Radish, Dill & Overwinter Onions
Fast radishes, a summer of dill, then overwinter onion sets that come out first thing next summer.
Season timeline
- Sow the radishes
- Harvest the radishes
- Sow the dill
- Harvest dill all summer
- Clear the dill
- Plant the overwinter onion sets
- Harvest the overwinter onions
- Clear the bed
Bed layout
Crops in this bed
Step by step
- Sow the radishesMar–Apr
Sow radishes shallowly in close rows as the first spring catch crop.
- Harvest the radishesApr–May
Pull the roots after four to six weeks, before they crack.
- Sow the dillMay
Sow dill in bands; sow a second batch two weeks later for a steady supply.
- Harvest dill all summerJun–Aug
Cut young fronds for the kitchen and let some plants flower for the beneficials.
- Clear the dillAug
Pull the dill including roots and prepare the bed for the onion sets.
- Plant the overwinter onion setsSep–Oct
Push winter onion sets in by mid-October so they root before frost.
- Harvest the overwinter onionsJun–Jul (next year)
Lift the bulbs when the tops fall over — weeks ahead of spring-planted onions.
- Clear the bedJul (next year)
Let the bulbs dry on the bed for a day or two, then clear it.
Harvest calendar
| Crop | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan (next year) | Feb (next year) | Mar (next year) | Apr (next year) | May (next year) | Jun (next year) | Jul (next year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallot | Shallot: Jun (next year) | Shallot: Jul (next year) | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese radish | Chinese radish: Apr | Chinese radish: May | |||||||||||||||||
| Garden dill | Garden dill: Jun | Garden dill: Jul | Garden dill: Aug |
The bed over the season
- Shallot · Sowing
- Shallot · Growing
- Shallot · Growing
- Shallot · Harvest
- Chinese radish · Sowing
- Chinese radish · Harvest
- Garden dill · Sowing
- Garden dill · Harvest
Why this combination works
Three short crops chain through the year with no idle weeks: radishes as the spring catch crop, dill flowering for beneficial insects all summer, and autumn-planted onion sets that overwinter and mature weeks ahead of spring-planted ones. The bed works for roughly fifteen months on three sowings.
Tips
Water radishes evenly or they turn sharp and woody. Dill dislikes transplanting, always sow in place. Choose a winter-hardy onion variety for the autumn sets. Do not fertilize the onions in autumn; soft growth freezes.