I use a five gallon bucket at present, fill it up with water, add about a quart pot packed full of bagged manure into a paint strainer bag or an old tshirt, and an ounce of molasses. Then I would normally run a one inch air tube into the bucket and hook it up to a pump and let it run. With the air from the pond pump there is no need to stir and you got a decent tea in 24 hours!
Right now I am doing the let it sit in the sun method which can take up to a week to get done!
I also add other stuff to the manure, depending on what is handy or I think it needs. Right now I am using a cup of alfalfa grain feed to this mess, and after two or three days with the alfalfa you need more molasses cause it stinks to high heaven. I rotate the alfalfa with kelp when I can find the kelp!
When the tea is done if I think we need more nitrogen I add some fish emulsion to it.
I strain it if it needs straining then mix it half and half with water and pour it on the soil or foliar feed.
Love this stuff! I know it is just cow poop but it seems to work like liquid gold!
I would recomend using a larger pump for a 55 gallon barrel with more than one air tube connected to a gang thingie on the side of the barrel, also with the compost in a paint strainer you can hang it from a board or something so it dangles in the water. Last year I used panty hose to filter my pond pump, other wise it was all clogged up. The best tea bag I made was part of an old cotton t-shirt tied up with a rubber band...didnt have any clogs or any straining to do! If you don't run air into it then make sure to stir it every day!
dice I hate poison ivy! I have those little wipe things that you clean with when you touch it, but I never know I actually touched it until way later! hehehe!
Kelley
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