Much has been written about manure tea; some people have different recipes for it, and various methods for its application. I can say this much for it, it will take a little more than four hours to see results – usually within 24 hours – but the results will be phenomenal!
Manure tea can be made from cow or horse manure, and I’ve heard of some using other varieties. However, I’ve been warned not to use sheep or goat manure because of the various pathogens inherent. I don’t know…
Steps For Making Manure Tea
- Step 1 – Fill a 5 gallon bucket one-third to one-half full of well-cured, dry manure. If you don’t have access to your neighbor’s horses or cows, you can buy it in bags at just about any nursery.
- Step 2 – Add water to fill the bucket to the top.
- Step 3 – Let it steep for three to four days.
- Step 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.
- Step 5 – Dilute the remaining liquid with water so it’s the color of weak tea.
- Step 6 – Apply manure tea according to each plant’s requirements (check seed packets and gardening books for details). For best results, work early in the morning or on cloudy days.
My recipe is actually much simpler, because out here in west Texas it gets so hot during our summers, and I use a “replenishing” method to brewing my tea.
I have access to lots of manure produced by three horses: they provide plenty of well cured manure. There must be several hundred pounds of the stuff dried, and sitting inside one of the barns.
I don’t use foliar feeding techniques with my tea, but use a “side feeding” method where I pour about a cup of the “brew” between two plants… be they tomatoes, okra, corn, or whatever. I let the liquid soak into the ground real good, then give it a good watering for a couple of hours to get it into the ground.
I’m careful not to put too much, too close, to the roots of my plants, because the nitrogen in the manure can cause root burn. After transplanting, I usually wait a week before side feeding my new plants because the ground out here in west Texas tends to be high in pH acidity. Giving the transplants too much nitrogen will burn the root balls and kill them within 3 days!
I have a very simple recipe for brewing my manure tea: I fill up a 5 gallon bucket with dry manure and then saturate it with well water. Let it “cook” outside for a day or two and then carry it around the garden as I side-feed my plants (taking care not to slop it on my pants). Argh!
For heavier applications, I’ve rigged up a 55 gallon drum (with the top on it, but ventilated) filled with dry, well cured manure, then saturate it with well water. Sometimes I have to “stir” the stuff with a shovel to get good hydration. As long as it smells like horse or cow manure, it’s all good.
I don’t separate the manure particles in a “brew bag” like some folks (it’s okay if you do, and you want to expend that much energy to do so) but rather leave it in the tea and put it on the ground after a month.
Out here in the west Texas sun, on 100+ degree days, my tea brews up rather fast — sometimes in 24 hours. After it has been “refreshed” or rehydrated once or twice, I spread the remaining manure on my compost pile and work it in with the tiller. Then I make a new batch of tea.
If you don’t have a corral or stable full of horses, buying cow or horse manure from the ag store can work.
As far as pathogens go, I haven’t had any problems with it. The only thing you must remember to do while shoveling a load of dry manure: the small flakes tend to blow in the wind, so wear a particulate filter over your face and nose. A sore throat caused by a manure infection can be AWFULLY sickening and painful. It can be really bad when your breath starts smelling like manure. Yuck!
CAVEAT: There is only one warning I must advise you about; this stuff is like Viagra or Cialis for vegetables. If they appear “erect” in less than 24 hours, you have nothing to worry about: you won’t have to call the doctor after a 4-hour erection. However, at night, I sometimes hear a commotion out in the garden… sounds like they’re all having a party or something out there. And I’m sure it’s NOT the coyotes!
Hmmm…
