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How To Grow Daikon Radish Microgreens

Daikon
Radish

Raphanus sativus L.

Daikon Radish has bright cream-white stems and vibrant olive-green cotyledons. Like regular radish, Daikon has a crunchy mild radish flavor, perfect for meals that need that extra kick of flavor.

Quick Grow Info:

  •  Scientific Name: Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus

  •  Flavor: Mild Pungent, Piquant Flavor

  •  Seed Rate: 25g-30g per 10″ x 20″ tray

  •  Seeds Per in2: 0.125g-0.15g

  •  Pre-Soak: No

  •  Weight Duration: 2-3 Days

  •  Germination Time: 2-3 Days

  •  Blackout Time: 1-2 Days

  •  Seed To Harvest: 5-7 Days

  •  Growing Difficulty: Easy

Did You Know
Fun Fact

Heaviest radish ever recorded weighing 45.865 kg (101 lb 1.8 oz) and was grown by Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. in Japan.

Manda Fermentation Co., Ltd. (Japan) grew the world’s heaviest radish, weighing in at 45.865 kg (101 lb 1.8 oz). They set the Guinness world record on 22 February 2023 at HAKKO Park in Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan.

Plant Details &
Grow Guide

Growing Daikon Radish Microgreens

Radish is a very popular fast growing microgreen, and Daikon Radish is no exception. It’s ready for harvest in only 6 days but you can grow them for longer depending on your preferred flavor profile.

The succulent mild pungent flavor is perfect for many dishes such as sandwiches, salads, stirfries, or as a garnish. It’s a fantastic microgreen for beginners with a short growth period. Let’s get started!

Step 1 Measuring & Preparing Your Daikon Seeds

First, you need to measure your seeds using a scale. The best seeding rate for a 10″ × 20″ tray is 25-35 grams. If you plan to grow them in a 10″ × 10″ tray then simply divide the total amount by two, in this case, 12.5-17.5 grams.

If you’re a renegade like me you can just eyeball it without weighing, just make sure that your seeds are approx ⅛-¼” (3-6mm) apart.

Pro Tip 1
I recommend you use the shallow 10″x20″ or 10″x10″ trays for easier harvest and better air circulation. This will reduce the chances of fungi developing.

Once you’ve measured out your seeds you do not need to wash and pre-soak them. This is because daikon radish seeds are small about 3-4mm in diameter, and wetting them will make it a nightmare to spread them evenly on your growing medium.

Pro Tip 2
Daikon Radish loves well-draining loamy soil. After sowing press the seeds into the soil and compact them lightly.

Step 2 Sowing Your Seeds

Fill your tray with your preferred medium, it can be soil, potting mix, coco coir, etc, leaving 1-2cm of empty space from the tray edge to the soil level.

Leaving a small space between the tray edge and grow medium helps when it comes to harvesting, minimizing the chance of digging into the medium with your knife.

Mist your medium with a spray bottle so it’s damp but not saturated and finally spread your seeds evenly across the medium making sure they’re evenly spread out. Lastly, mist your seeds so they’re all covered with a fine mist of water.

Pro Tip 3
Daikon radish prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil conditions. The ideal pH range for growing daikon radish is typically between 6.0 and 7.0. However, daikon radish can tolerate a relatively wide pH range, from slightly acidic (pH 5.5) to slightly alkaline (pH 7.5). It is important to maintain the pH within this range to ensure optimal growth and nutrient availability for the radish plants.

Step 3 Germination & Weight Period

Grab an empty tray with no holes and place it on top of your sowed seeds. I use a 15lb (6.80kg) paving block for 10″ × 20″ trays or a 7lb (3.17 kg) brick on 10″ × 10″ trays.

This helps the seed radicle to bury into the medium when it emerges. Without weight, the radicles have a tougher time digging into the growing medium.

Keep in mind that the seeds will germinate while they’re covered and weighed down. A lot of people confuse the germination and weight period to be independent of one another and that you add them together, this is incorrect.

The germination time is there to give you an idea by what time the seeds will germinate, but you don’t add the germination time and blackout period together.

While your seeds are germinating and are weighed down you will need to keep your medium moist. You can do this by lightly misting your seeds every 12 hours, once in the morning and once at night.

Step 4 Blackout Time

After 2-3 days of weight period, the seeds should have germinated and the seedlings should now be lifting the tray with the weight in it. It’s now time to remove the weight and start the blackout period.

Take out the weight from your empty tray and flip it upside down to create a blackout dome and place it back over your seeds.

