This is the second year I’ve grown these. They are aerial radishes. They grow stems of delicate white and pink flowers which then turn into the radishes. They’re a bit hot – but quite radishy really.
Very prolific. You get plenty of radishes off one stem. They will self seed if you leave them at the end of the season for the pods to dry naturally.
They are great for salads and I even tried cooking them last year. They lose their heat and just taste a little cabbagey then though. You will munch on them as you’re picking them though. You will be able to pick some nearly every day once they start. Picking can be hard work – and you have to avoid the bees as they love the flowers, but I quite enjoy spending 15 minutes every day picking them. My neighbours really love them too so there’s not going to be any waste. In fact they like them so much they’ve asked if they can have some seeds next year!
Rats tail radish are one of the most unusual plants I’ve grown. I grew them on my old allotment plot and no one there had ever heard of them but loved them very much!
Because they set seed at the end of the year you can easily save plenty of seed for next year and to pass on to friends.
Plant out from about March onwards and just let them get on with it. The small plants coming through look faily like radishes – but it’s not the root we’re interested in.
The long fronds of flowers are very pretty and would look fab in a cottage garden style border too.
