The rat tail radish is a bit of an oddity and therefore is only for the adventurous gardeners! While most radishes are usually edible root vegetables, the rat-tail radish is grown for its crispy and mildly peppery pods growing off the stem of the plant. The pods, when they are mature and ready to eat, look just like a green rat’s tail, which is how they got that funny name. Something to surprise your friends with!
Scientific Name: Raphanus s. Caudatus
Plant Life Cycle: Annual
Optimal Germination Temperature: 20C
Germination time in days: 4-6 days
Indicative Days to maturity: 60 days
Sunlight: Full sun
Soil requirement: Light and well drained
Sowing and cultivation: Sow the seeds direct in early spring in full sun 1/2 inch deep. Once they have grown, thin the seedlings to space your plants about a foot apart. Harvest rat-tail radish pods when they are about as thick as a pencil and 4 or 5 inches long. They will begin to lose their tenderness and become fibrous as they grow and mature, so pick them early.
