How to Plant Radishes Using Yeast

Make Compost Tea

• 1

  Attach the plastic tubing to the airstone and the aquarium pump. Place the airstone in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket and the pump on a shelf or table nearby.

• 2

  Pour 8 cups of compost into a net laundry bag. Place the bag in the bucket and tie the laundry bag string to the handle so the bag hangs along the side of the bucket. Do not cover the airstone. Add 4 gallons of water.

• 3

  Plug the aquarium pump into a GFCI-protected outlet and turn it on.

• 4

  Pour 1 cup of warm water into a jar. Add 1 tbsp. yeast and 2 tbsp. molasses. Put the lid on the jar and shake gently to dissolve the yeast. Pour the mixture into the compost tea.

• 5

  Allow the compost tea to age for 48 to 72 hours before use.

Plant Radish Seeds

• 6

  Dig the garden bed with a shovel, removing all grass, rocks and weeds. Spread a 2-inch layer of compost over the garden and dig it in.

• 7

  Rake the garden bed into long, mounded rows. Draw a 1-inch-deep trench along the top of each row with the shovel.

• 8

  Sprinkle radish seeds into the trench and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Spread a 3-inch layer of mulch over the garden; however, do not cover the radish seeds. Mulch suppresses weed growth and helps the soil retain water.

• 9

  Ladle 1 cup of yeast-activated compost tea into a watering can. Add water to fill the can and dilute the compost tea. Water the radish seeds thoroughly with the diluted compost tea immediately after planting.

• 10

  Keep the soil moist with water until the radishes sprout, usually in 6 to 10 days. Fertilize with yeast-activated compost tea every 2 weeks through the growing season.