Back at the Waltons - Day 4

Final Day and all seems well. Its been a very hot day and it has needed a little more water. Passing back to Hugh now....

Back at the Waltons - Day 3

The plants seem a little more perky today. It could just be my bad eyesight but they to be standing taller. The red stems are really prominent and I can't help but think they are trying to tell me something, maybe they needed to be re-potted/planted to progess and grow through the next stage. I seem to be focusing on keeping the plant alive with water and sun but the plant probably needs more thought than that. Definitely a beginner gardener....

Back at the Waltons - Day 2

Not much change but looking a little dry. A bit more water required tonight after a hot day.

Back at the Waltons

Welcome back plant. Its grown upwards and outwards since it was last here. The stems are mush thicker and red of the radish more visible. Watered morning and night with no real change to the appearance in the last 24 hours.

Wednesday 23 June 2010

He's still hanging in there - radishes are one plucky species (I'd like to have seen a flower do this). I've done all I can for him, so with good grace, on he goes.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

The radish is hanging in there. I decided that if his condition deteriorates over night then I will perform an act or mercy and give him a dignified exit (involving a composting bin)

Monday 21 June 2010

Palliative gardening. All I want to do is to put the plant somewhere with a view where he can rest and do my best to make him comfortable in his last hours/days - it's the least I can do.

Passing on the responsibility

Uh oh, first fatality - one little seedling has fallen over and come out of the soil.


The rest not looking any worse but very happy to be handing over to Ben for a few days and hope I haven't caused terminal decline. Good luck !!

Better in the morning ?

Still not looking very healthy so tried watering a little. The leaves that were OK now seem to be brown round the edges and think something has been eating poor old Ralph.

Looking a bit sick...

...despite lots of sun, maybe too much?


Leaves are definitely being eaten but I can't see any signs of bugs anywhere on the leaves or stems.

Round 2 Hugh, Day 3

I'm definitely worried now...maybe this is why Ralph ain't well?


Put him out in the sun on the front step this morning then moved to garden so the plants could get some fresh air. It isn't looking good though and the leaves on several plants are really stunted now. I looked up radishes in our 'growing veggies' book but they give the impression you really can't go wrong



Decided soil may be too damp still so no more water and no tomato food yet.

On the random side, came across this radish growing video on youtube

Round 2 Hugh, Day 2

Ralph was fine in the morning but by evening, definitely looking a bit peaky. Some of the leaves seem to have stopped growing.
Spray watered before bed and will put him outside tomorrow since the forecast is for sun. I wonder if it might be time for some tomato food ?

Round 2 Hugh, Day 1

Ben brought Ralph over last night (14/6/10) and he's grown so much. Put him back in his usual place on the windowsill overnight. No water as his soil seems moist.



Looking healthy in the morning so left pot on the sunny windowsill till lunchtime when moved it out to hot sunroom to get some warmth till evening. No water as still moist and seemed happy but brought back onto front windowsill for the night.

Monday 14 June 2010

Handover day to Hugh. Ralph is watered again and looks ok (especially considering I've had him for a week and I've got form for killing household plants). Wonder if stems could be more supported - will suggest this to Hugh when I see him. Au revoir (but not goodbye) Ralph.

Sunday 13 June 2010

Not much to add. Just watered and turned. I figure that as I'm handing Ralph over to Hugh tomorrow that as long as it doesn't die overnight, anything bad that happens can be put down to his stewardship.

Saturday 12 June 2010

Got up, watered Ralph (lightly) and gave him his daily quarter turn - there's not much to life when you are an aspiring radish I surmise.
Saw Hugh this afternoon and asked if should be doing more. He says he thought not and that after the initial excitement of potting, the watering and turning were all he did (although apparently when he said this to Kate she tutted and sighed).
Will keep on with the watering and turning method I have perfected.

Friday 12 June 2010

Woman at work liked flowers but not vegetables so wasn't much use (will remember this if another one of these things happens again where you have to look after a flower though). Ralph still looks a bit dry so water and turn him again.
Realise why Ralph is dry later on when taking the washing that as drying on the radiator under the window-sill that Ralph is on. I can myself an idiot and turn down radiator. (Ralph looks ok though).
Still think ther must be more to it than this though. I check my book "How to do just about everything" to see if it has a section on radishes. It goes straight from "Radio: How to improve FM reception" to "Raft: How to paddle" with no radish bit.
This makes me think:
1) Ask Hugh tomorrow if I should be doing something more than I am.
2) Write to Ted Smart Books and ask them to include a section on radishes in their next book on how to do everything.

