
Size:Â 12 inches
Sunlight requirements:Â Full to partial sun (A minimum of four to six hours is ideal.)
Water requirements: About 1 inch per week—overly wet soils promote black rot and other diseases.
Soil requirements: Average, well-drained soil high in organic matter. Optimum phosphorus levels promote growth of all root crops.
When to plant:Â Best planted in late summer for fall harvests, but can be grown season-long. Direct-seed when soil temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees F. Roots (and greens) are sweetened by frosts.
Where to plant:Â Garden; containers
When to harvest:Â 55 days after seeding, when roots are 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Can harvest throughout the winter when provided with a protective mulch. Harvest greens 30 to 40 days after planting.
Produce storage:Â Store roots unwashed just above freezing at a high humidity (a root cellar is ideal) for several months.