Did you check a lot of your radishes? I planted some that I thought were the same time, and some are of varying maturity even though they look of equal growth (judging by leaves only)

Ahh, the thining. I thined them a lot, I thought they had enough room. Oh well, I'll give them maybe another week, and if I can't pull up any, I'll just plant some French breakfast variety.

I've enjoyed French Breakfast and it has grown reliably for me.

If you thinned a lot perhaps that wasn't the problem. I need to do a controlled experiment to pin down the cause of this. It troubles a lot of gardeners, including me sometimes.

Jim

Too much nitrogen may also cause it. I had that happen when I was a little overzealous with fertilizer.

I've staved off the impluse to do that. I give the rest of my plants bone meal and blood meal, but my white icicle radishes I gave nothing, and they are starting to form their bulbs now after 3 weeks. Root vegetables dont need any fert, if they do they defiantly dont need Nitrogen. Maby Phosphorous, but you wouldn't want to be putting bone meal in there though. Would you want the bone meal touching your radish bulb that your going to eat? I dont think you would want your bulb vegetable wisking in chemical fertilizer either in the siol. LOL
Best off to just use good soil to begin with when planting radishes or carrots.

How hot is it getting in your area? I always thought radishes were a cool season crop. Could that be an issue?

Stir fried radish greens are delicious.

Tell them that, and maybe they will produce in self defense.

I assume it's OK to eat the greens--in some international grocerettes I've even seen what looked to be radish seed pods pickled up.

"How hot is it getting in your area? I always thought radishes were a cool season crop. Could that be an issue?"

I can tell you this. I have had my best radishes in April thru May here in TN. Seems like the warmer it gets, the worse they do. The greens come up but then no bulbs. I can water the things `till the cows come home. No luck. If I do get some, they are woody tasting. One year, the first time I tried, Mays` crop was great! Planted more. When the next ones came in by June or so, few if any, developed bulbs. I figured it was the heat. Weird how they react to that. Anyone?

I had always started mine, in late April - early May; all I ever got was maggot ridden small tough inedible radishes. One year; after harvesting something... which I forget what, planted some radish seeds; in either late August or early September and got the best harvest of the best tasting tubers I ever ate.

I had tried last year I think it was, late September or October & had good results with radishes too. Was getting cooler & they did well. Threw some turnips in the ground afterwards & had a bunch into January or February.

This is the first time I have tried growing radishes. The french breakfast type did okay. a round white variety called "ping pong" did fantastic. I have 2 other varieties,that aren't doing so well. One was supposed to be ready in 32 days, other 60. We'll see. I will definetly grow Ping Pong again.

It's a constant problem for me to. No logic to it, the nitrogen thing doesn't seem to be the reason because one will bulb up right away and another six inches away never gets more than a hair-like root. This year I used the same batch of seed in florida and in mass, french breakfast. The ones in florida planted in february ALL got big roots, I don't think a single one failed. They were in boxes filled with straight mushroom compost. Foliage was small.The ones up north had the usual problem, though the early batch planted under a cold-frame in late march had a much higher percentage of plump roots.

Surmise: radish is highly photo-period sensitive? IOW, over a certain number of daylight hours it goes for foliage and then bolts for seed and foregoes root-bulbing. I think it's very likely.

Boy, I've read that radishes are the easiest to grow. They are supposed to be good for children's gardens, because it's so reliable. I guess radishes are pretty fickle.
I garden organically, all I did was dig in some compost. And lime, I think the lime maybe coming back to haunt me...ooops.
Well, I think I'll hold off and just plant the French breakfast in September, while it's cooling off.