Thursday 10 June 2010

Checked on Ralph when I got back from work - he looks a little dried out so water him some more and give his pot a quarter turn. Still think I should be doing something else so will ask a woman at work who likes gardening if she has any ideas.

Wednesday 09 June 2010

Come home from work and check Ralph. He looks ok. Lightly water again, give his pot a quarter turn and stand back - surely I should be doing more but cant think what. I'll check tomrrow.

Tuesday 08 June 2010

Picked up Ralph (pronounced Raif) the radish. Was told to put him in the sun and not to over-water (which can be a problem due to plastic pot apparently). This has made me nervous - what is too much water? Is it better to dehydate or drown? (This could be harder then I thought).
Got home with Ralph ok but the transit wasn't casualty free - one of Ralphs branches (er stems, er leaves, er...) was broken but apart from that he was ok. First issue comes up - I appear to live in a house with no South facing aspect at all (note to self: check this in any new properties when moving house). I put Ralph in the least worst place on the back window window-sill. It should be ok here as long as I don't know him off (it would be bad for Ralph and bad for our cream carpets - no good come come of it). Lightly water him and leave for the night.

Day 7 at the Waltons

The Final Day of this stage. Key points of how I have looked after the plant are that I have watered morning and night but only in moderation and placed the pot where it will get the afternoon sun only. Main observation of how the plants have developed are firstly and most obvious the height. But it is the middle shoots/leaves of each plant that have developed/grown the most and in some cases have caught up the earlier more smoother edged leaves.

My only real tip is to follow the watering regime and placement of the pot in the afternoon sun only as that seemed to work well. As the plants grow they are becoming a little more fragile, so that is one thing to keep an eye on.

Good luck for the next stage....

Day 6 at the Waltons

Really happy with the progress the plants have made in this week. Nearly time for hand over and the plants getting quite tall. Although the plants are starting to lean over a little, which I'm not sure is due to the direction of the sun or the weight of the plant. Put a couple of matchsticks in to steady a few of the plants.

Day 5 at the Waltons

All the plants seem quite tall and after another sunny day are swaying in that direction. Haven't really changed watering regime of morning and night.

Day 4 at the Waltons

The tallest plant is now 9cm high! Although the tallest are now starting to bend over a little. Not sure if this is due to extremly hot day or weight of the plant. Going to give them a bit more water tonight and see how they look tomorrow.

Day 3 at the Waltons

Day 3 and there is noticeable growth since the handover day. The plants definitely love and grow toward the sun. At the end of the day I spin the pot round so that they are not constantly growing one way (!?). Again just a drop of water morning and night. Half way through tomorrow, so i think I'll be getting the tape measure out to check their progress.....

Day 2 at the Waltons

As we are out during the day we either have to place the plant where it gets morning or afternoon sun. The kitchen windowsil provides afternoon sun. I've watered morning and night again, but only a small amount and the soil remains moist.

Day 1 at the Waltons - 01/06/10

The plants seem to have survived the long journey over the garden fence and are enjoying the prime position in the kitchen window. Its been an overcast day and I've watered morning and night but only in moderation

Final day in first round

Slight delay in passing the baton (pot!) due to team travels


A second set of leaves is growing at the join of the first leaves on all shoots although the 'runt' still only has one first growth leaf



Time to pass the responsibility to Andy !
Good luck, plenty of sunshine and not too much water ?!

Day 9

Left on windowsill all day - again, no water added because the soil surface still felt slightly damp.




All fine until an enthusiastic cat stuck a large paw onto the largest seedling and bent it flat. I carefully tried to stand it up but it didn't want to...

...so I've resorted to a matchstick crutch in the hope that it recovers.

End of first week

Thirteen of the fourteen shoots have now split to create 2 leaves. On the fourteenth - the last one to appear - which is distinctly the runt, it looks like its trying to grow a new leaf but its a bit black.


The seedlings vary in height from about 1 to 2 inches. The soil is still slightly damp to the touch so no extra water today.

Early start

First thing overhead view


and side view - all seems to be going well


Very bent over in afternoon so back into west facing room for evening sun at 6:30pm


Turned round


Nearly upright at 10pm and bit more water added - moved back to front window sill

Twisting this way and that

First thing in the morning, all going well


But by evening when got back from work, definitely leaning over a bit much.


I thought I should try to straighten them up by turning pot around and putting back into the evening sun at 7pm:

By 10pm, nearly back to vertical and back onto front windowsill

14 seedlings, growing on a wall

First thing in the morning, all 14 seedlings now growing up

Looking a little dry so added ~200ml water


Definitely seem to be aiming for the sun by evening



Thought it was time to measure progress - ~3.5 cm for the tallest little radish...how high do they grow before harvesting ?