Harvest tender young roots and greens. Larger roots can turn fibrous as weather warms.
EdibleCool-season crop
Growing spaceVegetable bedClimate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9bCrop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)Life cycleAnnual cropPhoenix planting windowSeptember–February.How to plantDirect sow and thin.Plant spacing4–6 inFrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.Time to harvestAbout 75–120 days in the Maricopa calendar; baby roots soonerSuccessionSow every 2–3 weeks in fall.Special categoriesEDIBLETypical harvestWinter roots and leafy tops.
Before you plant
These conditions determine whether it will thrive.
Cold hardinessCover in a hard freeze below 28°F
Takes frost well, though tops can burn in the upper 20s. Cover in a hard freeze.
Leaves and wood: damaged below 28°FHeat toleranceNeeds afternoon shade
Roots turn woody and bitter in heat and plants bolt. Sow by February and harvest by April in Phoenix.
