The Easiest Way to Grow Radish Microgreens

Radish microgreens are very popular with foodies and home microgreen growers.

There are many good reasons for the radish microgreen popularity. For foodies and chefs, radish microgreens add fresh flavor, crunchy texture, and spiciness to food. Radish microgreens are also packed with vitamins and vital nutrients.

For the home grower, radish microgreens are easy and quick to grow when you follow a few basic steps. 

This article will outline those steps and discuss the nutritional value of radish microgreens. 

Growing Radish Microgreens

Before we get into the nutritional value of radish microgreens, let me outline the basic steps you’ll need to grow them.

If you’re more interested in the nutritional information, click this link to skip to that section.

Also, if you’re looking for a radish microgreen kit or radish seed, click the highlighted links to visit the Home Microgreen Store.

FREE Home Microgreens Grow course that teaches you the basics of growing microgreens in your home! There are 12 video lessons (over 120 minutes), downloads, and more written information and tips!

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How to Grow Radish Microgreens

Radish microgreens are one of the easiest and quickest microgreens to grow. They are a fantastic variety for first-time growers to sow, raise, and harvest.

The seeds are easy to handle, germinate quickly, grow like weeds, are easy to harvest, and provide a ton of flavor and crunchy texture to food.

Within 10 days of planting the seed, you can be eating radish microgreens. Beginning growers will see the whole process in about a week, which keeps continued interest in growing microgreens high.

Ten Easy Steps

Below is a list of the ten steps to growing radish microgreens. For a more detailed explanation and a video of each step, look at Growing Microgreens for the First Time.

Here are the steps to grow radish microgreens using the Home Microgreen Kit. The photos will show you what you need to grow microgreens if you don’t have the kit. You can click images to expand their size.

Note: Some images below are of the beta Home Microgreens Trays (opaque trays & red lids). The black trays and opaque lids are the new Home Microgreens Trays. Both are similar-sized, but the latter uses much less soil and is, therefore, more economical.

Step 1 Prepare the Tray

Add a premium potting mix to the planting tray. A planting tray needs small holes in the bottom so water can be drawn up from below instead of top watering once the greens have germinated.

The soil should be firmly compacted and level just below the top of the tray. Please Read this article on why I believe soil is better. 

Step 2 Wet the Grow Media

Use a spray bottle to wet the soil surface with un-chlorinated water. Allow the water to soak into the soil, then respray the surface. Use your fingers to level the surface if you see depressions or high spots on the soil.

Step 3 How Many Radish Seeds?

Add your radish seed to a shaker bottle. A shaker bottle will allow you to spread the seeds more evenly. There are between 2,500 to 2,600 radish seeds in an ounce. That’s around 90 seeds per gram.

For radishes, you want about 13 seeds per square inch. So if your planting tray surface is 37.5 square inches, add 5.5-grams of radish seeds to your shaker bottle.

Below is a photo of 5.5-grams radish microgreen seeds, or about 1.5 teaspoons.

Note* The amount of seed varies for the perfect seed density, even among the same type of microgreens.

For instance, the radishes shown are Red Champion Radishes which need 4.5 grams, but Red Arrow and Purple Rambo Radishes need over 5-grams of seed for the same seeding area.

If you’re using your own planting tray with a different dimension than the Home Microgreen Tray, use the calculator in this article to figure out how much seed to use.

Step 4 Sow the Radish Seeds

Now that the soil surface is prepared, and the radish seeds are in the shaker bottle, it is time to sow them. Start sprinkling seeds onto the soil in concentric circles around the planting tray. Holding your spare hand around the tray can be helpful, so seeds don’t bounce out of the tray.

Spread the seeds as evenly as possible across the surface. You may need to unscrew the top off the sprinkler bottle to get the last few seeds out. Once all the seeds are out of the bottle, use your finger to spread clumps of seeds to areas with fewer seeds.

Don’t worry if the seeds aren’t perfectly spaced. The seeds will grow, and the plants will spread out to fill the voids.

Step 5 Use the Weighted Blackout Method

Now it’s time to prepare the radish seeds to germinate. Use the spray bottle again and wet the seeds. Again, go easy so the seeds don’t fly off the tray. The water will also help settle the seeds into the soil.

The best way to germinate radish microgreen seeds is to use the weighted blackout method. The method is explained below, but I also have a great article on how and why we use the weighted blackout method. Place the planting tray inside the watering tray. A watering tray does not have holes and will hold water. Use a similar-size tray, like in the Home Microgreen Kit, or use a larger tray.

Place a cover on the seeds (don’t seal the tray tight). If the cover is transparent or opaque, use a tea towel or cut a piece of cardboard to fit the cover to keep light off the seeds.

Most microgreens can be left on the soil surface, but they need to be covered to keep light off them while they germinate (we tested this, read why it’s important to blackout and weigh down seed by clicking this link). Radish microgreen seeds are no exception.

Place a weight on top; this keeps the cover on and encourages the plants to root into the soil media. Below we’ve used a fossil. Now we use 5-pound weights! Don’t worry; the growing plants are vigorous and will lift the cover and the weight as they grow.

