[gardeners] Radish help!!! Soon...

Kelly McElheny (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 16 Jul 2003 18:48:15 -0400

Hi everybody,

I'm new to this mailing list.  My name is Kelly.  I'm an organic gardener in 
VT.  I love having my hands in the dirt, but am somewhat of a 
neophyte...this is only my third year gardening as I am in my late 20s and 
just beginning to establish my home base.

I'm gaining experience with many different veggies...but am still learning 
alot about others.  My question for you is about radishes ...I have a story 
for you...(you should all get a chuckle from this...lol).

...last summer was my first summer gardening lettuce...I'd had experience 
with my herb gardens and perennial flowers...but never veggies...

so I planted 3 kinds of lettuce...romaine, red oak, green leaf.

Up until the 4th of July, they were doing magnificently...I was harvesting 
so much lettuce, I couldn't eat it fast enough.

Then I went away on vacation for a week.  The weather was scorching hot in 
the Northeast...and hence most of my garden was wilted when I returned.  The 
only member of my gardening doing beautifully was my lettuce...I had these 
brilliant flowers that had sprouted that I had never known lettuce would 
create...I was so proud. (LOL)

Well as you can guess, as I grow and learn, I came to discover that lettuce 
isn't suppose to flower...lol

now I'm having the same trouble with my radishes.  They are doing 
great...growing like weeds...but all of a sudden they have begun sprouting 
flowers.  I keep pinching them off...but there seems to be no end in 
sight...and as I know that radishes are a root veggie and flowering could 
take away from the root growth, I'm worried they too are done for the season 
and I'm not going to be able to harvest them.  I need your help!!!!

I may have started them too early...seeds were planted mid-may...or may not 
be cutting them back as I should...I don't know...but you guys seem to be 
the experts and I thought maybe you could help.

p.s.  Eggplant makes a wonderful caponata(sp?)...Italian, cold or 
warm...similar to bruschetta...yummm!!!

anyway, hope you can help me...I'm struggling...and I so wanted to have tons 
of radishes for my partner as he really loves them...

well, thanks for all your insight...and I'm really enjoying reading the 
posts you send...

also, Penny, I hope Jim is doing better as well...your short stories of his 
progress are filled with hope...it's inspiring.

take care everyone, thanks again.

Kelly from VT.

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