Compost is great for the garden, but it can be a drawn-out process. Manure tea provides an easy way to feed your plants fast.

You probably know how good compost is for your garden, but sometimes, especially if you have a small garden or a small family, it can be hard to generate enough compost to meet your garden’s nutrient needs.

Plus, finished compost takes a long time! If you’re tired of waiting months to a year to be able to use your compost in your garden, or if you simply never seem to have enough compost to go around, manure tea may be the answer.

You can combine a number of different ingredients to make your manure tea, but you will want to make sure that all of the components are chemical-free so that you aren’t adding any harmful byproducts to your garden soil, so don’t use barnyard waste unless you know where it comes from.

Once your tea has “brewed” (typically in a couple of weeks), dilute the mixture about 1:1 with water, and you can use it to fertilize any garden crops – but don’t put it on plants you are about to eat, as this isn’t the kind of tea that is tasty for humans! You will want to wait a week or so after using to harvest, and be sure to wash any leafy greens well before eating.

Here’s a quick video on how to make manure tea to fertilize your garden:
 
 

For more info on other unique composting ideas, check out David’s book, Compost Everything, available on Amazon.com.