Radish ‘Easter Egg’, Raphanus sativus, is a wonderfully colourful radish mixture producing crisp, round roots in a delightful assortment of colours. Depending on the mix, roots may be red, pink, purple, violet, white or combinations of these shades. Pulling them from the soil is a little like hunting for Easter eggs because you never quite know which colour will appear next. They are quick to grow, easy to manage and particularly good for introducing children to vegetable gardening.

Radishes have an extremely long history of cultivation. Raphanus sativus is thought to have originated from wild radishes of Europe and western Asia, although its exact place of domestication remains uncertain. Radishes were being cultivated thousands of years ago and were known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Over centuries, gardeners selected them for different shapes, sizes, colours and flavours.

Easter Egg is a much more modern mixture, developed by combining round radish varieties with different coloured skins while maintaining similar growth and maturity characteristics. The result is a colourful harvest from a single sowing rather than a row of identical red radishes.

Radishes are surprisingly nutritious for such a small vegetable. They provide vitamin C, folate and potassium, along with dietary fibre and small amounts of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6. They also contain glucosinolates, naturally occurring compounds characteristic of vegetables in the Brassica family.

The colourful skins contain various natural plant pigments and antioxidants. Purple radishes, for example, contain anthocyanin pigments, while red and pink varieties contain other colourful antioxidant compounds.

The entire plant offers something edible. The roots are the part most commonly eaten, but the young green leaves are also edible and can be added to salads, soups, stir-fries or cooked similarly to other leafy greens.

Easter Egg radishes are particularly delicious eaten freshly harvested. The roots are crisp and juicy with a mildly peppery flavour that can vary slightly between the different colours. Slice them into salads and sandwiches, serve them with dips, pickle them or simply wash them and enjoy them straight from the garden.

For something different, try roasting radishes. Cooking softens their peppery bite and brings out a surprisingly mild, slightly sweet flavour.

Easter Egg is one of the quickest vegetables you can grow. The plants initially produce a small rosette of green leaves while their colourful round roots rapidly swell beneath the soil.

They generally perform best during cool to mild weather. In many parts of Australia they are excellent for growing through autumn, winter and spring. In cooler districts they can also be grown during summer, while gardeners in hotter areas will generally achieve better roots during the cooler months.

Hot weather and dry conditions can cause radishes to become excessively peppery, woody or hollow and may encourage the plants to bolt. Regular watering and reasonably cool growing conditions produce the sweetest, crispiest roots.

Easter Egg radishes are ideal for small gardens and containers because they need very little space. They can also be tucked between slower-growing vegetables because the radishes will often be harvested before their neighbours need the extra room.

Another advantage is their speed. Under good conditions, Easter Egg radishes can be ready in approximately 25–35 days, making them one of those wonderfully satisfying vegetables where you don’t have to wait months to enjoy the results.

How to Grow From Seed:

Sow Easter Egg Radish seeds directly where they are to grow. Radishes develop quickly and generally don’t need to be started in seed trays.

Sow seeds approximately 1 cm deep and around 2–3 cm apart in loose, well-drained soil. Once seedlings are growing, thin them to approximately 3–5 cm apart so each root has enough room to develop into a neat round radish.

Seeds usually germinate very quickly, generally within approximately 3–7 days under suitable conditions.

Choose a sunny position during cooler weather. In warmer conditions, a little afternoon shade can help keep the plants cooler and reduce stress.

Keep the soil consistently moist while the roots develop. Avoid allowing plants to become very dry and then heavily watering them, as uneven moisture can affect root quality and may cause splitting.

For a continuous supply, sow a small batch every 1–2 weeks during suitable weather rather than planting the whole packet at once.

Begin checking the roots after around three to four weeks. Once they are approximately 2–4 cm across, gently pull a few to see how they are developing. Don’t leave mature radishes sitting in the ground for too long, as younger roots generally have the best crisp texture and mild flavour.

And with Easter Egg, harvesting is half the fun – every radish you pull reveals another surprise colour hiding beneath the soil.