They are meant to be the easiest thing to grow from seed, so why can’t I grow radishes? They just won’t work.
The first thing I grew was radishes
When I was a kid, around 7 years old I wanted to grow something in the garden. My mum said I should grow radishes because they were the easiest thing to grow.
You know how it is, anyone can grow radishes, apparently.
They did grow and I remember picking the first one, then taking a bite. I spat it out, it was horrible. Why did I grow them?
Well as a kid I thought they were horrible. Now I love them in salads because they add a great bit of crunch.
My veggies garden
So radishes had to go in my garden. They were the first thing I planted when I got my new raised beds.
When a couple started coming up I was so excited. It is always good to see things breaking through the surface. One, two came through and I waited and waited. One more has come through since then, but I know I planted more than 3 radishes.
So what is happening?
Trying to figure it out why I can’t grow radishes
I tried growing them from the same packet of seeds last year and the results weren’t great. Back then I thought it was my garden, but I’m starting to think it is the seeds.
How could it possibly be that I can’t grow them? Anyone can grow radishes, right?
I can’t give up, so I am going with the idea that the seeds are dodgy and I have got new ones. Different company, so we will see if these ones will work.
I will be devastated if I can’t grow them. Surely if I can’t grow them, how could I possibly grow anything else?
Stay tuned and I will plant the new seeds tomorrow.
Mine failed this year, I think it had been too dry and not enough rainfall. Even with watering with hose did not seem enough. Now, since the rain in the last week, my WHOLE GARDEN is going great guns. Try tomatoes. They even self seed round here lol. I even seem to have some self set cucumbers coming up.
Who would’ve thought radishes would be hard to grow. I actually planted another bed of them and so far they look okay. I do have tomatoes going and they are doing really well. Almost ready to plant the next lot. I just wish they would grow faster, lol. I am impatient. Cucumbers are so good, my husband hates them though, but I am still going to grow them. Thank you Belinda.
I can’t either if that is any consolation!
It is good to know I’m not the only one, thank you.
Glad it’s not just me! It was the first thing I planted this year, and they started off well, but the snails got to some of them, the dog mangled a few, and the ones that actually got to grow, took ages to grow into the size of large blue berries! I, for one, am done with radishes! I hope you have more success. 🙂
Snails are such a pain, I’ve been trying some non chemical ways of getting rid of them and some even seem to be working. Yeah, I don’t know how they will go, but I have bought some different seeds, so will plant them today and see what happens. Thank you Zelmare.
Please let me know which ones work? I don’t like use snail pellets where I’ve planted food.
So far the thing that has been working the best is the copper tape, I also have my mini greenhouse on bits of copper and nothing has been eaten in there since I did that. I have done organic snail pellets, but they are a bit weird. I also have a couple of beer traps.
I’ve heard about putting copper pennies in the garden, so I’ll definitely give that a try. I don’t know if we have copper tape, but I’ll have a look. Thanks! Happy gardening!
I haven’t heard of that, the copper tape is pretty cheap and I just got it on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Eco-Fused-Adhesive-Copper-Foil-Tape/dp/B07CSJMN11/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0?crid=37UDSR5MASFD3&cv_ct_cx=copper+tape&dchild=1&keywords=copper+tape&pd_rd_i=B07CSJMN11&pd_rd_r=22ffac9d-519f-46f1-9265-9364f30feddd&pd_rd_w=mEvbu&pd_rd_wg=bXKas&pf_rd_p=34df99d4-7875-4507-ad9b-5fa546634d39&pf_rd_r=TY62FACV9A4365FXHAFE&psc=1&qid=1604208294&sprefix=copper+t%2Caps%2C329&sr=1-1-64a1580b-5c24-46ff-994a-3909d80346ca
Thanks a mill!
You’re welcome.
I understand that seeds get old and need to be replaced. Hope I am not stealing your thunder by writing this. 😊
I did think of that, but the seeds are haven’t gone past their use by date, so should be good. I’m starting to understand that some companies for seeds are better than others. So I am going to try growing some from some other company. Thank you Lena.
It’s fall here so it is fun watching you do spring.
It isn’t going to be fun when we are doing summer, it gets too hot here. lol
Check you pH maybe
Yes, something I should do, though I have been using lots of compost and such, just recently anyway. Will see if that makes a difference.
*Smile*
I am begining ot have similar feelings about garlic. What I have been able to produce over the past two seasons wouldn’t scare away the most toothless vampire!
Oh I tried garlic many years ago, I got some but they were so small and not really worth using. I do want to try again. We will have to work out how to grow it. I use so much garlic.
I have a few drying out in my shed. They are the size of large marbles.
We shall have to exchange notes come autumn next year!
Yes, I am sure I will blog about them when I try. I am trying to source good cloves to grow with first.
I just learned something about garlic, maybe you need a cold climate to grow it, do you live in one? Where you get very cold winters.
I live in Johannesburg and planted my garlic in autumn as directed by our local planting guide.
I have a suspicion the soil was not free draining enough as a couple of pieces I planted in a large pot seem to be doing all right. I’ll know for sure when I dig them up in a few weeks.,
Have you tried freezing the cloves for a few weeks before planting them? I might try that next year.
Never heard of this before.
Might be worth dividing up next years crop – freeze / non freeeze before planting and see how this pans out.
Thanks, I might well give it a go.
I hadn’t heard of it before either, but I might give it a go too. They say here you should put tulip bulbs in the fridge for 6 weeks before planting them as well.
Please, do let me know, I would love to here how you go.
Will do.
I follow an Australian chap on Youtube (similar climate to Soutb Africa) and he suggests soaking garlic cloves in bicarb and water prior to planting in case of disease.
Sounds like sound advice as well.
Who is the chap you have been watching Arkenaten? I would be curious. I believe our climates are very similar. I’m down south. That is an interesting way of doing them, I guess that would be good too if you wanted to use garlic from the supermarket.
We will both have to try it.
His name is Mark Valencia.
https://selfsufficientme.com/
and …
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJZTjBlrnDHYmf0F-eYXA3Q
Oh, and if you prefer, my ”real name” is Doug.
I know him, I subscribe to his channel, though he is in Queensland and I’m much further south. Thank you Doug, that is good to know, if you don’t mind me using it.
”Doug” is fine by me.
I have used the moniker Ark for so long I sometimes forget I am ”real boy”
🙂
Well, maybe I can help remind you by calling you by your name, thank you Doug.
I got some radish seed for signing up with a company and they’ve grown in spite of me. I try and ignore them but there they are every day.
Playing Woomelang on Saturday by the way.
That is how they are supposed to be, easy to grow. I have some other seeds, so I am going to try them.
Good luck today, and say hello to mum for me. Thanks Ted
I can’t grow ivy or ferns indoors.
Ferns can be hard, I can’t do them either, but that is more because we have refrigerated cooling and it takes all the moist air from inside to outside. Thanks Sherry