Radish - Tokinashi Daikon

OH. Often thought of as a Japanese vegetable, this glorious radish hails from the lands around the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Although, one source says it originated in China, it seems most likely that it travelled to Asia through trade routes and arrived in China in 500 BCE. Daikon spread to Japan and became very popular there during the Edo period. Daikon translates from Japanese, as “great or big root.” Also known by the names; white radish, winter radish, Oriental radish, long white radish and icicle radish. Culinarily regarded as a purifying food used to detox the body and stimulate digestion. It is no surprise then to find that many recipes across Asia ferment daikon, which further aids digestion. This variety is from Japan, and we love to make kimchi and also enjoy them raw in salads or cooked with stir-fries or even roasted like a turnip. In other parts of the world, daikon is grown more as a fodder crop or soil enhancer as the long tap root breaks up compacted soil and feeds it in turn when the root rots. Of course, they can still be used to improve soil structure and add air into your garden beds, without wasting their deliciousness. Just harvest them as well! If you prefer for both, leave some for seed, and you will be rewarded with arable soil for your next crop and plenty of seed to grow some more. This variety pops out of the ground with a slightly green shoulder making them easy to harvest even though they average 25-36cm in length and 5cm diameter. They can be sown year-round, and hold well in heat, very slow to bolt. It is fast growing, although slower than smaller radishes, and keeps their delicate flavour even when quite large.

Radishes do best direct sown. Sprinkle seeds 3cm apart in rows 25cm apart year-round, thin to 5-7cm apart. If slugs are an issue in your garden, scatter sow into trays and transplant into garden once true leaves appear in same spacing as above. Best to avoid planting at the hottest or coldest points, but generally can be sown all year round.   

80 seeds.