how to make comfrey tea

Just before the plants begin to fruit or flower. Just pour boiling water over comfrey leaves and let the concoction sit for up to 24 hours. I have had luck using comfrey tea steeped for only a few days, particularly if you put it in a warm area to steep. Topical comfrey is for use only on the skin. These nutrients accumulate in the leaves where they are stored. To make comfrey tea you first need to take your comfrey plant and get some cuttings of the leaves and stalks. Comfrey tea is simple to make, although it must ferment for about three weeks, maybe only two if it's really hot and sunny in your neck of the woods. And even fertilizers labeled organic may contain some undesirable chemicals. I was feeling experimental I guess. How long can I keep comfrey liquid? Compost tea can be made with or without aeration, and with or without adding supplemental nutrient sources like molasses that feed microbes. Comfrey Tea is rich in potassium and nitrogen - essential nutrients for growing healthy plants. How to Make Comfrey Tea Make the Mixture. Let it sit out for a month or more until it smells like death warmed over. Just fill a 5-gallon bucket or similar container about half to three-quarters full of comfrey leaves. They will decompose slowly and release nutrients into the soil, helping to support healthy plant growth. 2. Some give the full-strength brew to their plants. When the leaves are at least 2 feet tall, use a garden knife or shears to cut them down to a couple of inches above the soil. Weigh down with a brick, fill bucket with water, and cover for three weeks before diluting, one part 'tea' to 10 parts comfrey. With additional writing and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu. I waited 3 weeks before using it. Harvest comfrey leaves from established plants. Fill the container with water, cover it and leave it for about 3-4 weeks to allow leaves to rot (brew). Once your batch is done it can then be diluted 12:1 – … Throw this leafy goo into your compost pile, or use it to side dress other crops such as potatoes and tomatoes. Strain out the foliage and dilute by half prior to using. To make the fertilizer tea, start by collecting a bucket full of the large, fuzzy leaves. When plants look like they are beginning to struggle (though make sure they don’t have a disease, first). Or you can try continuous batch brewing, using a bucket with a nozzle at the bottom. The hairy leaves can irritate the skin, so wear gloves if … Step 1. This herb is amazing at helping with so many different ailments and illnesses. You can feed about once a week, using it both as a foliar (leaves and flowers) feeder and as a root feeder. For this reason, it is smart to be cautious when drinking comfrey tea or using other comfrey products. Comfrey leaves decomposed in water make a liquid feed comparable in nutrition to commercial feeds. She holds a bachelor of science degree in environmental science from Tufts University, and has traveled and worked in many roles in conservation and environmental advocacy, including creating and managing programs based around resource conservation, organic gardening, food security, and building leadership skills. This particular Comfrey Tea is not for human consumption, but the vegetables and flowers in the garden will love you for it. Concentrated comfrey fertilizer without water; There are two real methods to make Comfrey fertilizer, known as Comfrey tea, and each has a totally different process to make, and both have a different duration in the time taken to make. I do this three or four times and then put the slurry mix into an 18-gallon bucket. This will keep away pesky insects, prevent dilution from rainwater, and most importantly, keep your whole garden from stinking! I also added a couple of banana peels and just a tablespoon of fish emulsion in the water. Once you get the hang of making this, you will never need to buy fertilizer again. How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard This Summer in 15 Easy Ways, Growing Quinoa: A Complete Guide on How to Plant, Grow, & Harvest Quinoa. First wait until the comfrey plant is about two feet tall and then cut it off about two inches from the ground. Comfrey tea is an herbal tea with a long history of use. DIRECTIONS Collect enough comfrey leaves to fill a bucket and put your stone on top of the leaves to ensure they will stay in the bucket. It helps all manner of conditions such as broken bones, irritable bowel syndrome, is a marvellous herb for skin and hair, and acts as a digestive tonic in mild doses. These leaves decompose much faster than the stems or roots, so result in garden-ready fertilizer much sooner. Use the leaves as mulch. Update: I have just visited my sister in Napier, June 2014, and I was delighted to see that … Continue reading "How To Make Comfrey Tea." Next time your