Root vegetables - Ask Extension
Why do my radishes, which are supposed to be so easy, grow elongated stems after germination? Then the seedlings flop over and much of the stem ends u...
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Root vegetables #870522
Asked May 28, 2024, 9:13 PM EDT
Why do my radishes, which are supposed to be so easy, grow elongated stems after germination? Then the seedlings flop over and much of the stem ends up laying on the ground. They don't really form radishes as a result. This often happens with beets as well. I plant the seeds at least the recommended depth or even deeper to try to avoid this. I've searched for this online and in my gardening books, but I have never found anything that matches what is happening. While I live in Ashtabula County now, I've had this happen when I lived in southeast Pennsylvania too.
Ashtabula County Ohio
Expert Response
This IS puzzling!
The U of Fl says to plant them NO deeper than 1/4" deep: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/radishes.html Perhaps they are too deep?
Arkansas suggests they elongate if not thinned: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/white/news/horticulture/Radishes.aspx Might that be the issue?
Minnesota reminds they are a cool weather crop- 40 degrees is okay:https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-radishes. Did you plant in a heat spell?
https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/EDIBLES/EDIBLES_GROW_SHEETS/?uid=4&ds=996 talks about friability of the soil. Much of Ohio has heavy clay soil. Might that be a factor?From Texas: https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/plantanswers/vegetables/radish.html :"
Radishes will fail to bulb for several reasons. Probably, they are
not properly thinned and are growing too close together. Thin plants to a spacing of one inch apart when plants first emerge. Radishes should be seeded two to three seeds per inch and thinned when they are about 1 to 2 inches tall to a spacing of one inch apart. Radishes will also not bulb properly when
forced to mature during temperatures above 80 degrees to 85 degrees F."
LAST word is from Cornell: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene341b.html#growinginfo. They have a very nice growing guide for radishes and a similar horticultural zone and likely soil to ours.
I hope some of this has been helpful to you and that you have better luck next year or maybe even in later fall.
The U of Fl says to plant them NO deeper than 1/4" deep: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/radishes.html Perhaps they are too deep?
Arkansas suggests they elongate if not thinned: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/white/news/horticulture/Radishes.aspx Might that be the issue?
Minnesota reminds they are a cool weather crop- 40 degrees is okay:https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-radishes. Did you plant in a heat spell?
https://marinmg.ucanr.edu/EDIBLES/EDIBLES_GROW_SHEETS/?uid=4&ds=996 talks about friability of the soil. Much of Ohio has heavy clay soil. Might that be a factor?From Texas: https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/plantanswers/vegetables/radish.html :"
Radishes will fail to bulb for several reasons. Probably, they are
not properly thinned and are growing too close together. Thin plants to a spacing of one inch apart when plants first emerge. Radishes should be seeded two to three seeds per inch and thinned when they are about 1 to 2 inches tall to a spacing of one inch apart. Radishes will also not bulb properly when
forced to mature during temperatures above 80 degrees to 85 degrees F."
LAST word is from Cornell: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene341b.html#growinginfo. They have a very nice growing guide for radishes and a similar horticultural zone and likely soil to ours.
I hope some of this has been helpful to you and that you have better luck next year or maybe even in later fall.
