straight, broad-shouldered white icicle.
Thin in two passes rather than one: at two true leaves to 1.2 in (3 cm), and at four to five true leaves to the final spacing. That lets you discard any plant that pests or disease caught in between.
| Pass | Stage | Spacing to leave | Do at the same time |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Two true leaves (10 to 14 days) | 1.2 in (3 cm) | Pull crowded seedlings, firm the soil around the rest |
| Second | Four or five true leaves (20 to 25 days) | 2 to 2.5 in (5 to 6 cm) | A pinch of fertilizer and hill soil to the crowns |
First pass: two true leaves, 1.2 in apart
When the first pair of true leaves has opened after the seed leaves, make the first pass. Plants are still small and pulling one rarely disturbs its neighbor, so decide which to keep and remove the ones around it.
- Choose the keepers first Keep seedlings with symmetrical seed leaves, thick stems and dark green color. Ones with a missing seed leaf or a stretched stem never catch up.
- Hold the soil while you pull Press a finger beside the keeper and pull the unwanted seedling straight up. If a long radish root gets jostled it bends there, so in tight spots snip the extra seedling at soil level instead.
- Fill the hole A hole left after pulling exposes the neighbor's root. Push soil back with a fingertip, press lightly and water it in.
Second pass: four to five leaves, 2 to 2.5 in apart
When plants have four or five true leaves and the root at the crown is just starting to whiten, make the final pass to 2 to 2.5 in (5 to 6 cm). Since the root is underground, the size of the plant at this moment pretty much sets the size of the finished root. When in doubt, thin a little wider; the roots will thank you.
- Keep the ones already swelling Look at the crowns: some roots show a white shoulder, some are still threads. Keep the swelling ones and pull the thin ones. Do not pick by leaf size alone.
- Measure with your fingers Two fingers is about 1.2 in (3 cm), three fingers about 2 in (5 cm). Leave three to four fingers between long radishes. A 12 in (30 cm) row holds five or six plants.
- Feed and hill the same day Right after thinning, sprinkle a pinch of balanced fertilizer around each plant and pull soil up to hide the shoulders. Hilling prevents green, cracked shoulders and steadies the plants.
If you fall behind
Thin after six true leaves and the roots are tangled; pulling one shifts the next. Once you realize you are late, switch from pulling to snipping at soil level. The cut root dies in place without leaving a hole or moving its neighbor.
- Snip at the soil line Cut the stem of the unwanted plant at the surface with scissors. Long radishes are deep enough that late thinning can be done entirely this way.
- Still crowded? Harvest young If spacing is only 1.2 in (3 cm) and shoulders are already showing, pull the crowded plants as baby radishes. Thin ones still taste like white icicles.
Nothing from the thinnings goes to waste
Long white radishes are a two-part vegetable, so every thinning is food. First-pass thinnings are seed leaves and tiny true leaves: scatter them over a salad or drop them into soup. Second-pass thinnings already have a whitening root: rinse them whole and salt them lightly for a miniature overnight pickle.
| Thinnings | Size | Use |
|---|---|---|
| First pass | Two true leaves, thread root | Rinse and scatter over salad; green in miso soup |
| Second pass | Four or five leaves, root starting to whiten | Salt whole for a quick pickle; chop into a stir-fry |
| Late thinnings | Six or more leaves, thin white root | Pickle whole as baby white icicles |
Thinnings are crispest pulled in the morning. Rinse the soil off the roots and use them the same day.
Thin containers earlier
Pots hold less soil, so crowding shows sooner than in the ground. Do not wait for two true leaves; as soon as the seed leaves are fully open, pull to 0.8 in (2 cm) apart and growth will stay even. Final spacing is the same 2 to 2.5 in (5 to 6 cm), which puts about 20 plants in two rows in a 26 in (65 cm) planter.
- Seed-leaf stage: 0.8 in (2 cm) Once the seed leaves are fully open, pull crowded spots to 0.8 in apart. At this size nothing next door is disturbed.
- Four leaves: 2 to 2.5 in Make the final thinning a little earlier than in the garden, at four true leaves. With less soil, crowded plants end with thin roots.
- Water well afterward Thinning stirs the mix and a pot dries faster after it. Water until it runs from the drainage holes to settle the remaining roots.