Cow Pat Pit – yip, it’s as you would imagine. Today we got up to our elbows in cow pat, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might have been.

CPP is a specialized kind of compost, where by you mix cow manure, basalt rock dust and crushed egg shell for about an hour by hand (like a big cow pat pie), then you put it into a pit, approximately 12 inches deep, lined with red brick.

You can also use a wooden barrel or if you only want to do a small amount you could use a terracotta pot.

Be sure to leave the bottom of the pit exposed to the soil.  Once in the pit you also add to this mixture preparations 502 to 507.  Then you cover with an old sack and leave to ferment for about 3 months. It is really surprising how this mixture of poo is transformed into a beautiful rich soil type substance within that short time.

It is better to make your pit in a covered area that is not exposed to too much moisture, but if you have to use an uncovered area to can cover your pit with a lid.

Once the poo preparation has matured, you mix it with water (1 cup CPP to a bucket of water), stirring  for up to 20 minutes to activiate all that good bacteria.  When you have done this you can apply it by sprinkling as a liquid foliage feed, or you could strain it to put through a spray pack.  It also stimulates and enhances the microbiology of compost and soil, it is also safe to add to your worm farm and liquid composts.

So there you have it, this is the shit – no bull.  I for one was surprised to find that playing with cow poo was not as bad as I thought it could have been, I even managed to do a bit of artful sculpting to lighten the moment and have some fun.

Well that was workshop #5 there are only 2 more to go. Boo hoo. All is not lost though, if you would like to join us for the next one – Making Preparation 500, on the 22 April, you will be more than welcome.  Tickets are only $25 from Wanaka Wastebusters.  Your garden will thank you for it.