Turning Comfrey into Liquid Feed

[devonstewParticipant]

Hi folks,

Been pondering the liquid feed options as I have quite a lot of comfrey in the forest garden and was thinking that it could be put to use.
However, I have read Tolly’s book on Veganic farming and he put forward the view that it can create too much growth too fast leaving the plants weak and susceptible to disease (if I interpreted what he said correctly)…
Just wondering what people’s views are on liquid feeds generally (have lots of nettles too) and whether or not one really needs to use them given Charles’ method of adding fertility in the form of manure year on year?

Many thanks

[charlesModerator]

 I would use the comfrey and nettles to make some feed for your hungriest plants eg indoor tomatoes, also any in containers.

Tolly is a hard man…. I think his comment applies to over-use of liquid feeds. Yes I use them very little, good to have the option sometimes.

[devonstewParticipant]

Yes Tolly is one extreme! but an interesting man to listen to

Do you have some guidlines for making the feeds on your website?

thanks
stew

[charlesModerator]

 probably some advice somewhere here… I simply stuff leaves, as tight as possible, into a large pot or bucket with a hole(s) at the bottom, placed on top of a bucket to catch the black juice over six weeks or so.

It does not smell!

Dilute at least 20:1 as it is more concentrated than when leaves are soaked in water, and much nicer to use.

My Course Book has this info.

[djhs196Member]

It’s often cut and dropped next to fruit trees in a forest garden, but also (as i’m currently reading DHL book on Comfrey!) very much appreciated by potatoes, french and runner beans.

In one of his potato trials, wilted comfrey was put in a trench (1 1/2lb per foot) and yields increased to 213 lb comfrey vs, 178lb manure and 194lb compost.

Better yet, he also ran taste tests on the potatoes – out of 28 people, 16 preferred the comfrey grown, 7 the manure, 4 the compost and 1 the chemical(?)

He had some people write in to say that while they didn’t have enough comfrey earlier enough in the season to lay in trenches, they incorporated it in the first earthing up with just as good results.

Perhaps this latter approach fits best with no dig, incorporating the wilted comfrey under a surface mulch at the start or end of the season where you are going to plant potatoes next.

Thanks!
Douglas

Twitter: @sweetpeasalads

[devonstewParticipant]

thanks, i’ll give it a go

[bluebellParticipant]

I have tried this ‘dry’ method for the first time this year and after 3 weeks only appear to have succeeded in producing a pot of dried comfrey. Please could you suggest what I have done wrong?

[charlesModerator]

Hey that is intriguing Bluebell, if the leaves are actually dry now I wonder if you packed them in tight enough, they need ramming so as to rot, not dry out.

[bluebellParticipant]

I pushed well in but I’m wondering if a dark corner of the poly tunnel is just too warm, even in the cool weather we have had of late?

[RandAParticipant]

Hi we are using nettle feed made in a big water tub with a tap on the bottom we jam if full of nettles and then top up with water cover and use on the toms and cucumbers and beans and you can see a noticeable difference in the colour of the leaves. We are getting a bit desperate for rain nothing at all for 3 weeks now and 27C to day phew. When is it best to water?

[KarenParticipant]

Hey Bluebell,

I tried Charles´method and have buckets load of the strong comfrey brew. I used loads of the leaves and stems and all and pretty much jammed everything into both my plant pots and multi-tiered wormery. I also had a brick/bricks sitting on top of the comfrey to press them down.

[charlesModerator]

RandA in really hot weather an evening watering is good and plants, like us, can recover overnight. Normally in the UK I advise and practice morning watering, to have a dry surface by evening and slow down the slugs, also reduce fungal disease and weed seeds germinating.
Its also about when one has time!

[RhysParticipant]

Here’s the things I’ve used comfrey for to date:

1. Compost piles – comfrey is a really great accelerator in compost bins.
2. Hilling up potatoes – I routinely put plenty of comfrey leaves (I don’t use the stalks) down when I am hilling up – I also use spent grass cuttings.
3. I use the liquid comfrey made like Charles describes when runner beans are flowering – I’ve seen marked acceleration in bean development, particularly when used on fruit days.
4. Tomatoes – I’ve not done any formal trials vs Tomorite yet, but it’s certainly worthwhile.

Nettles I have less experience with, but one tends to think it should work best where a nitrogen fix is required: brassicas, vegetative phase of peas and beans, chard?

[Don FoleyParticipant]

Hi All,

I use both “Nettle Tea” and “Comfrey Tea”.
I apply it as a “pick me up” from about mid season on.
The Comfrey is applied to crops which produce flowers, i.e., Tomatoes, Potatoes, whilst the Nettle Tea is applied to Brassicas.
Also when planting out Tomatoes I add a layer of Comfrey Leaves to the compost in the Planter Bags,
As someone stated earlier in this thread, if your using Charles’s method of growing veg it generally should not be necessary to use additional feeding.
You will often read that you should feed your Tomatoes, for instance, with Comfrey weekly. But this advise assumes that you have not added anything to your GPC or soil initially.
In the flower garden I have found that the Comfrey Tea gives fantastic results particularly in hanging baskets when applied on a weekly basis.

Don.

[TesiParticipant]

What about using comfrey or nettle feed on strawberries? I mulched them with well rotted horse manure in winter….

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