Botanical illustration of Daikon Radish
🎨 AI-generated botanical illustration

🥕 Daikon Radish

Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus
vegetables annual/biennial
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate
🗺️ Zones
[2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
🧪 Soil pH
5.5-7.5
🪴 Soil Type
deep, loose, well-drained
📏 Spacing
4-6 inches
📐 Height
12-18 inches foliage
⏱️ Maturity
50-70 days

🤝 Companions (3)

🤝 Carrot
Both root crops; daikon's deep taproot doesn't compete with shallower carrot
🤝 Lettuce
Different root depths; daikon breaks soil, lettuce uses top inches
🤝 pea
Daikon breaks soil for pea roots; peas fix nitrogen for daikon

⚠️ Keep Apart (1)

⚠️ Potato
Both root crops competing for underground space

📝 Growing Notes

Nature's jackhammer. Daikon roots drill 2-3 feet into compacted soil, busting hardpan and creating water/air channels. Farmers plant it as a tillage radish — let it winter-kill and the root decomposes, leaving a perfect planting hole. The root itself is mild, crisp, and essential across Asian cuisines.

🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants

Plot Buddies is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our plant recommendations — we only link to retailers we trust.