I kid you not. These vegetables that are supposedly impossible not to grow quickly and easily, have failed miserably in my poor little garden. Not a clue why. The sprouted ahead of schedule, produced copious healthy leaves, started to turn red and then…. well, then not much. They just kind of sat there never getting thick.
The soil was loose and healthy with plenty of compost. They were well watered, but never drowned. The sun was good, but not blasting. So, when all obvious explanations are exhausted, I’m blaming my seeds.
Today Frank and I bought several new packets of seeds including 2 varieties of radishes. In homage to the failed plantings we bought a type that looks more like red carrots. Maybe that’s what our garden is trying to grow. Plus one called Scarlet Globe which has to get roundish, doesn’t it?
In prep, after ripping the dreadful specimens from the ground, I added a bunch of beer mash that was left in the compost bin by my tenants to this garden bed. The mash is bizarrely not decomposing. I think it is too mono-material. Hopefully it will break down and be very nutritional in the radish bed. I also threw in a handful of wetting agent – summer’s coming and it won’t hurt. After turning the soil/mash mix, I watered it all well and plan to leave it to rest for a couple of days before planting.
Other plants continue to progress well. The basil and radish I planted in the ginger bed (I hold out no hope for the radish) 5 days ago are sprouting. The dill is starting to get dill-like feathery leaves. What I hoped was tarragon was eaten by something very uncivilised. Not sure if it will return. Tash’s coriander (that in the strawberry bed) is looking great. The twigs still protect it.
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 
You’re using compost left by your tenants? Do you know what they threw in there? Could be part of your problem… Especially since it’s “bizarrely not decomposing”.
Just sayin..
Most of the compost I’ve used (and what I used on these radishes) is normal garden waste and I know it’s fine. The weird stuff left by the tenants is from their beer making. It’s clearly just a bunch of barly mash. It’s not decomposing because it’s too wet and packed. I know (how’s that for bluster) that it will break down when mixed with soil which is on Frank’s to do list.