How to Grow Daikon
Daikon At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -7°C
Plant Family
Brassicaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow in late summer, about 10 weeks before your first fall frost, so the roots grow in cool fall weather, or in early spring a few weeks before your last frost. Sow seeds 1.5 cm deep and cover them. They sprout fast, in 4 to 8 days: thin them (pull the extras so each has room) to 10 cm apart, a little more for the biggest types.
Daikon is a big, mild white radish that is ready in about 60 days. Never start it indoors, because the long root does not survive being moved. Spring sowings often bolt (rush to flower and turn woody) as the days get long and hot, which is why late summer is the best time to sow.
When To Start
Daikon likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Daikon?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Daikon Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Daikon Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow daikon outdoors now for a fall crop of roots
10 weeks before your first frost
Pull daikon once the top of the root is 5 cm across
About 60 days after you plant it
Did you water your daikon seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the daikon seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 18 days after you plant it
Hello from your daikon! Thin the plants so each root has room to grow long and thick.
About 28 days after you plant it
Your daikon is getting close. Keep the soil evenly moist so the roots stay crisp.
About 48 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your daikon.
About 60 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Daikon's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 4–8 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow daikon in full sun, or with a little shade during a warm spell.
- 2Loosen the soil deeply and remove stones, since long roots need loose ground, and mix in some compost.
- 3Water evenly, about twice a week, because dry spells followed by heavy watering make the roots crack and taste hot.
- 4It needs no extra feeding beyond the compost you mixed in at sowing.
- 5Spread a layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and damp in late summer heat.
- 6Cover the seedlings with row cover to keep off flea beetles (tiny black jumping beetles that chew small holes) and the root maggots that tunnel into roots.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~60
Days to Maturity
40 cm
Mature Height
15 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pull when roots are 5+ cm thick, before hard frost
How to Harvest
- 1Daikon is ready about 60 days after sowing, when the top of the root pushing out of the soil is at least 5 cm across.
- 2Loosen the soil beside the root with a garden fork, then pull it out by the leaves.
- 3Dig the last roots before the ground freezes hard, since light frost only makes them sweeter.
- 4Cut off the leaves, which you can cook like other greens, and store the roots in a bag in the fridge for several weeks.
- 5Eat daikon raw, pickled, grated or cooked in soups and stir fries.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Daikon crosses with every other radish, so let only one radish variety flower within about 800 m, and let at least 6 plants flower together, since a single plant cannot pollinate itself. Spring sowings often flower the same summer, which makes them the easiest to save seed from. Fall roots must be kept over winter in damp sand somewhere cold but above freezing, then replanted in spring. Leave the pods on the plant until they are dry and tan, then crush them, since the pods do not split open on their own. Store the seeds labelled somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep about 5 years.
Seed Production
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