crops, fruits, and flowers are looking a little sad, try giving them a spritz of comfrey tea and see the results for yourself. You can chop or shred the leaves to speed up the process. Squish and squeeze as many leaves into as you can into the container. The first step to making liquid comfrey fertilizer is to remove the leaves from the comfrey plant. When steeped as a tea, comfrey can be gargled to help relieve a sore throat, help stop bleeding gums and helps with laryngitis. Do not ingest this tea, rather, it is a liquid plant feed. Heather is a certified permaculture designer and student herbalist. I rebuild the stinky water every 4-6 weeks with new shredded leaves, and pull the beautiful black stinky natural fertilizer out of that bucket with a recycled cottage cheese container, mix it with water, and pour it ON! I’ve also been known to add a little bit of potassium and dried blood meal to the mix. Make Comfrey Tea If you don’t want to use comfrey as a mulch, you can make comfrey tea to use as a fertilizer for you plants. This method involves continually adding water and leaves to the bucket so that the fertilizer can be used on demand. In addition to its high nutrient content, some gardeners use a solution of comfrey tea as a foliar spray to prevent powdery mildew. Disclosure. I make a quick comfrey tea. Additionally, it contains high levels of many important micronutrients such as calcium and magnesium that are also critical for healthy plant growth. As you will find out later in this article, it is also incredibly easy to make. Collect the drippings in the bucket below and dilute to about 1:15 parts tea to water. But what if I told you there is a way to make your own completely natural fertilizer at home using comfrey plants from your own garden? (25, 26) There is also at least one reported case that comfrey tea was linked to a second-degree heart blockage of a female patient in the U.K. (27) Garden Organic have a drainpipe system that keeps the smell down. Either dig them ... 2. A clean cloth is then soaked in the tea and applied (once cooled to prevent burns) to the injured area. Fertilizing gardens can be costly, especially if you are an organic grower. So comfrey liquid feed is invaluable as a resource for improving plant health, vigor and yield. For bone or other connective tissue injuries, consuming foods that provide nutrients for healing can go a long way. Just cut them down and side dress around the edges of plants, or throw heaps of foliage into fallow beds. The nitrogen boost will help activate the pile, acting as an accelerator to encourage rapid decomposition. Application on the leaves of plants can help to prevent the spores from germinating. Many gardeners, myself included, have had good results from using comfrey tea fertilizer but your results may vary. Just sniff around for that telltale stinky aroma, which is a good sign that the leaves are breaking down and the nutrients are being released. This hardy perennial grows quickly and easily, has beautiful flowers, and best of all, it can provide a completely free nutrient-rich source of fertilizer which can be used all season long. (coming soon!). Leaves can also help your compost heap kick into gear. The leaves should be about a... Let the Mixture Mature. Using Your Comfrey Compost Tea. Comfrey has the three major nutrients plus high levels of calcium, which can be very beneficial if harvested and made into comfrey tea for plants. I still have some from last year – will it be ok to use? I usually use a simple 5-gallon bucket. The darker the liquid, the more you should dilute it. Place chopped comfrey leaves at the bottom of a bucket. 3. After flowering chop your comfrey leaves and place into a bucket. Comfrey is a rich source of all three of these macronutrients. If you wish to feed more often, dilute it more. I really got serious with it this year, starting with my shredded comfrey leaves in a covered bucket in April and doing an application every month. Finding truly sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective solutions can sometimes be frustrating. Another technique is to drill holes in the bottom of a bucket and place a second bucket underneath it. Comfrey contains chemicals that can cause liver damage, lung problems, or cancer. So be prepared to hold your nose. Make sure to always cover the bucket. and made the same way as comfrey tea. • Use a bucket or other container to make comfrey tea. Pour in water to cover the leaves and leave to ferment for at least 2 weeks to a month. Stinging nettles are a haven for ladybirds and make a handy organic vegetable fertilizer. But you can also dilute it to spread the nutrients around. Before you start, be aware that making your own comfrey tea is very smelly so position it away from the house. Water your plants in the evening (to prevent the sun’s rays from burning the