Keeping them in the dark for 1-2 days will force the freshly sprouted seedlings to stretch and search for light allowing them to get some height.

You can now start bottom watering your microgreens. To do this you simply add water to your bottom drain tray. I personally add 1 cup of water twice a day (every 12 hours), once in the morning and once in the evening.

When the 1-2 days of blackout time have passed you can remove the top tray/blackout dome and introduce your microgreens to light. I’ve found that 17 hours under lights and 7 hours with the lights off work well for me.

Grow your daikon radish anywhere from 5-7 days, following with daily watering of 2 cups per day, once every 12 hours.

Pro Tip 4
You should be taste testing your daikon radish daily, starting on day 5 all the way through day 7. This way you can find at which point the microgreens taste best to you.

Step 5 Harvest

Harvesting your daikon microgreens is straightforward that only requires a sharp tool. Personally, I absolutely love using the Green Mercer Produce Knife—I highly recommend it! But if you prefer scissors, that’s also completely fine; just make sure they’re sharp!

Now, here’s an important tip to keep your harvest pristine; make sure to keep your chosen tool (whether it’s a knife or scissors) away from the soil! It’s imperative in avoiding any accidental contact between the blade and the soil, you don’t want any unwanted dirt from sneaking into your microgreen harvest and contaminating it.

By following this important pointer, you’ll ensure that your harvested microgreens are of top notch quality and purity.

Plant Details & Taxonomy

Daikon is a type of radish that is originally from Japan.

Its name comes from the Japanese words “dai” which means “large” and “kon” which means “root“.

It is an upright plant that grows annually or biennially and has a large white napiform root.

The seeds of daikon radish are relatively light, with a weight range of 90-140 seeds per gram.

Daikon is considered one of the easiest and fastest-growing varieties of microgreens, making it a perfect choice for beginners who want to start growing their own produce.

It requires relatively low maintenance and is easy to care for.

Daikon microgreens have a fresh, crispy, and pungent flavor, which makes them an excellent addition to salads that need a peppery kick or sandwiches that need a bit of crunch!

Source: The botanical data and taxonomic details were acquired from the USDA Plants Database

Rank Scientific Name
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Dilleniidae
Order Capparales
Family Brassicaceae – Mustard family
Genus Raphanus L. – radish
Species Raphanus sativus L. – cultivated radish
Variety Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus
Common Names Daikon, Daikon Radish, Mooli, White Radish, Winter Radish, Oriental Radish, Long White Radish, Japanese Radish, Chinese White Radish, Icicle Radish, Oilseed Radish

Microgreen Pests & Diseases

The following are the most common pests and diseases that can affect your microgreens.

White-Mold-Sclerotinia-sclerotiorum

White Mold – Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic fungal disease that causes what’s known as white mold, it can infect over 400 plant species worldwide. It’s also called cottony soft rot, stem rot, watery soft rot, crown rot, and seedling blight.

S. sclerotiorum key properties are its ability to create sclerotia which are its black resting structures, and mycelium which are the white fuzzy spiderweb-like growths you see on stems and growing medium.

microgreens suffering from damping off disease

Damping Off

Damping-off is an umbrella term that covers fungi and fungi-like organisms in several genera including Rhizoctonia, Botrytis, Phytophthora, and Fusarium, with the soil fungus Pythium being the often culprit.

Damping-off is a soil-borne fungal disease that affects seeds and seedlings typically by rotting of the stems and roots at and below the soil surface.

When a seed germinates the seedling will emerge fine but within 24 hours to a few days will become mushy and water-soaked, collapse at the base of the stem and die.

Aphids crawling on a plant stem

Aphids – Aphidoidea

Aphids suck! Quite literally. They’re soft-bodied insects that use their piercing-sucking mouths to feed on plants and there are over 4,000 aphid species in the world.

Other common names are greenflies, blackflies, and plant lice. They come in varying colors such as light green, black, white, brown, gray, or yellow.

When aphids feed on plants they secrete a sticky fluid which is called honeydew (no, don’t eat it). This goo they leave behind drips onto plants and can attract other pests such as ants. If the honeydew is left on leaves it can promote black sooty mold.

Daikon Radish Nutrition Facts

Daikon radish microgreens are a low-calorie option with only 18 Kcal per serving.

They are a good source of carbohydrates (3% RDA), protein (1% RDA), and dietary fiber (4% RDA).

They provide essential vitamins such as Vitamin C (24% RDA) and Vitamin K, as well as minerals including potassium and calcium.

Additionally, they contain trace amounts of copper, iron, and zinc.

