The Effect of Yeast on Radish Growth

Radish Culture

• Radishes are cool season vegetables that can bolt or become woody in hot weather. They are quick-growing, and seeds can be broadcast over well-tilled soil in rows when soil temperatures are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Thin plantings to about 2 inches apart to ensure the roots have enough space to plump out. Radishes need consistent moisture to produce good-sized roots with quality flavor.

Fertlizing Radishes

• Radishes need to grow quickly to have good texture and flavor, and fertilizing can help accomplish this quick growth. The best time to fertilize is just after the seeds sprout. Apply fertilizer next to rows. Normally you would use granular fertilizer and water it to help it leech into the soil. Compost tea is a liquid, will soak into the soil quickly and be available to your radishes sooner than other fertilizers. The sooner fertilizer is available, the faster your radishes will grow.

Components of Compost Tea

• As its name suggests, the main component of compost tea is compost. Good compost consists of two types of material. Brown material is any herbaceous matter that was once living and is now dead. This includes grass clippings, leaf litter, annuals pulled up from the flower garden and a number of other types of yard debris. The second type of material is green material. This includes things like leftover fruits and vegetables, egg shells and coffee grounds from your kitchen. Yeast is commonly added to the compost tea mixture to help speed up the process of breaking down nutrients.

Making Compost Tea

• Compost tea is relatively easy to make. Fill an old nylon stocking or burlap sack with compost and place it in a bucket of water. Add yeast to the water, not the compost, and stir regularly for seven to 10 days. Leaving the mixture for longer will increase the nutrient content of the water, but seven to 10 days in adequate. You can achieve a higher-quality tea by using an air pump, like the type used for a fish tank, to aerate the water while the tea brews.