radish

planet 1999

A drop of blood in the fallow, food for the farrow, rose of the sallow. A cherry in the dunes. Radishes are a cooling plant that symbolize vitality, renewal, strife and wind. Watermelon, Black, Easter Egg, Daikon, Green Meat, Perfecto and White Hailstone are just a few of our favorite varietals. Listen carefully and you can intuit all the gifts she has to offer. The spring thaw mirrors itself in radishes nature as the cooling, water-bearer. She is said to sweeten the blood, quicken the spirit and soothe the nerves.

Latin: Raphanus sativus, roughly meaning quickly appearing, cultivated root.

Properties: Radishes are a blithe vegetable, rarely suffering from blights or pests. One of the quickest producers of the spring, but has a very lengthy season of viability depending on the species. A burst of light in the white season, radishes contain Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, Phosphorus, B Vitamins and lots of trace minerals. Juice from the earthstone is a potent remedy for all of the stone ailments (i.e. gall, kidney and bladder) and quickens the homeostatic reflex, allowing the body to heal itself more quickly. 

Companions: Its sympathetic nature can readily be seen in its diversity of visual harmonics. Planted alongside cucumber and squash, radish helps to repel their biggest threats. Nasturtium, alliums, marigolds and the umbellifers form vital pheremonic allegiances, protecting your garden from bugs. Sweet peas and pole beans will enrich your soil with nitrogen, helping your radishes thrive. Under no circumstances should radishes be subject to the presence of hyssop - their only true antagonist. 

Recipe: Last Word with a Side of Raw Radish

Sound Design: Planet 1999