Step 6

Don’t do anything for 2- to 3 days. Just let the seeds germinate and grow. The cover will retain enough moisture for the seeds to grow.

Step 7

On day 2, you can look at the seeds, but waiting until day 3 to remove the cover is better. Then, you’ll see that germination has taken place, and the radish seedlings are growing! At this point, you have the decision to make.

If the germination rate looks good and the seedlings are similar to the ones in the image below, you can remove the lid and allow the young plants to receive light. If they’re smaller or there isn’t a lot of germination, check the soil surface to see if it is dry. If so, use the spray bottle, wet the surface again, and place the cover back over the tray.

Let the seeds germinate for another day or two before checking on them again.

Step 8

Now that the radish microgreens have germinated and started to root and grow, it’s time to get them in some light.

There’s a lot of discussion about what light is best for microgreens. So, naturally, giving them as much light as possible is best. After all, light is where plants get their energy to grow. So give them as much as possible, whether it be sunlight, cheap LED lighting, or a special grow light.

Don’t fret over it.

Just do the best you can with what you have. If the plants look white or yellowish, don’t worry; they will turn dark green once they receive the light.

If the soil surface looks dry, use the spray bottle to wet the surface. But this will be the last time you use the spray bottle.

Step 9

Let the radish microgreens grow and give them water from the bottom. Here’s where the watering tray comes into play.

First, memorize how the weight of the dry tray feels. You’ll know when to water again by judging the weight this way.

Add water to the watering tray—a quarter of an inch works at first. Set the planting tray in the water and allow it to absorb the water from below.

Watering from the bottom keeps the leaves and stems dry, eliminating the possibility of damping-off disease and stopping soil from splashing on the plants.

The first time you water, you may have to add more water because the majority of the soil in the tray is dry. Afterward, you won’t need to add as much water.

Check the weight of the tray every other day to see if it needs water. The need will depend on the humidity and amount of air moving across the tray.

Step 10

Time to harvest! After 8- to 10 days, the radish microgreens will be ready to harvest. Once they are 2 1/2- to 3 inches tall, you can harvest them.

Harvest radishes during the cotyledon stage before the first true leaves form.

Tip the tray about 45 degrees over a cutting board or a large plate to harvest.

Cut the radish microgreens just above the soil surface using stainless steel scissors or a sharp knife. Try not to disturb the soil. If some soil does spill, it’s okay; use your hands to fluff the cut microgreens. The soil particles will fall to the board or plate, where you can wipe them off.

It’s always recommended to wash microgreens before you use them (I don’t if they are dry and clean) to be sure no bacteria is on the microgreens. Cut only what you’re going to use that day.

Then, replace the growing tray under the light and let them grow so more. If you can’t use all of your radish microgreens before they grow too tall and leggy, cut them, place them, and use this storage method to keep microgreens fresh.

Don’t wash the microgreens at this point. You want them dry, as they will stay fresher longer, and store the microgreens in the refrigerator crisper.

Simple Right?

That’s all there is to growing radish microgreens. If you have any questions feel free to use the comment section below the article to ask. I’ll get right back to you.

Radish Microgreen Products

Purple Triton Radish

Violet to purple stems.

• Grows Quick – Harvest in 7-days 
• Mild radish & earthy taste 
• Green leaves with violet stems

Learn More

Purple Rambo Radish

Adds beautiful color to your salads or garnishes.

• Grows Quick – Harvest in 7-days 
• Beautiful purple leaves with a few green ones 
• Spicy flavor compared to Purple Triton

Learn More

Red Arrow Radish

Pink to Reddish Stems with Dark Green Leaves

• Very easy to grow!
• Inexpensive 
• Great beginner microgreen to grow

Learn More

China Rose Radish

• Organic seed
• Consistent magenta stems and bright green leaves
• Milder radish variety

Learn More

Radish Microgreen Nutrition

Radish microgreens are reported to contain the following vitamins. The DV, or Daily Recommended Value, is listed if known. I have also published an article dedicated to radish nutrition. The results are summarized below. 

Vitamins

Radish microgreens are reported to contain the following essential minerals.

Essential Macro Minerals

• Calcium 4% DV
• Magnesium 10% DV
• Phosphorus 10% DV
• Potassium 2% DV
• Sodium <1% DV

Essential Trace Minerals

• Copper 6 to 11% DV
• Iron 5% DV
• Manganese 13% DV
• Selenium 1% DV
• Zinc 5% DV

Radish Microgreen Flavor and How to Use Them

Radish microgreens add a fresh, crunchy, and spicy flavor to your foods.

They have a pleasant peppery flavor similar to root radishes but not quite as strong.

To me, they have an earthy flavor.

Radish microgreens are great in salads and cold soups. Put radish microgreens on a burger and enjoy a more flavorful, crunchy topping than regular lettuce.

Their small size makes them a great raw garnish for dishes that can benefit from a peppery element.

Interested in Growing Radish Microgreens?

If you’d like to try growing your radish microgreens at home, use the buttons below to look at a radish microgreen kit, or if you have the supplies, radish microgreen seeds.

Have a Question?

If you have any questions about the information in this post or microgreens in general, please get in touch with me using the Ask a Question page.