White Icycles in NE Ohio Going to Flower Before Harvesting?!

[WinglessAngel]

Ok this is my first try with the White Icycle Radishes ever, and with all the flooding and rainy weather we've been having my radishes are all, well the whole garden, has been set back, they're all just now starting to really show signs of growth and flowering and setting fruits and veggies. Question being, is there anyone else here on the forum in the Ohio growing zone that is growing the WIR's and are yours going to flower as well? Mine are and the radishes themselves, I pulled some half dozen today, are not even close to being baby radishes and the tops are doing great but flowering already....I've been plucking the flowering portions off the tops hoping that the plants will put more energy into the radishes, but I've been doing this for 2 wks plus and its not doing a thing to help the radish portion get bigger and grow....anyone else having this problem in the Ohio zone area????

I should mention though, that my Cherry Bell's are doing just great finally and have a few that should be ready to pick soon, bulbing nicely

[jal_ut]

When a radish plant decides to flower (bolt), you may as well pull it and make mulch. The root gets real tough, and it won't grow into the nice root you would like. I am not sure if it is a time thing, such that it will flower when 40 days old, or if it has to do with weather conditions. I do know that if a radish gets too dry it will cease to make root and bolt. I have started radishes all season, and if kept damp they will make a nice root in most weather here. It is important that they make good fast growth from the start. I like to fertilize when planting and water them often. I have also had problems getting the white ones to make a root. The Cherry Belle seems to be the best one for me. (As you are seeing too?)

[WinglessAngel]

Thanks Jal, that's what I thought after seeing the results of just plucking flower tops off the radishes, there being a whole 1/3 bed devoted to these white ones, I'm not a happy camper, but so far the cherry belles are doing fine, I hate to have to pull the white ones, after coddling them for so long LOL, but I can still use the leaves for something, I did try a few on a hamburger last night for dinner and it wasnt bad, I think they are better suited though for cooking and salads and such, but I'll finda use for them, I hate to just throw something away that I know is edible and can be eaten, to me its a waste of good food so to speak in a way. But thanks....cherry belles it is to be replanted in their place I think, not sure I might try a few more white ones to see if they do ok, I'm thinking it was all the poor weather, everything is set back in the garden and especially here in Ohio, lots of farmers have been washed out, theres virtually no corn to speak of driving by the farms now, and they should be about a foot or so high I would imagine, people are replanting with diff crops this year....cost of corn round here is going sky high too...just have to wait it out I guess,,,, its all an experiment right? lol

[jal_ut]

Planting a garden is always risky. So is farming. So many variables that can turn the tide this way or that. We just plant in good faith and hope for the harvest, doing what we can along the way to help it grow. I have had my share of failures and poor returns, but every year I get a harvest of something, and many years I get fantastic returns, so it seems worthwhile to continue.

Have a great gardening year.

[jal_ut]

Woo Hoo! I just got my first handful of Cherry Belle radishes this evening. I have had green onions for a while, and tomorrow I am going to pick some lettuce and spinach. I think I can make a salad? Life is good.

[WinglessAngel]

LOL thats great! I went out today and pulled all the bolted radishes, which was basically all the whites and about half the belles, but I got 5 radishes (albeit young ones) from the belles that I did munch down and a couple were hot but the others were nice and sweet...I have faith LOL, the year has just been horrible, the rain has totally demolished my radishes, so I will replant and continue on I do have alaska peas forming nicely and have lots of flowers coming in, my toms are flowering, even have a baby san marzano so far, lots of peppers forming and amazingly 2 baby green beans! we're doing ok lol....happy gardening to u as well Jal

[garden5]

Warm weather during the growing period will cause radishes to bolt. I had this experience last year. In your area, it would be a good idea to plant them in early Apr.

On a side-note, I've done well with the icicle radishes when I planted them later in the year for a fall harvest. I think that last one I harvested from the planted was in November!

[WinglessAngel]

yes I had planned on doing a planting session again so I can harvest in the fall as well this year and I did actually plant all those radishes in the beg to mid april this year, the rainy weather, and flooding, and now warm weather has just caused havock with them, one day they were literally swimming in about 2-3 inches of water....they survived, but only to bolt on about 3/4 of them, so ill replant after this next rain session so the seeds don't get washed out and exposed, and keep my plan going for fall harvesting and replant as well for that too