Assuming that he soil, water, and sun are right: 1. If 2 packets of radish seeds are planted in a planter what percentage of them normally should yield radishes? 2. what percentage of the radishes should be 1/2 inch or larger in diameter? 3. Is being surrounded by loose soil the critical factor that determines whether the plant root ( the radish ) will grow large and round or long and thin? I planted 2 packets of seeds in soil that I carefully prepared. It was fine loose soil about 1 inch deep that was made made mostly of compost. Only about 1/4 of the seeds produced radishes and only about 1/4 of the radishes were 1/2 inch or larger in diameter. I think that the reason for this poor yield may be that I planted most of the seeds too deep --- below the fine loose soil on compact soil. I wonder if it is necessary to plant the seeds only about 1/2 inch deep so that the will grow outward into a round radish instead of downward into a long thin red strand. Is this the reason for my poor yield or could it just be poor seeds ( the seeds were seeds left over from last spring ). Last spring the seeds were newly purchased but the yield was even worse.