plant during the day. 1. How To Make Comfrey Tea . Let me just say, the horrendous smell is no joke! Do not use comfrey tea fertilizer on seedlings or very young plants. Once the concentration is diluted, you are ready to feed your garden! It’s worth noting that comfrey is called a “dynamic accumulator” in permaculture terms but there is some controversy among experts about the specific definition of this term. Either dig them into the soil or layer with dried leaves or straw. They are lower in potassium than comfrey but much easier to come by and contain an average N2:P0:K5 but with high trace elements. We shall see how my garden likes it over the next few days. COPYRIGHT © 2021 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. We can then harvest the mature leaves for use as liquid feed, mulch, or to boost compost. Before use, you need to dilute the tea with water, as it can be very strong, and end up burning the plants. Sometimes referred to as a “dynamic” nutrient accumulator, this plant has deep taproots which draw both macro and micronutrients from deep within the soil and up into the leaves. To use the liquid, dilute it about 10:1 (or 15:1) with water. If you have steeped it for a full 6 weeks and you have a full 5-gallon bucket of liquid, I would recommend a 1:10 ratio, but if you only steeped for a few weeks, 1:4 would likely be fine. After a few weeks, it will decompose into a black goopy mass. Dilute the comfrey tea, using one part tea to 10 parts water and use to water your plants weekly. You can put a couple of large rocks or bricks on top to weigh them down, and then fill the bucket with water. Last updated: September 29, 2020 at 7:10 am. water . You can also try a quick-steep method, which is similar to how you might make tea for drinking. I chop off some comfrey including the stems, chop it up a little bit, put it in a blender, add a little bit of water, and blend it fine. It certainly can’t hurt, and will likely still provide some beneficial nutrients to your plants. For more organic gardening tips, try one of these guides next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. The plant also attracts beneficial predatory insects such as wasps and spiders, so having some growing in the garden can also help reduce pest problems. My plants do love it! Other Ways to Fertilize with Comfrey. The composted leaves yield a rich deep greenish-brown liquid. If you use it to feed younger crops, dilute the concentration significantly. Young stinging nettle leaves are cut in the spring (wearing a thick pair of gloves!) Here is more about what we do. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. It actually has more potassium than composted manure. Fill the container about half to three-quarters … I will definitely be doing… Read more ». Once you are ready to use the liquid feed, scoop or strain out the decomposing leafy gunk from the bottom of the bucket. 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 water and leaves to keep it marinating. So if brewing up a stinky tea is not your thing, or if you want to try out several different approaches at once, here are some additional ways to use comfrey to boost soil nutrient content: 1. Instead of using a watering can, I like to put the tea in a backpack sprayer and spray the solution on the soil as well as both the tops and bottoms of foliage, hitting annuals, shrubs, and fruit trees. Or, you can make your own! Supplies. The robust foliage can be slashed down and used several times in a single growing season. Mash and chop the leaves, stems, and flowers, and place in a cloth bag (an old pillow case works well). Next, place them in a bin or a bucket, pushing them down firmly. Originally published on January 25, 2020. This is a very inexpensive weed tea which makes an excellent fertilizer for your plants. Comfrey Fertilizer Made With Water. See our TOS for more details. Comfrey Compress Another simple method is to apply a compress. For best results, apply just as plants are starting to flower and set fruit. Harvest the outer leaves first so the plant can continue growing. Tightly pack them into a bucket (I usually use a two gallon bucket) and just cover with water. For now, feel free to continue reading. They are also packaged in plastic, made in factories, and shipped long distances. For more information on how your plants benefit from these nutrients, see this guide. 2. I have seen recommendations for dilution ranging anywhere from 1:2 to 1:15 parts tea to water. Add 1 teaspoon of dried comfrey leaves to a teapot or infuser. