Why do want to grow radish microgreens?
Apart from adding flavor to your dish, they are filled with nutrients and vitamins. Not just this, radish microgreens take less 10 days to harvest.
If you’re a beginner and waiting for 15-20 days for microgreens doesn’t impress you, then you can kick start with radish. It is regarded as one of the fastest and easiest microgreens to grow at home.
Fastest growing microgreens: Of all microgreens, radish grows only in 5-6 days.
Raphanus sativus is the botanical name for radish. Growing fully mature radish in a container or backyard takes about 70 days. But, its microgreens take only 10% of these days.
Research state that radish microgreens are packed with vitamin B6, anti-cancer elements, antioxidants and vitamin C. Within little time these microgreens are filled with exceptional nutrients more than its fully mature plant.
As we humans are impatient, why to wait for 70 days when you’re getting best alternative nutrient within 7 days.
Apart from being nutritious, radish microgreens are delicious and your taste buds are going to love the little spicy flavor.
Also Read: Growing Green Onions from Scraps
Radish microgreens varieties: Which One Should I Prefer?
You’ve more than 7 radish varieties to grow your microgreens.
Harvesting time for all these varieties is nearly same. I you want to make your dish look enticing with purple colored radish microgreens then opt for vulcano radish seeds. This radish variety performs well and the purple colored leaves looks excellent on your sandwich.
Apart from this, you’ve sango radish microgreens (purple), Rambo radish microgreens (purple), vulcano radish microgreens (purple), red arrow radish microgreens, hong vit radish microgreens, china rose radish microgreens and triton radish microgreens.
Above all varieties are green except the one which is mentioned purple.
Seed cost of these varieties is different. Depending on what to grow you can choose couple of varieties for different flavor.
I prefer, china rose radish, hong vit & vulcano radish microgreens.
How to Grow Radish Microgreens at Home?
What do you need to get started?
As mentioned above, you must initially choose the variety of radish you’d like to grow in your home.
If you’re a beginner and planning to start your microgreen journey with radish, then you must need below mentioned items:
- Tray to grow microgreens
- Coconut coir
- Potting mix
- Water spray
- Radish seeds
- Grow lights
You can skip buying grow lights, if you’re planning to grow in sunlight.
Instead of buying microgreens tray, you can re-use any container to grow microgreens.
Also Read: How to Grow Beet Microgreens?
Steps: Growing Radish Microgreens Indoors
Guide to grow any microgreen (chia, basil or broccoli) at home stays same. However, there can be minor changes depending on variety and climate conditions. Also, many people are turning towards microgreens. So, I think it will be helpful to list step-by-step process.
Beginners: Start with two radish varieties in two different trays. This way you’ll have different flavor to try in your dish and chance to learn more about microgreens.
Step: 1 Microgreens tray
Size of the microgreen tray depends on your level of production. Apart from this tray in which you grow radish microgreens, you must need 2 more trays.
Microgreens trays – 3
- One shallow tray with drainage holes (at the bottom of the tray) for planting seeds. (Microgreens absorb water from these drainage holes.)
- Second tray should be larger than 1st. This 2nd tray is used to hold the water.
- Third tray is to cover, because blackout period enhance seed germination and optimal growth your microgreens. (Source)
In case you don’t find optimal trays, just head on to local gardening store or online site to buy microgreen growing kit.
Step: 2 Soil Preparation
Gardening experts recommend coconut coir to grow microgreens; as it has effective water retention. It’s just like you’re growing in soil, with zero to low probability of pests. (Check benefits of coconut coir here.)
For nutrients, you can mix potting mix with coconut coir. Else, you can also use natural liquid fertilizers.
- Fill the 1st container will coconut coir/soil (the one which has drainage holes).
- Using water spray moist the coir.
Water effectively, because this is one time watering till seeds starts germinating. When seeds germinate, instead of watering from above gardening experts recommend filling 2nd tray with water. This water system through holes of 1st tray will effectively moisturize your microgreens and enhance its growth.
If you try to water microgreens directly, the moisture may attract molds on microgreens. To avoid any such fungal or bacterial growth, this method of facilitating water through holes under the tray is effective and most used method to grow microgreens.
Also Read: How to Grow Corn Microgreens?
Step: 3 Planting Radish Seeds
Now that you’re ready with everything, take your preferred radish variety and spread the seeds on already moisturized coir tray.
No need to soak radish seeds.
Depending on your container size, you can spread seeds evenly. Growing microgreens in densely will easy your work while harvesting. So, spread the seeds accordingly for densely germination.
Now, cover the radish seeds with growing medium, in this case with coconut coir. Lastly, water the seeds well after planting.
Step: 4 Cover the seeds
Blackout period enhance germination and growth of microgreens.
Use 3rd tray to cover the planted tray. Its recommend to use black colored tray to cover the tray, because darkness will facilitates faster germination of seeds.
