Rivoli Hybrid Radish Seeds

Days to Maturity: 30 from direct sow

All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2014

Here's the radish you've been waiting for: superior flavor, great texture, terrific disease resistance, and unbeatable holding ability! You can harvest it young, or right on time, or a week or so late—Rivoli won't mind! You'll never be overrun with radishes again . . . in fact, Rivoli is so delicious that you'll be lucky to make it from the vegetable patch to the kitchen without gobbling at least some of the crop!

Rivoli has been named a All-America Selections Winner 2014, and it's easy to see why. This radish is simply all-around superior, from texture and flavor to disease resistance and holding ability. The 1½-inch-diameter globes are a pure, even watermelon-red, with snowy white interiors. The texture is crunchy and just moist enough, and the flavor is mildly peppery. Pick them young and you won't believe how delicious they are, but even if you wait, Rivoli keeps its good texture and flavor after harvest. You can't go wrong!

And if you've had problems with radishes before, Rivoli offers great disease resistance. Fusarium wilt is no issue for this radish, and mildew is a thing of the past. Don't worry about hot or wet weather ruining your crop.

Rivoli is ready to harvest in just a month, when the tops are less than 10 inches high. These radishes look as good as they taste, and are especially scrumptious when picked young. You're going to fall in love with Rivoli, and your salads, soups, and casseroles will be all the better for it.

Before planting, fertilize the soil and make sure that it is as loose, moist, and rich as possible, since the root needs space to develop and has little time to push its way through heavy soils. Sow the seeds ½-inch deep and 1 inch apart, in rows about a foot apart. Fertilize again about 2 weeks after planting. When the tops are about 2 inches high, thin the plants to 2 inches apart (and use the thinnings in soups and salads), to give the roots space to swell under the ground.

For continuous crops, sow seeds successively every week from earliest spring until late spring, then again in late summer for fall crops. Radishes cannot withstand heat, so judge when to stop spring sowing based on the climate in your area. They can also be sown in containers and finished in a sunny window in the air-conditioned house in climates where spring is short and warm.