radishes

FOLLOW THE SOIL: In the spring, plant radishes as soon as the soil can be worked, usually in late February or early March. Radishes with long roots need deep, loose soil, HGTV suggests.

CHOOSE A PLANTING LOCATION: Select a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight per day and has well-draining soil.

PLANT THE SEEDS: Plant radish seeds about half an inch deep, and 1 inch apart in rows. Space the rows about 6 inches apart. If you want a good supply of radishes, plant seeds every two weeks.

WATER THE SEEDS: Radish seeds need water. Water once a week, and more often during hot, dry weather.

FERTILIZE: Radishes usually don’t need a lot of fertilizer, but work with an all-purpose fertilizer at planting time and don’t fertilize again, HGTV said. If the soil is too rich, or your fertilizer is high in nitrogen, you’ll have more leaves than roots.

THIN THE SEEDLINGS: When the radish seedlings are about an inch tall, thin them so that they are spaced about 2 inches apart.

HARVEST: Radishes are ready to harvest usually about three to four weeks after planting. But check the seed packet — radishes have different grow times. Gently pull the radish out of the soil. Rinse it off.

Lettuce

COOLING SEASON: Lettuce is a cool season vegetable, so it is usually best to plant during the cool spring temperatures (about less than 70 degrees).

SEEK SUNLIGHT: Find a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of sunlight each day. Some types can grow in partial shade, with four to six hours a day.

SPACE THE SEEDS: Lettuce seeds should be planted about a quarter inch deep, and spaced about 2 inches apart in rows. Space the rows about 12 to 18 inches apart.

MOISTEN SOIL: It is important that the soil is moist, but not overly wet. Water lettuce once or twice a week, especially during dry weather.

FERTILIZE: Lettuce need nitrogen to grow and it grows its best in fast-draining soil that has rich nutrients and is slightly acidic.

THIN SEEDLINGS: Thining out seedlings when they grow to about one inch tall. Thining will help give your lettuce a great taste — not bitter.

READY TO HARVEST: The time for your lettuce to harvest varies. Leaf Lettuce is ready when they grow to about 3 to 6 inches long, according to The Home Depot. Young baby lettuce leaves can be picked for harvest 25 days after planting and crisphead or iceberg lettuce is ready around 50 to 75 days after planting, according to epicgardening.com.