Daikon radish microgreens can add a mild peppery flavor to your meals.

Nutrition value per 100 g. (Source: USDA National Nutrient Database). Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) calculation based on data from NIH Nutrient Recommendations and Database.

Note: Percent Daily Values are calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional for personalized recommendations.

Principle Nutrient Value Unit RDA
Energy 18 Kcal 1%
Carbohydrates 4.1 g 3%
Protein 0.6 g 1%
Total Fat 0.1 g 0%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Dietary Fiber 1.6 g 4%
Vitamins
Choline 7.3 mg 1%
Folate 28 µg 7%
Selenium, Se 0.7 µg 1%
Vitamin A 0 µg 0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) 0.02 mg 2%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.02 mg 2%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 0.2 mg 1%
Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxin) 0.046 mg 4%
Vitamin C 22 mg 24%
Vitamin E 0 mg 0%
Vitamin K 0.3 µg 0%
Electrolytes
Sodium, Na 21 mg 1.40%
Potassium, K 227 mg 4.83%
Minerals
Calcium, Ca 27 mg 2.70%
Copper, Cu 0.115 mg 12.78%
Iron, Fe 0.4 mg 5.00%
Magnesium, Mg 16 mg 3.90%
Manganese, Mn 0.038 mg 1.65%
Phosphorus, P 23 mg 3.29%
Zinc, Zn 0.15 mg 1.36%
Phytonutrients 
β-Carotene, beta 0 µg 0.00%
α-Carotene, alpha 0 µg 0.00%
Lutein + zeaxanthin 0 µg 0.00%

Recommended Products

Explore my top curated picks for products needed to grow microgreens. Rest assured that all the featured items and products have been meticulously put to the test by me or have received glowing recommendations from my esteemed readers.

Green Microgreens Growing Trays

Microgreen Grow Trays

For my personal home use, these microgreen trays are my go to. Measuring around 12.2 x 9.06 x 1.77 inches (31 x 23 x 4.5 cm), these trays are perfectly suited for cultivating microgreens in a home microgreen grow room. What’s more, they’re durable, and cleaning them is a walk in the park, making them an all-around convenient choice.

1020 Microgreen Trays - Shallow Extra Strength Colors

1020 Microgreen Trays – Shallow Extra Strength Colors

Industry leading BootStrap Farmers 1020 microgreen trays! Designed with long lasting durability in mind, these colorful trays are built to withstand years of use and abuse. With a height of 1¼ inches (3.2 cm), these shallow trays make harvests easy, saving you time and increasing your yield. The trays come equipped with 36 drainage holes that effectively remove excess water, promoting a healthy growing environment and preventing mold growth. If you’re serious about growing microgreens and want the best trays available on the market, these trays are it!

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About The Author: Hello there! I'm Milos Vukcevic, the founder of Microgreen Silo. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BAgSci) from Massey University, New Zealand, and 18 years of hands-on growing experience, my expertise lies in cultivating and nurturing various plants and microgreens.

At Microgreen Silo, my mission extends beyond cultivating these nutritious plants. I'm dedicated to sharing knowledge, pioneering innovative techniques, and building a community of microgreen enthusiasts.

Whether you're just starting your journey with microgreens or an experienced grower, I'm here to offer guidance, insights, and advice. My approach is rooted in deep expertise and a passion for microgreen cultivation. Join me in exploring the vibrant world of microgreens! You can contact me through my contact form if you need to get in touch.

Note: This information is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional for personalized recommendations.

This post may contain affiliate links. I'll earn some loose change when you buy from any of my links at no extra cost to you, which I promise I'll blow on mocha ☕ and dark chocolate, which helps me in creating more epic and helpful content like this! 

Comments (2)

Hi Milos 🙂 I decided to let a comment for you. I will test it if it is working 🙂 So due my experience with growing daikon radish I know that daikon don’t need to cover with empty tray after germination period. It’s not necessarry.
What I’m doing is that after 3 days of germination I take the weight off in the morning and in the evening I put the tray under the light.
I have less problems with spots on the leaves.

I wanted to share with you my experience.

Have a nice day and keep your hands in the dirt 🙂

Jozef

Hi Jozef, thanks for commenting. Yes, you are correct, you don’t need to leave them in blackout if you don’t want to or if you get better results without the blackout period. Personally, I find the results to be better with a blackout period of 2,3 days than without. But that all comes down to your grow environment, type of lights, ventilation, humidity, and temperature. Hope that helps, and thanks again for commenting and sharing your experience.

Keep Your Hands In The Dirt! ‍

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