Fertilizing gardens can be costly , especially if you are an constituent grower . And even fertilizers label constitutional may bear some unsuitable chemicals . They are also packaged in plastic , made in factories , and shipped tenacious aloofness .
Finding sincerely sustainable , intelligent , and cost - effectual solutions can sometimes be thwarting .
But what if I told you there is a way to make your own completely natural fertilizer at home using comfrey plant life from your own garden ?
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This audacious recurrent grow quickly and well , has beautiful flowers , and best of all , it can provide a completely free nutrient - rich source of fertilizer which can be used all time of year long .
See elaborate info onhow to uprise and harvest comfrey here .
What You’ll Learn
Comfrey Is a Dynamic Accumulator
It ’s deserving noting that comfrey is bid a “ dynamical storage battery ” in permaculture damage but there is some controversy among experts about the specific definition of this condition .
All plants need three crucial macronutrients in ordination to grow and thrive ; these are nitrogen , phosphorus , and K , often labeled as NPK on fertilizer mix .
For more data on how your plantsbenefit from these nutrient , see this guide .
Comfrey is a fat source of all three of these macronutrients . It actually has more potassium than composted manure .
to boot , it contain gamey levels of many significant micronutrient such as calcium and magnesium that are also critical for healthy plant growth .
Sometimes referred to as a “ dynamical ” nutrient accumulator , this plant has mystifying taproots which line both macro and micronutrients from deep within the soil and up into the leaves . These nutrients compile in the leaves where they are stored .
We can then harvest the mature leave for habit as limpid provender , mulch , or to hike up compost .
Although widely used in permaculture practice , it is not scientifically test that comfrey is actually better than other plants for make water fertilizer . Many gardeners , myself included , have had good results from using comfrey afternoon tea fertilizer but your results may alter .
Natural Pest Control
In addition to its high nutritious content , some gardener use a answer of comfrey tea as a foliar spray toprevent powdery mold . app on the leaves of plant life can help to prevent the spore from germinating .
The plant also attractsbeneficial predatory insectssuch as white Anglo-Saxon Protestant and spiders , so get some growing in the garden can also avail repress pestis job .
How to Make Comfrey Tea Fertilizer
Comfrey afternoon tea liquid fertilizer is leisurely to make and apply as a foliar spray , or summate to the grease for annual and repeated flora .
A password of warning , however : it smells dread ! So be inclined to hold up your nose .
Harvest Comfrey Leaves
To make the fertilizer tea , start by collecting a bucketful full of the large , fuzzy leaves . I advise you wear baseball mitt when you harvest them , as the hairs can be a bit irritating to your skin .
When the leave of absence are at least 2 feet improbable , use a garden tongue or shears to cut them down to a couple of inch above the filth . Harvest the outer leave first so the plant can proceed growing .
Snip the stems off from the foliage you ’ve harvested – it ’s the greens you need .
Next , place them in a bin or a bucket , pushing them down steadfastly . I usually use a simple 5 - gallon bucket . you’re able to put a couple of large rocks or bricks on top to weigh them down , and then fill the pail with piss .
you’re able to chop or tear up the leaf to speed up up the process .
verify to always deal the pail . This will keep away pesky worm , prevent dilution from rainwater , and most importantly , keep your whole garden from stink !
Leave It to Steep
Place the bucket in a protected location in the garden , and allow the zymolysis start .
To make a very potent tea , pull up stakes the bucket to steep for a farseeing prison term . testimonial are from anywhere in a 3- to 6 - week range . Once leaves have broken down into a slurry paste , you will do it that the tea is quick .
In a pinch , any amount of time will give you something useful . I have had luck using comfrey tea plunge for only a few days , particularly if you put it in a warm area to immerse .
Just whiff around for that telltale stinky aroma , which is a adept sign that the leaves are break down and the nutrients are being liberate .
The final product will be a greenish brown liquidness and some very nasty , soupy leave .
How to Use Comfrey Tea Fertilizer
Once you are quick to use the fluent provender , trump or strain out the decomposing leafy guck from the bottom of the pail .
Throw this leafy goo into your compost heap , or habituate it to side dress other crop such aspotatoesandtomatoes .
Before use , you need to dilute the tea with water , as it can be very potent , and terminate up burn the works . How much you cut it by can range widely bet on how strong the concoction is .
The dark the liquid , the more you should thin out it . I have seen testimonial for dilution vagabond anywhere from 1:2 to 1:15 parts tea to water .
If you have steeped it for a full 6 weeks and you have a full 5 - gallon pail of liquid state , I would recommend a 1:10 proportion , but if you only steep for a few weeks , 1:4 would belike be fine .
If you only countenance it sit around for a twenty-four hours or two , there may be no need to cut it at all .
Once the assiduity is diluted , you are quick to feed your garden !
Instead of using a tearing can , I like to put the tea in a backpack sprayer and spray the solution on the grime as well as both the tops and can of foliage , hit annuals , bush , and fruit trees .
Tips
Alternative Methods
you may also try a quick - exorbitant method , which is interchangeable to how you might make afternoon tea for drinking . Just pour boiling water over comfrey leaves and lease the concoction sit for up to 24 hour . Strain out the leaf and dilute by half prior to using .
Or you’re able to try continuous batch brewing , using a bucketful with a beak at the bottom . This method take continually add pee and leave to the bucketful so that the fertilizer can be used on demand .
Every time you want to use some , just lift the nozzle to pour out the desired amount , and then top off the whole thing with more piss and leave to keep it marinade .
Another proficiency is to practice mess in the bottom of a bucket and place a 2d bucket underneath it .
inner circle foliage in the inner bucket , weigh it down , and cover . After a few week , it will decompose into a pitch-black goopy mass . pull in the drippage in the bucketful below and dilute to about 1:15 function tea to water .
Other Ways to Fertilize with Comfrey
One of the best thing about this herb is how quickly it grows . The rich leaf can be welt down and used several time in a individual growing season .
So if brew up a ill-smelling Camellia sinensis is not your matter , or if you need to try out several different approaches at once , here are some additional ways to utilise comfrey to boost soil nutritive content :
Closed Loop Gardening
Comfrey is truly one of my all - clock time favorite plant . I absolutely love the fact that I can make my own fertilizer while continuously recycling nutrients and constituent material back into my garden .
Next time your crops , fruits , and blossom are looking a footling distressing , try throw them a spritz of comfrey tea and see the result for yourself .
For moreorganic horticulture tips , try one of these template next :
© necessitate the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . to begin with published January 25th , 2020 . Last updated May 3rd , 2023 . With extra writing and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .
About
Heather Buckner
