The cost of fertilizing gardens can be significant, especially for those who practice organic farming. And even fertilizers labeled organic may contain certain compounds that are not ideal. They are also manufactured in factories, packaged in plastic and transported long distances. Finding solutions that are truly sustainable, healthy and cost-effective can sometimes be challenging. However, what if we told you that there is a method you can use to make your own 100% natural comfrey fertilizer at home? Comfrey manure is one of the best fertilizers for fruit trees, berry bushes and vegetables - it is perfect for cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, peppers, celery, cabbage and zucchini.
Comfrey manure as a natural fertilizer for heavy-feeding vegetables
The leaves of the comfrey, when digested in water, provide a liquid feed whose nutritional value is equivalent to that of commercially available feed. Therefore, comfrey liquid feed is a very important resource for improving plant health, vitality and production. In addition, it is really easy to prepare, as you will see in the next sections of this article.
Why is the comfrey plant an effective fertilizer?
Comfrey is able to obtain the nutrients it needs from the deepest part of the soil, a place inaccessible to most other plant species. Comfrey plant is an excellent source of virtually all the nutrients a crop needs, including the three major nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), as well as a large proportion of trace elements. In fact, it has a higher potassium content than composted manure. Note that the leaves of comfrey are quite rough and contain a lot of hairs that can irritate the skin. It is therefore best to wear gloves when handling it.
Additionally, the comfrey plant has a high concentration of a variety of important micronutrients such as calcium and magnesium, both of which are essential for the growth of healthy plants.
Make your own comfrey manure
The DIY fertilizer is easy to prepare and can be used as a spray. However, a word of warning: the smell is extremely disgusting! So be prepared to suppress your urge to gag.
- The first thing you have to doabout the fertilizerTo brew is to collect a bucket full of the large, fluffy leaves.
- When the leaves have reached a height of at least 60 cm, cut them with a garden knife or scissors so that they are only a few centimeters above the ground. If you want the plant to continue growing, you should first harvest the outer leaves.
- Remove the stems from the collected leaves so that only the green remains. To speed up the process, you can shred the leaves.
- The next step is to put the leaves in a bucket (necessarily with a lid) or jar and press them down firmly once they're in. You can place some heavy objects such as bricks or boulders on the leaves to hold them in place and then fill the bucket with water. Then close the lid.
Make sure the lid stays on the bucket at all times. This not only deters annoying insects, but also prevents water from getting in and, above all, the whole garden from smelling bad. Then place the bucket in a protected place in the garden and let the fermentation process take effect. Let the fertilizer sit for a very long time - a period of 3 to 6 weeks is recommended. When the leaves have dissolved into a paste-like consistency,is the fertilizercomplete. The end result is a greenish-brown liquid and some really smelly, mushy leaves.
Use comfrey leaves as mulch
When preparing the beds and soil around the plants, you should lay a layer of leaves as mulch. You can shred the foliage beforehand to speed up its decomposition, or leave it whole. If the foliage is dry and in danger of blowing away, you should water it and then add a layer of compost on top.
Add comfrey leaves to the compost
Excess comfrey leaves and stems can be added to the compost. This is the most effective way to utilize the stems, which take a long time to decompose. The comfrey plant even acts as an activator and helps speed up the composting process.
Fertilize vegetables, berry bushes and fruit trees with comfrey manure
When you're ready to use the liquid feed, remove the rotting leaf slime from the bottom of the bucket by straining it through a fine-mesh sieve. Since the mixture can be quite strong, it must be diluted 1:10 with water before it can be used, otherwise it can harm the plants.
After the manure has been diluted, you can now supply your garden with nutrients. You can use a garden spray bottle to apply the manure to the tops and bottoms of theLeaves of vegetables, berry bushes and fruit trees or water the plants.
