Viola NT Radish - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Viola Radish is a semi-active variety known as a "monthly" radish. Its cultivation is simple and it produces round, purple roots. The flesh is tender, firm, and juicy, slightly spicy but not fibrous. Sow indoors from January to March, then transplant outdoors from April to August. Harvest from April to September.

The radish is a fairly hardy annual or biennial vegetable plant, belonging to the Brassicaceae family. The main part consumed is the raw root, but the freshly picked leaves can also be used to enhance soups or stews. Radishes come in different colours, with the most common being red, but they can also be pink, white, or gray. They are generally classified into two main types: the monthly radishes, represented by small-rooted varieties, and the radish turnips, represented by varieties with long roots.
Japanese radishes, also known as "daikon", have a long white and conical root and are sometimes sold as turnips. Winter radishes have a large taproot with a black, pink, or purple skin. The flesh is white and the leaves are green and serrated, forming a compact tuft at the base of the plant. They have a much stronger taste than monthly radishes. They can be enjoyed 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 anti-scorbutic and diuretic, and are recommended for people with liver and gallbladder problems.

Harvest and storage

Monthly and summer radishes can be harvested 4 to 6 weeks after sowing. Regular harvests, as soon as the radishes are formed, without letting them grow too large, help prevent them from becoming hollow, pungent, or indigestible. Monthly and summer radishes should be consumed quickly. The freshly harvested leaves can be used to make a delicious soup.

Radish turnips can be harvested 4 to 5 months after sowing. Lift them gently with a fork and let them dry on the ground before storing. If they are left in the ground over winter, cover the soil with straw.

Gardening tips

Sowing radishes and carrots on the same row and at the same time naturally separates the carrot seeds. Once the radishes are harvested, there will be space for the carrots to grow. Planting radishes alongside mint helps protect them from attacks by 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 sowings every 2 to 3 weeks in your garden or in containers.

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