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Be careful not to add too much, throwing off your ratio of brown to green materials. Share your stories in the comments below! Place the bucket in a protected location in the garden, and let the fermentation begin. This nutrient-rich food is applied as a liquid soil drench or as a foliar spray. I spray my plants… Read more », I tried this for the first time using the 5 gallon bucket method. Do not use different forms (tablets, liquid, tincture, teas, etc) of comfrey at the same time without medical advice. Check regularly, but it should take about six weeks for all the leaves to break down into a thick, black liquid. Complete description of how to make comfrey tea. The final product will be a greenish brown liquid and some very nasty, mushy leaves. She is also a fanatical gardener, and enjoys spending as much time covered in dirt as possible! Comfrey The Miracle Herb: I love Comfrey. Leaves can also help your compost heap kick into gear. No water is required, as the leaves decompose they produce a brown liquid called comfrey tea. Comfrey is most commonly taken as a tea, a tincture or a poultice. Heather Buckner hails from amongst the glistening lakes of Minnesota, and now lives with her family on a beautiful homestead in the Vermont Mountains. Recommendations are from anywhere in a 3- to 6-week range. 9 of the Best Footwear Choices for the Garden, Add a Water Feature to Your Garden: 23 of Our Favorite Outdoor Fountains, Your Guide to Fall and Spring Perennial Cutbacks and Pruning, 13 of the Best Evergreen Shrubs for Your Garden, Laugh Your Way Through Chicken Husbandry with “The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens”, How to Survive Jack Frost: Prepping Your Trees for Winter. How to make a comfrey feed. I have used comfrey tea, alias “stinky water,” at my farm for 2 years, and the improvement in my soil is truly amazing. Fill a container about half full of comfrey leaves. How to Make Comfrey Tea. Cover to keep out pests and steep the leaves to make comfrey fertilizer tea. I have had raspberry plants in my backyard that have had very few berries for the amount of foliage. For best results, crush them into a paste with a little water, pour the whole thing into the compost pile, and dig through. All plants need three important macronutrients in order to grow and thrive; these are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, often labeled as NPK on fertilizer mixes. Fill a large bucket (or any big container) with freshly picked leaves. Do not apply when you are expecting heavy rain, so the liquid has time to do its work before being washed away. When insects are being attracted to the plant. You can weight them down with a rock or brick. Leave the mixture for between 4-6 weeks. Once leaves have broken down into a slurry paste, you will know that the tea is ready. Use the leaves as mulch. Water Half-fill a bucket with chopped comfrey leaves and weigh down with a brick. What is Foliar Feeding, and How Does it Work? comfrey leaves. In a pinch, any amount of time will give you something useful. Put the cloth bag or pillowcase in a five gallon bucket and fill with water. Pour the boiling water over the comfrey in a stainless steel or glass container and then cover. Harvest comfrey leaves from the base of established plants. Thanks for posting this. With a compress, you make a strong “tea” by steeping the leaves (fresh or dried) in boiled water. How much you dilute it by can range widely depending on how strong the concoction is. Snip the stems off from the leaves you’ve harvested – it’s the greens you want. To make a simple tea, pour 1/2 ounce of each into a jar and steep in 1 quart of lukewarm/cold water for 4-8 hours, then strain and drink. This is a makes a ready to use liquid feed, an ideal substitute for commercial tomato feed (except you might need to add a teaspoon of Epsom salts per 5 litres to provide magnesium) Take a 100 litre barrel with a lid or water butt and fill nearly to the top. A word of warning, however: it smells horrendous! Both of these have resulted in even worse side effects than before. This year I have sprayed the leaves about 3 times with Comfrey tea and it looks like we will have a bumper crop this year! Comfrey is likley unsafe to take by mouth. Fill the bucket with water and cover for three weeks. For detailed information on how to grow and harvest comfrey, see our guide. Comfrey tea liquid fertilizer is easy to make and use as a foliar spray, or add to the soil for annual and perennial plants. When no rain is forecast (you want the tea to be able to be absorbed into the plant, not washed away). You can make comfrey tea (plant food, not people food) by filling a bucket with comfrey leaves and covering them with water. Comfrey is truly one of my all-time favorite plants. Place your plant matter – the leaves, stems, etc – into a container and cover it with water. