How To Grow Radish Microgreens (History And Benefits)

How To Grow Radish Microgreens (History, Varieties And Benefits)

Radishes have historically been considered to be among the least desirable garden vegetables. But as a microgreen, the radish is a superstar since it is so simple to grow and adds such a welcome taste to whatever food it is paired with. Micro radish seed germinates in 2 to 3 days, and seedlings are ready to harvest in 8 to 10 days.

The benefits of growing radish microgreens, along with some growing advice, will be discussed in this article.

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    If Like to know more about microgreens, check these articles:

     <<What Are Microgreens >> and  <<Health Benefits Of Microgreens>>

    Why Microgreens 

    Growing your microgreens provides you year-round access to fresh, live greens with little money, time, or prior expertise. They are ideal for urban and suburban households that do not have space for a garden due to the small amount of area they demand.

    By entering the microgreens world, you will discover how different kinds of microgreens like micro cress, micro celery, micro basil, micro broccoli, and radish microgreens may move beyond the culinary realm and into everyday living. They allow us to take a breather and appreciate the beauty of food. Giving ourselves and our families the gift of having a meal with microgreens is a lovely thing to do. 

    Microgreens are highly healthy in addition to their exceptional taste and visual appeal. You have access to their most nutritionally dense condition since you can pick and eat them in minutes. They provide us with a significant amount of easily digested phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Your body will receive rich nutrients while your taste buds appreciate the strong flavour.

    micro radish in pot 

    Brief History Of Radish

    The ease with which radish may be grown is arguably its most notable feature. Beginner gardeners will have no difficulty adding the radish to their growing repertoire because it germinates and fruits quickly. While the actual origin of the radish is unknown, it has been cultivated in China for thousands of years. Early in their civilization, the Egyptians incorporated radishes into their diet and ate them. While we are accustomed to tiny red beauties, historic European types ranged in colour from white to crimson and were known to weigh up to a hundred pounds. Radishes were one of the first crops produced by settlers in North America, with records dating back to the mid-1700s.

     Radish microgreens overview

    Family Brassicaceae
    Recommended Varieties Hong Vit, China Rose, Daikon and Red Rambo
    Nutrition Vitamin A, B,C,K ,E, iron, calcium, manganese, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, copper
    Average days to germinate 2 to 4 days
    Average days to harvest (after germination) 6 to 8 days
    Difficulty Easy

    radish sprouts

    radish microgreens sprouts

    Children And Radish Microgreens

    Adults are not the only ones who can grow microgreens! A microgreen is an enjoyable and straightforward method for kids to engage with nature. For instance, growing radish microgreens are fun activities at home or at school that teach children about where food originates from and how it is grown. 

    When children are part of a process like growing radish microgreens, they can connect with it, grow it, and eat its product with their meals. By doing such activities, children have a better understanding of their food and how it is prepared. How would you know where a carrot comes from if you have never seen one plucked from the ground? A carrot may come from a can or from a shop, which is rational. Starting growing microgreens as a kids gardening activity allows children to get their hands dirty in the dirt. It allows them to learn more about what else is growing in the soil.

    how to grow radish microgreens in pot

    radish seedling in the flower pot

    Radish Microgreen Varieties

    Radish microgreens are available in a variety of hues and types. Most people are more familiar with the red radishes variety. However, full-sized radishes come in various hues and forms, including white (daikon), black, pink, and purple.

    Different radish microgreen varieties can add a brilliant splash of color and flavor to foods. While some types may have a bit of sweetness, others may trend more toward the hot side. A few types of radish microgreens are listed below [1]:

    Daikon radish: The Daikon Radish is an Asian radish type with long, white stems and delicate green leaves as a microgreen. It has a pleasing appearance, a peppery flavor, and a surprising amount of bite.

    China rose radish: green leaves and bright pink stalks characterize the China Rose Radish. It gives the spice a tinge of sweetness.

    Purple Stem Radish: As its name suggests, this type features light-green leaves and stems with a tint of purple color.

    Hong Vit Radish: Hong Vit is another Asian import with attractive dark-green seed leaves that contrast nicely with its purple stem.

    Minowase Radish: This type is a Daikon radish with white stems and dark green leaves. Possesses a little peppery, fresh, and sweet flavor.

    Red Rambo Radish: This variety has dark-purple stems and purple leaves in the shape of hearts.

    Red stem radish: This type has vibrant green stems and deep red stems.