After of 2-3 days your seeds start germinating. Now, it’s time to shift for light.
Step: 5 Sunlight or Grow Lights
After germination (3-4 days), shift your growing tray towards light. At this phase, your microgreens need to be watered from bottom 2nd tray as mentioned above.
Fill the 2nd tray with 2 inches of water and place the tray on window sill where you get maximum sunlight.
Here, the question arises, should you cover the germinated seeds with 3rd tray?
Some gardening experts recommend continuing cover for 2 days after germination. This is because blackout period will help grow microgreens taller.
Once, this blackout period is completed, place them under sunlight as mentioned above.
Sunlight or grow lights, which is most recommended?
Sunlight is the best way to get enough light and nutrients for microgreens. But, as your microgreens needs at least 6 hours of light, it can be impossible in fall and winter seasons to get maximum exposure.
This is where, grow lights are used. You can check the best grow lights that are optimal for microgreens here.
Also Read: How Many Tomato Seeds per Hole?
How to Grow Radish Microgreens Hydroponically?
Hydroponics is regarded as one of the effective way to grow veggies now-a-days. Even with less space you can expect high yield. Though this way of farming is regarded as expensive, growing microgreens in your home will go on your budget.
It’s damp easy.
I already mentioned the steps to grow microgreens using hydroponics.
Almost all microgreens are grown this way.
Without soil you’re actually avoiding bacterial and fungal attack.
As you’re watering your microgreens from bottom of the tray; no need to worry about molds.
No need of fertilizers, in case of microgreens.
Important: Only thing you must do is to change water in 2nd tray after 2-3 days.
How to Harvest Radish Microgreens?
Once the microgreens reach optimal height, stop watering and you can harvest using sharp knife.
Make sure to cut top 2 inches of microgreens and avoid disturbing coconut coir. Else, your harvest may include particles of growing medium in it.
Store it or use it freshly.
Health Benefits of Radish Microgreens
Crazy to grow microgreens increased due to its exceptional health benefits. With low investment and within less time you’re supplied with nutrients and minerals that can inhibit the growth of cancer causing elements in your body.
Below listed are amazing health benefits of radish microgreens.
- Improves Cardiovascular System: Vitamin B6 and folate present in this microgreen break down homocysteine which helps in formation of fat in blood vessels.
- Weight Loss: Vitamin C housed in radish microgreens helps to burn excess fat in your body.
- Controls Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease: Antioxidant ability of microgreen can help to reduce the risk of this disease.
- Reduce Diabetes: Study proves that intake of radish microgreen can help increase glucose from 25 to 44 percent in diabetic patients.
- Improve Skin Texture: Vitamin C residing in radish microgreens helps to remove free radicals, pollutants and toxins from your skin.
How to Use Radish Microgreens?
If you’re eating fresh microgreens, then wash them with cold water and then add it raw to your dish.
You can use it in sandwich, pizza and other homemade soups. You can check more dishes here.
Do Radish Microgreens regrow after cutting?
Some microgreens grow back after cutting. It needs photosynthesis and cell regeneration to regrow. Leaving lower leaf while harvesting can help to regrow microgreens.
But, the open tissues of harvested microgreen are vulnerable to fungus. If you water continuously, then you may end-up allowing fungi to attack your microgreens.
Gardening experts don’t recommend trying to regrow microgreens, as it isn’t effective in terms of flavor and cost.
Also Read: Will Spinach Grow Back After Cutting?
How Long Does it Take to Grow Radish Microgreens?
It takes 6-8 days to harvest radish microgreens. Depending on the variety you choose to grow, days may increase or decrease to grow microgreens at your home.
Radish Microgreen Seeds
Depending on your choice to grow microgreens, you can select varieties of radish and buy its seeds from grocery store. I already listed the preferred varieties of radish seeds in beginning of this article.
How to Store Radish Microgreens?
For better taste, use fresh microgreens. However, you can store them in a clean dry air tightened glass jar. This way you can preserve microgreens for a week.
Check them out for couple of days for moisture in the jar. Remove the moisture using absorbent paper towel and refrigerate it again.
Important Tips
- Growing technique mentioned here is hydroponics.
- Blackout period helps to improve and enhance stem growth. So, cover the planting tray with black colored tray. But, make sure you don’t damage the sprouts.
- Remove the upper tray once blackout period is over.
- Good exposure to light will result in good growth.
- Change the water in the 2nd tray after 2-3 days.
- No need to use pesticide or chemical fertilizers.
- Harvest the microgreens once it reaches 3-4 inches of height.
- Skipping the time of harvest will make microgreens grow-up and the mere goal to have nutrients rich greens can’t be fulfilled.
- Use fresh microgreens after washing it in cold water.
- You can store harvested microgreens without washing in a air tight container. Also, refrigerate it.
Gardening is a journey of knowledge. You’ll know when you grow it.