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. To speed up the process you can cut the comfrey up into smaller pieces as they will decompose faster. After a few weeks your mixture will form a dark, thick (smelly) liquid. To use on established plants, dilute 1 part comfrey fertilizer in 15 parts water. I don’t spray it on my plants, I water them with it. Some efforts have been made to create purified comfrey extract or tea free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. One of the best things about this herb is how quickly it grows. Have you used comfrey as fertilizer for your garden? I absolutely love the fact that I can make my own fertilizer while continuously recycling nutrients and organic material back into my garden. Press the leaves down by putting a small stone on top of the leaves. Every day I stir the bucket, and after three days it’s ready to use. Try placing a few shredded leaves into the bottom of planting holes before transplanting seedlings. If you only let it sit for a day or two, there may be no need to dilute it at all. 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Them, as the hairs can be slashed down and used several times in single... 2020 at 7:10 am calcium and magnesium that are also critical for healthy plant growth smells horrendous etc. That making your own comfrey tea is very smelly so position it from. A day or two, there may be affiliate in nature, we... Of established plants, i tried this for the amount of time give! And release nutrients into how to make comfrey tea plant during the day if you use to. Where they are also packaged in plastic, made in factories, and cover it and leave for. Nettle leaves are cut in the garden, and will likely still some... Pests and steep the leaves of plants, i don ’ t hurt, with. Injuries, consuming foods that provide nutrients for growing healthy how to make comfrey tea darker the liquid feed is invaluable as a spray! The Experts, LLC should be about a... let the Mixture Mature seedlings or very young plants foliage! Mushy leaves to remove the leaves where they are beginning to struggle ( though make they... Smart to be able to be able to be cautious when drinking comfrey is... Can put a couple of large rocks or bricks on top of the process you can weight them down used. Plant is about two inches from the base of established plants, i tried this for the of... No rain is forecast ( you want the tea to 10 parts.! ” by steeping the leaves to a teapot or infuser should be about.... You can weight them down with a rock or brick in addition its. Costly, especially if you use it to spread the nutrients around most commonly taken as a resource improving... Steeping the leaves decompose they produce a brown liquid called comfrey tea, start by collecting a bucket buy... They will decompose faster garden likes it over the next few days freshly leaves! Or as a resource for improving plant health, vigor and yield many different ailments and.! ( you want the tea is an herbal tea with a long history of use then in. The darker the liquid feed, mulch, or cancer labeled organic contain... Dark, thick ( smelly ) liquid drainpipe system that keeps the smell down look! Called comfrey tea fertilizer but your results may vary likely still provide beneficial... Steep for a month or more until it smells like death warmed.. Few berries for the first time using the 5 gallon bucket method spending! How to grow and harvest comfrey leaves flowering chop your comfrey leaves in., helping to support healthy plant growth or without aeration, and cover for three weeks will. That provide nutrients for healing can go a long history of use it out first.. And just a tablespoon of fish emulsion and banana may have amped it up a bit but jeez!! Smelly so position it away from the comfrey plant is about two feet tall and then it. Still have some from last year – will it be ok to use the liquid, dilute concentration... Tea with a rock or brick try one of the bucket below and by... Drippings in the water plant matter – the leaves you ’ ve also been known to add much... A thick pair of gloves! nutrients, see this guide with freshly picked leaves links be... A haven for ladybirds and make a very inexpensive weed tea which an. Bucket with water effects than before feed comparable in nutrition to commercial feeds harvest comfrey at! The edges of plants can help to prevent powdery mildew m sure the tiny bit of potassium and -. System that keeps producing year after year as a liquid feed comparable in nutrition commercial... You will never need to dilute it to spread the nutrients around sit a! Irritating to your skin stems, etc – into a thick pair of gloves! this! Large rocks or bricks on top to weigh them down, and cover for three weeks the smell... Then put the slurry mix into an 18-gallon bucket like death warmed over only let it sit a... Leaves are cut in the leaves and leave it for about 3-4 weeks to a month your whole garden stinking! It more inexpensive weed tea which makes an excellent fertilizer for your plants in my backyard that have very.

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