Compost tea

Does any one use compost tea? What is the best compost for the tea? Can I use animal manure?
Thank you.

Dave's Garden has a wonderful selection of guides: http://davesgarden.com/guides/

If you scroll down to Gardenology, and click, you can look up many things.
Compost Tea (made from compost): http://davesgarden.com/guides/terms/go/197.html
Compost: http://davesgarden.com/guides/terms/go/194/
Weed Compost Tea: http://davesgarden.com/guides/terms/go/1221.html

Thank you! That was very helpfool!

It sais "Fresh manure will burn plant roots". How old it has to be?

Usually when it stops having any smell and is no longer warm to the touch (inside the pile). That just indicates the bacteria have finished 'digesting' the manure, leaving good nutrients for your plants.

How about cow manure in the bags from Lowe's? Or is it better directly from a farm?

That depends. Who knows what all is mixed in those bags, but it shouldn't burn anything, ... you might get more info from a local farmer.

The $4.50 bags of Black Kow composted manure at Lowe's are fantastic. They are 100% composted manure and can be used right away.

Thanks Feldon... my Lowe's doesn't carry Black Kow so I forgot about them. I've used Black Kow with good results (before I moved here).

You can make your own compost tea. Here's the recipe that Broncbuster (TJ) posted in the Texas Gardening forum.

The Recipe for Compost TEA

Fill a 5 gal bucket half-way with a 50/50 mixture of green and brown organic material

50% green can be fresh grass clippings, fresh leaves, alfalfa, or fresh green horse manure
50% brown can be dry grass clippings, dry leaves, hay, or dry cow manure

Be sure and mash it down in the bucket and fill it half-way

Add water (rain water would be ideal) to fill the bucket to the top

Let the mixture set in the sun for 10-14 days mixing it up once a day. It will stink to high heaven but that's how you know it's good!

After 10-14 days, get another 5 gal bucket and stretch a pair of old pantyhose over the top and secure with clothes pins clipped on the edge

Then, pour the mixture into the bucket and pull the pantyhose off and set them in the old bucket.

This is your concentrated compost TEA

Dilute this mixture with water at a ratio of 4 gal water to 1 gal TEA.

Now it's ready to be sprayed on the foliage.

You can add orange oil, molasses, or liqiuid seaweed for added power.

I hope everyone enjoys their TEA!


Link to the original thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/971825/#new

Thank you all. Got to go make some tea!