    Red Arrow radish: This variety has Pinkish-tinted stems with green leaves.

    health benefits of radish microgreens

    Nutrition Facts Of Radish Microgreen

    Consuming micro radishes is a fantastic way to boost your diet’s nutritional value and flavor. Along with Iron, Calcium, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, and zinc, radishes are a great source of the vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Additionally. They are rich in antioxidants, which might aid the body fight inflammation [2].

    Health Benefits Of Radish Microgreen

    Micro radishes are a good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. While micro radish has many wonderful health advantages, some people should exercise caution while eating radish or other cruciferous vegetables. Consuming excessive amounts of radish can prevent the thyroid gland from performing properly in people with iodine deficiency.

    The following is a list of some of the health benefits of radish microgreens:

    healthy Eyes And Skin

    Vitamin A is abundant in radishes. This vitamin aids in maintaining eyesight healthy and supporting healthy skin. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the immune system and transforms food into energy.

    Controlling Blood Sugar

    Micro radishes contain glucosinolate and isothiocyanate. These substances aid in preserving normal blood sugar levels. 

    Immune System Booster

    Radish microgreens are high in vitamin C. This vitamin can support the general immune system health of your body. It serves as an antioxidant and preserves volatile chemicals that have the potential to harm cells.

    micro radish and bread

    Alzheimer’s Prevention

    Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that aids in preventing cell and lipid deterioration, is abundant in radish microgreens. Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented with a diet high in vitamin E.

    Inflammation Reduction

    Antioxidants are found in abundance in radishes. This can aid in lowering inflammation throughout the body and protect against conditions like arthritis.

    Better Digestion System

    Dietary fiber is abundant in micro radishes. This encourages regular bowel motions, which may treat typical digestive issues like indigestion, gas, bloating, and constipation.

    How To Grow Radish Microgreens

    Growing radish microgreens is just like other types of microgreens. In order to read about the growing process, read the <<Growing Microgreens With Kids>> article. However, there are a few considerations to consider when it comes to micro radish, which are stated below:

    Suggestions For Growing Radish Microgreens

    • Radishes are well-known for their ease and speed of growth in the garden.
    • They do not need any particular care and grow fast.
    • Their germination time is about two to four days.
    • The big seeds of the radish can be covered with clean sterile soil or cloth.

    how to grow radish microgreens indoor

    Suggestions For Harvesting Radish Microgreens

    • They will stay delicate and retain their vivid stem colour if harvested at the right time.
    • They will become woody and harsh with large cotyledons if they are allowed to grow past their peak.
    • Harvest low on the stem to show off the vibrant colour

    When To Harvest Micro Radish

    • After two or three weeks of growing radish microgreens, our plants are ready to be used. In order to determine the correct harvest time you need to check the growth of true leaves. when the true leaves show up and you see four leaves on the plant ( true leaves + Cotyledons), it means that it is time to harvest the radish microgreens.
    • Harvest the plants with scissors and keep them in glass storage containers. 

    radish true leaves

    Radish microgreens true leaves and Cotyledons

    Suggestions For Washing Radish Microgreens

    • It is Generally simple to wash them.
    • Some of the leaves may have black stains on them from time to time. This is something to keep an eye on it while washing.
    • With this crop, you will have a lot of seed hulls in your wash water. They’re big and light, so they will float to the top of the tub. Brush the surface with your hand to eliminate them. Repeat until all of the seed hulls have been removed. If seed hulls are lurking behind the leaves, the two-stage cleaning technique may be helpful.

    harvested radish microgreens

    Potential Challenges

    • The purple stem might lose its rich hue if grown in the shade. Full sun will aid in achieving the best stem color for radish microgreens. Exposing radish to cooler temperatures would also be helpful.
    • The quality of China Rose radish seeds varies considerably. Cultivate seeds that developed stems ranging from white to deep pink color. While full sun and cold stress aid in color development, some seeds do not appear to be capable of producing attractive pink stems.
    • Most of the radish microgreens seeds are pelleted seeds. It means that their seed is coated with a layer of fungicide or other pesticides. As you can see in the picture below, pelleted radish microgreens seeds are colored with a purple coating. Eating such seeds may be poisonous to kids and pets, so if you plan to grow this microgreen with your kids make sure that they do not eat any radish seed. In addition, before consuming micro radish, you need to do the washing process as well as you can in order to remove the remaining seeds on the microgreen leaves. 

    radish microgreens seeds

    • Radish microgreen seeds

    If you are interested in growing radish microgreens indoors, you can purchase radish seeds or radish microgreens growing kit from the Amazon website.

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    And if you have ever grown radish microgreens or would like to try it out, please share your experiences and views in the comments section below.

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