When you mix your muck, be sure to add (roughly) the same amount of dried crunchy straw or old crunchy leaves (smash them up a little bit). And add enough water to make a the mix like a thick stew (but still able to stir around). The crunchy stuff that you add to the mud will help the muck break apart when you dry it out (or you’ll just end up with bricks). The bits of straw and dried leaves will also help the powdery muck from turning back into solid mud or blowing away when it dries out.
I cover the big, yellow bucket with an old t shirt and leave it in the sun.
If your bucket develops a swampy/composty smell, that means it is fermenting or breaking down or something. It’s the smell you’re looking for. You’ll also want to see the bubbles that have formed under the muck from the decomposing stuff that’s in the bucket.
Stir it every few days. You’ll get a few inches of muck floating on top of the bucket.
Push it back down in the water and dredge up some of the mud that has settled to the bottom and mix it all together.
Cover the bucket with an old tshirt and leave it in the sun. when you think you’re going to need some muck, just scoop off the layer of muck that has developed on the surface. Let it dry thoroughly, then bust it up with your hands.
After you’ve made a couple a batches, and the level in the bucket had dropped 50%, add more water and some more dried leaves or straw. Mix it up again, cover the bucket and let it ferment again.