annual vegetable
Watermelon radish
Plant for fall harvest when cool weather improves color and flavor.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a-10a
- Sun
- FullPartial
- Soil
- Loam
- Water
- Medium
- Deer pressure
- Not rated No deer-resistance category is assigned yet; treat browsing risk as local and variable.
- Black walnut
- Better near black walnut Use as a black walnut / juglone planning cue; tolerance varies by cultivar, soil, and distance from the tree.
- Planting depth
- Plant 0.5-1 in deep
- Container min
- 15+ gal (limited)
- Goals
- Vegetables & herbsCurb appeal & color
Harvest & Use
- Window
- green-white roots with pink centers
- Yield return
- 3-10 lb/plant/season
- First output
- 80-100 days
- Best for
- Vegetables & herbsCurb appeal & color
Harvest window: green-white roots with pink centers. Once established, the current pound-return model uses 3-10 lb/plant/season with a harvest window of 1-3 weeks.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
This is a representative garden photo used as a temporary reference. Replace with a closer cultivar or species image when one is sourced.
Photo sources: Schlaghecken Josef / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Pound return
- 3-10 lb/plant/season
- 10-year return
- 30-100 lb/10 yrs
- Full output
- This season
- Mature size
- 1-2 ft H x 6-12 ft W
- Spacing
- 3-4 ft in-row x 5-6 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Plant 0.5-1 in deep
- Container min
- 15+ gal (limited)
- Productive life
- 1 yrs
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Reliability
- 5/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, Medium yield confidence
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Seed-starting trays
Propagation / Pre-seasonStart annual vegetables, herbs, and flowers ahead of transplant season.
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Floating row cover
Protection / At plantingProtect young crops from wind, light frost, and early pest pressure while still letting light and water through.
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Seedling grow light
Propagation / Pre-seasonKeep indoor seedlings compact and sturdy before they move outside.
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Balanced garden fertilizer
Nutrition / During growthFeed annual vegetables, herbs, flowers, and hungry container crops according to soil or label guidance.
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Soil thermometer
Timing / Before plantingCheck whether spring soil is actually warm enough for direct sowing, transplanting, and tender warm-season crops.
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Soil test kit or lab mailer
Site prep / Before plantingCheck pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.
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Plant labels
Planning / Planting dayTrack cultivar, planting date, and variety when comparing harvests or pollination partners.
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Hand trowel
Tools / Planting dayPlant starts, herbs, flowers, bulbs, and smaller container plants at the right depth.
Yield curve
Estimated Pound Return
Projected annual yield ramp from establishment to full production, using the current sourced range for Watermelon radish.
- Year 1
- 3-10 lb First-year estimate from the sourced curve.
- Year 5
- 3-10 lb
- Year 10
- 3-10 lb
- 10-year total
- 30-100 lb/10 yrs
Shaded band shows the sourced low-to-high pound-yield range. The line tracks the midpoint for quick comparison.
Method: direct pound yield from crop metric source. Annual crops assume one comparable planting per year; perennial crops ramp from first bearing to full production.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Plant 0.5-1 in deep
- Container minimum: 15+ gal (limited). Use 15+ gal and compact varieties; large vines are better in-ground.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
- Use the pairing map below to choose nearby companions or compatible varieties.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: full, partial light, loam soil, and medium water.
- Use 3-4 ft in-row x 5-6 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 1-2 ft H x 6-12 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "green-white roots with pink centers" and 3-10 lb/plant/season as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- Local drainage, pests, chill hours, wildlife pressure, and microclimates can change the result.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Companion Plants & Pairings
Compatible Cultivars
Cucumbers, squash, and melons need steady pollinator traffic, so nearby flowering herbs and annuals are useful bed neighbors.
Use it: Put flowers at row ends, trellis bases, or bed edges so pollinators visit without flowers disappearing under vines.
Plant Nearby
Fast radishes can mark slow-germinating carrot rows and leave space before carrots need the room.
Use it: Sow a light pinch of radish seed in the carrot row and harvest radishes early so carrots are not crowded.
Fast cool-season crops can share spring or fall bed space before heat-loving plants take over.
Use it: Use this as a timing strategy: harvest greens and radishes before peas shade them or before summer crops need the bed.
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: University of Minnesota Extension - Crop and Field Planning Tools for Vegetable FarmersLSU AgCenter - Expected Vegetable Garden YieldsUGA Extension - Growing Vegetables OrganicallyUniversity of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing VegetablesIllinois Extension - Growing Vegetables in Containers
Supplier search: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.