The radish continued to spread throughout Europe, and by 1548 radishes had reached England. They arrived in the New World and were first cultivated in Massachusetts in the early 1600's. Although many different varieties of radishes such as the Cherry Belle, the Early Scarlet Globe, and the Red Boy exist, in this experiment Sparkler White Tipped radishes will be used because they take the least time to reach maturity. May. Winter varieties of radishes such April Cross and Long Black Spanish do exist, but they tend to have longer roots than regular radishes and take twice as long to grow. The Sparkler white tip seeds take 3-10 days to germinate and are ready for harvest in 35 days.
Rapid growth is best for radishes because it insures they remain mild and tender.
Slow growing radishes are tough and less attractive. Disease control is seldom necessary for radishes. In fact, radishes are used to protect other plants from predators. Radishes are often planted close to onions and potatoes to distract root maggots. Vitamin and Mineral Background Since the 1700's scientists have realized scurvy could be prevented by consuming large quantities of fruits and vegetables.