Misato Red NT Radish

The Misato Red Radish is a variety of winter radish of Asian origin, highly appreciated in Japan. Its large round red-skinned root measures 13 cm (5in) in diameter. Its flesh is white and its flavor is sweet. This radish can be eaten raw or cooked. To preserve the red color of the skin during cooking, sprinkle it with lemon juice before cooking. Sow from July to September. Harvest from September to December.

The radish is a fairly hardy annual or biennial vegetable plant, belonging to the Brassicaceae family, of which the main part consumed is the raw root, but also the freshly picked leaves added to soups or stews. There are radishes of different colours, from red for the most common, but also pink, white or gray. They are generally classified into 2 main types: the radishes for every month, represented by varieties with small roots, and the radish turnips, represented by varieties with long roots.
Japanese radishes or "daikon" are also found, which have long white conical roots, sometimes sold as turnips. Winter radishes have a large taproot with black, pink or purple skin. Its flesh is white. Its leaves are green and divided, forming a compact tuft at the base of the plant. Its taste is much stronger than the radishes for every month. With a pungent flavor, it can be eaten cooked, like turnips, or raw, like carrots. Winter radishes have many virtues: they contain vitamin C and sulfur, as well as phosphorus and magnesium. They are antiscorbutic and diuretic, and are recommended for people with liver and gallbladder problems.

 Harvest and storage

The harvest of radishes for every month and summer radishes takes place 4 to 6 weeks after sowing. Regular harvests as soon as the radishes are formed, without letting them grow too large, help to limit the risk of them becoming hollow, pungent or indigestible. Radishes for every month or summer radishes should be consumed quickly. The freshly harvested leaves can be cooked into a delicious soup.

The harvest of radish turnips takes place 4 to 5 months after sowing. Harvest by gently lifting with a fork-spade and let them dry on the ground before bringing them in. If they stay in the ground over winter, cover the soil with straw.

Gardener's tips

Sowing radishes and carrots in the same row and at the same time allows the carrot seeds to naturally spread apart. Once the radishes are harvested, there will be room for the carrots to grow. When accompanied by mint, radishes will be less susceptible to attacks from flea beetles, insects that feed on the leaves and create small irregular holes.
To have crunchy radishes throughout the season, it is good to spread out the sowing, every 2 to 3 weeks, in your garden or in pots.

Untreated or "NT" seeds come from conventionally grown plants (often with the use of pesticides), but they undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.