Radish (Cherry Belle Seed Tape)
A fast growing, bright red globe shaped variety with a delicious, succulent and crunchy texture and a mild peppery flavour. These seeds are pre-sown on a biodegradable seed tape, making sowing quick and efficient and reducing thinning out later on. Repeated sowings can provide continuous fresh crops from late spring all the way through to autumn.
Growing Advice
Sow Outdoors
Sow outdoors February to September. Make narrow trenches 1.5cm deep and spaced 30cm apart. Separate and unroll the seed tape and place in the trench. Place soil or a stone on one end and gently pull the tape straight, then carefully cover with fine soil. Keep the soil moist and weed free at all times. Seedlings should start to appear after approximately 7-14 days. If seedlings do happen to get overcrowded then thin the crop as it grows by taking plants evenly from the row. It is good practice to water well after thinning out, to wash any dislodged soil back around the roots of the remaining plants. Sow a new row every 2-3 weeks to extend the harvest period, ensuring there are always perfect, crisp young roots available. Early sowings will benefit from cloche protection.
Top Tips About Seeds
- Once the seed packet has been opened, the seed tapes can be stored in an airtight container until required for further sowings.
- These seeds are best used fresh and repeated sowing through the summer is highly recommended so they are unlikely to last more than one season.
Seed tape is not suitable for pots but short lengths could be used in raised beds and large troughs.
Keep well watered during dry spells as this will help prevent the roots from splitting. Cabbage root fly is the only common pest and in the unlikely event that it becomes a problem can be prevented by growing plants under a fine insect netting. Do not leave the tops of radishes or unwanted roots lying around after harvesting, the scent of them can attract cabbage root fly.
Harvest from April to October. Harvest alternate roots from the row, leaving more space for the remainder to grow on. Water the remaining roots well afterwards to replace any dislodged soil.
Ideas on how to use your Tape Radish
Keep the soil moist as the seeds are germinating, if it dries out completely it can set them back. Radishes are such a fast growing crop they can be sown between rows of slow growing vegetables, to make best use of space.
David Domoney is a Chartered Horticulturalist, Broadcaster, and Author. David has worked with a number of the UK’s leading garden retailers as a plant buyer and strategic consultant. With more than 30 years experience, in horticulture, David is as passionate about plants now as he was when he bought his first plant at a village fete.
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