Cherry Bell Radish Seed

Grow Cherry Bell radishes for crisp, scarlet roots in a quick cool-season planting.

A crisp root for cool weather

Cherry Bell forms round, smooth radishes with scarlet skin and crisp white flesh. At about three-quarters of an inch across, they add a mild, peppery crunch to salads, sandwiches, or a snack plate. This is a quick crop for a cool-season garden and a useful way to harvest a strip of bed before slower vegetables fill it. North Florida’s radish planting window runs September through March. Cherry Bell is an extra-early crop, with an approximate 21-day maturity estimate; use it for planning, then check root development in the bed.

Sow small batches and thin early

Prepare a fine, moist strip and sow seed about 1/4 inch deep. Keep the surface damp as seedlings appear, then thin early so each root has room to round out. A crowded patch produces undersized roots and makes harvest harder. Radishes can share space with slower vegetables, and successive plantings about every two weeks can spread out the harvest. For a home garden, that means a short planting now and another later in the cool-season window, rather than sowing more than the kitchen can use at once. Water during dry spells so roots develop steadily; avoid a cycle of dry soil followed by a heavy soak.

Pull before the roots turn overmature

Check the planting as the roots begin to swell. Pull a sample to see whether the round shape and color are developing, then harvest the rest while the roots are still crisp and mild. Pull promptly once roots reach the size you want. Brush off soil, trim the tops, and refrigerate the roots to preserve their crunch. If one sowing matures faster than you can use it, reduce the next batch or wait for another cool window. Hot weather and over-maturity can make radishes spicy or bitter, so check eating quality as conditions warm. Pull larger radishes first and leave smaller ones to develop.