Daikon Radish in Zone 4a & 4b
Raphanus sativus
Yes, daikon radish grows in zones 4a and 4b. Plant it outside May 15–May 22.
When to plant daikon radish in zone 4b
Zones 4a and 4b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
| Start indoors | Not typically started indoors |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | May 15–May 22 |
| Estimated harvest | Jul 14–Jul 21 (~60 days after direct-sowing) |
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-1.5 ft.
Plant alongside it in zone 4b
These go outside within two weeks of daikon radish in zone 4b, so one planting day can cover them.
- CabbageMay 1–May 8
- TomatoMay 29–Jun 5
- Bush BeansMay 22–May 29
- Sweet CornMay 22–May 29
- LettuceMay 1–May 8
- CucumberMay 22–May 29
Daikon radish is a much larger, longer-rooted relative of the standard salad radish already covered on this site, different enough in growing needs to warrant its own profile rather than a variety note tacked onto the smaller root.
How daikon radish fits zone 4's season
Zone 4b's frost-free window runs about 128 days, from May 15 to September 20. Daikon radish needs about 60 days from sowing to first harvest.
Daikon Radish planting windows in every zone
Zone 4b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2b | Not usually | May 20–May 27 | Jul 19–Jul 26 |
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 30–Jun 6 | Jul 29–Aug 5 |
| 4a & 4b (your zone) | Not usually | May 15–May 22 | Jul 14–Jul 21 |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | May 10–May 17 | Jul 9–Jul 16 |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Apr 25–May 2 | Jun 24–Jul 1 |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Apr 10–Apr 17 | Jun 9–Jun 16 |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Mar 25–Apr 1 | May 24–May 31 |
| 9a & 9b | Not usually | Feb 15–Feb 22 | Apr 16–Apr 23 |
| 10a & 10b | Not usually | Jan 30–Feb 6 | Mar 31–Apr 7 |
| 11a & 11b | Not usually | Jan 1–Jan 8 | Mar 2–Mar 9 |
Harvest dates are about 60 days after the sow or plant-out date.
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
Good companions
- Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage): Daikon is the documented flea-beetle trap crop cited on the brassica pages (napa cabbage, komatsuna, gai lan, kalettes, flower sprouts, broccoli rabe, broccolini, sea kale, rutabaga, mizuna, tatsoi): flea beetles prefer its mustard oils and it can be sacrificed or pulled once infested. Same UMN research, credited here from daikon's own side of the pairing.
- Komatsuna: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli): See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Kalettes: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Flower Sprouts: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Broccoli Rabe (Raab): See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Broccolini: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Sea Kale: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Rutabaga: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Mizuna: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
- Tatsoi: See the daikon/napa-cabbage entry: same trap-crop mechanism.
Where to buy daikon radish seeds
Varieties we recommend, and where to get them:
- 'Miyashige' daikon (best for traditional fall harvest): Johnny's Selected Seeds lists this as a traditional fall-harvest daikon of the highest quality, an open-pollinated option where the hybrids above aren't wanted. Buy: Botanical Interests Full notes
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing daikon radish" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Daikon Radish in USDA zone 4b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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