If you are in a rush to get your spring vegetable garden up and growing, a pack of radish seeds will TCOB (take care of business). Radishes are just about the quickest growing vegetables around!

Of course, growing radishes because they mature fast is not really a good reason to plant them in the garden. There are some nutritional benefits to consider: calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and Vitamin C -- to name a few. Obviously, it's best to grow radishes because you like them.

For people who consider radishes too hot for their taste buds, there are some varieties that are much milder than others. But hot or not can depend on how you grow them. Once you know how to tame the flame, you can have a tangy, tasty root vegetable that is great in salads or by itself.

Pick a speed. 'French Dressing' and 'Champion' are two varieties that take 21 -- count 'em -- 21 days to mature. Then there's the All-America Selection 'Cherry Belle,' a popular variety and another speed demon, which matures in 22 days. If size matters, consider 'Misato Rose Flesh' (65 days) with its 4-inch diameter roots or 'Salad Rose', which takes 35 days to develop 8-inch-long radishes. 'French Breakfast' can develop 3-inch roots in 25 days, while the round 'Parat German Giant' radish easily grows to the size of a tennis ball.

There are Japanese radishes called "Daikons" that can be grown in the heat of the late spring to early summer and still hold a mild flavor. They are easy to spot because they usually look like white carrots. Some popular varieties to watch for include 'Summer Cross', 'Mino Early', 'All Seasons White' and 'April Cross'.

Pick a flavor. All of the standard varieties mentioned are fairly mild radishes, but if grown improperly, they can easily turn hot.

For mild flavors, the radishes must be planted at the proper time, which is now, while the weather is still cool.

As fast as they grow, you can start popping crops in and out of the garden every three weeks or so. This can continue until temperatures start to creep into the 80s. Warm weather will turn the vegetables pithy, and as the temperatures rise, so too does the typical tang factor.

Planting. Plant radish seeds a half-inch deep. Don't just scatter the seeds because when thinning young plants, you could easily disturb the remaining roots. Plant seeds an inch apart in rows about 6 inches wide.

Naturally, fertilizer can boost radish production. But too much nitrogen will produce loads of lovely leaf tops but skimpy radish roots.

Water can also help keep your radishes' flavor cool. Begin providing your crops with an even supply of moisture after the plantlets reach about an inch high. Also, a light organic mulch will help prevent stress, resulting in crisper, milder tasting radishes.

And if after doing all the above your radishes are still a little too warm for your taste, grab a peeler. The volatile oils that put the zing in radishes are concentrated in the skins and outer layers of flesh. Use the peeler to slice the hot spots off.

The roots are the main reason to grow this veggie, of course, but if you would like to add a little extra zip to salads, steamed greens or stir-fries, toss in some radish leaves. Like the roots, these leaves can liven up a dish too.

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