We now have lettuce with our radishes! It's so fun to run out there while fixing dinner and pick a fresh salad. I've got loose leaf, head lettuce and spinach growing so far and have some romaine seedlings started. My spinach is growing really slow and may need an extra dose of nitrogen. Occasionally I'll put coffee grounds around them or pour diluted left over coffee in the soil but manure tea would probably be better. Manure tea provides a natural liquid fertilizer for nitrogen loving plants. Sounds disgusting but is an easy, cheap organic alternative to chemical fertilizers.
Manure Tea Recipe
1. Fill a metal bucket one-third full of composted manure (you can buy it in bags at any nursery). Or fill an old pillowcase or pantyhose with the manure
2. Add water to fill the bucket to the top
3. Let it steep for three to four days
4. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or other porous fabric into another container. Add any remaining solids to the garden or toss them into the compost bin.
5. Dilute the remaining liquid with water so it's the color of weak tea (about one cup of concentrate to one gallon of water)
6. Apply manure tea according to each plant's requirements
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