Manure tea

[3p]

I have been told my a certain lady that I can get a barrel of water and fresh cow patties, cover it, and let it cook in the sun for a few days then dump it on my mulch pile, how beneficial is that method?, and how often should it be done? also could I add tea bags to make a real manure tea(heard tea bags go well in mulch piles)? also on another note, the field im bushhogging is about 70% cocklebur(sp?) plants which have very shallow roots but get realy thick for weeds. If I had a giant pile of those, added alot of cow/horse manure, plenty of food scraps; would I be able to have the mulch ready by next january? if not, is there any safe ways to speed it up? thanks

[CaptainCompostAL]

Technically, you can make an organic nitrogen fertilizer tea out of any compostable "greens" (or nitrogen sources), including animal manures, food scraps, meats, weeds, herbs, etc.

However nothing is like a good compost tea. Only compost has a balance of healthy, safe, beneficial aerobic microbes, humus, and insoluble and soluble nutrients in it. Raw organic matter doesn't.

Using a manure tea was recommended back in the old days, even centuries ago. However today, with modern research and health concerns over E.Coli and other pathogens and toxins in many raw animal manures, I wouldn't recommend making any form of raw manure teas today. Aged or composted manures are different. They have the same balanced healthy microbes, humus, and nutrients as mature compost.

Today many soil experts, and aggressive backyard composters like myself, are experimenting with aerobic compost teas. These are teas that have been constantly aerated for 1-3 days with a cheap aquarium air pump. Aerobic compost teas can do things that even plain classic non-aerated compost teas or other high nitrogen teas can't do.

Non-aerated teas are basicly natural fertilizers. They mainly just feed plants. They have little or no beneficial aerobic microbes in them. (NOTE: Almost all the beneficial microbes and macrobes in the top 6-12" of organic topsoil are aerobic.)

True aerobic teas are powerful biostimulants. They feed and breed beneficial microbes, earthworms, and other soil biology in the soil, and even on plant foliages. These amazing creatures are responsible for all the soil/plant fertilization, disease control, and soil building in the garden.

Check this out for more info on the subject, my friend:
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1036
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2003082510028156.html

Happy Gardening!