I give mine manure (horse) tea twice a year. They are doing beautifully, although I don't know if they are gaining height any faster than they would if they were unfertilized. Carmellia

Waht is manure tea? How do you make it?

Well, first you have to find someone who will part with some well-rotted manure. It can be horse or cow.

Spread some around your plants, but save enough to fill a large bucket one-third full of manure. Fill with water and cover with something (for evaporation purposes, not because it stinks). Let it set a day before scooping any out.

When mine is freshly made, I fill a watering can one-third full of the manure tea and two-thirds water. Then water those plants you haven't dug any manure into. If your manure is well rotted, it will not smell. You can use it in your potted plants too. It is handy for plants that are placed where it is difficult to dig manure or other fertilizer directly around them. That goes for plants that are very close together too. Anyplace where you might damage roots or the plants themselves by digging fertilizer directly around them, use the manure tea to water them.

Replentish the water you have taken out of the bucket every day. After a month or so, I begin to fill my watering can half with the tea and half with water. Eventually when the tea begins to look weak, dump the remainder of the bucket around a deserving plant or bush or tree. Or, do as I did last time, dump it into your compost bin. You will add moisture and nutrients to your next year's compost.

The proportions I gave you are what were passed on to me by a friend, and she made it up as she went. We were concerned that the tea might be too strong at first, but I have no real proof of that, just a better safe than sorry attitude. If the manure is well rotted, it should not be too strong to burn anything. The person you are getting it from will probably be able to tell you if it is rotted enough to be safe directly around plants. Carmellia

um...or you could use fertilizer stakes, put them in the ground at the drip line. Not very expensive either if you get them at a feed store. Easy...no smell...works well... Helen.