Grow your own organic fertilizer!

[brandon.]

Information borrowed from compost-info-guide.com

Grow Your Own Super-charged Organic Fertilizer

​

Comfrey
If you have a spare garden bed, consider growing a patch of comfrey. Comfrey has deep roots that absorb nutrients from the subsoil, which are then stored in the leaves. Comfrey leaves have a high level of nitrogen making them a great activator for compost piles but their real value is in making comfrey fertilizer for your plants. When you compare the nutrient levels of compost with comfrey fertilizer at the end of this article you'll see why we use the term "super-charged."

Growing Comfrey
Comfrey is a hardy plant that will regrow from small pieces of root so it is important to choose the site with care. Comfrey rarely sets seeds so it won't infest your garden. The plants will do well in full sun to near full shade in an area that gets lots of moisture. Space the plants 2 to 3 feet apart and stand back and watch it grow. In the first year cut the flower stalks and add them to the compost heap. In the second year you should be able to get 3-4 cuts from a single comfrey patch. Just take a pair of shears and cut them back to about six inches from ground level. Wear gloves because the leaves can irritate skin.

Making Comfrey Fertilizer

1. Fill a barrel or plastic garbage can 1/4 full with comfrey leaves
2. Weigh the leaves down with a stone or a brick
3. Fill the container with water
4. Put a lid on the container
5. Let stand for 4 to 6 weeks. The mixture is ready when the leaves have rotted and are no longer visible.
6. Your liquid feed is ready to use in your garden!
7. If your comfrey plants have grown enough you can start a new batch
8. Another method is to use comfrey leaves as above but without the addition of water. The result is a thick, black concentrate. This should be diluted at 15:1 before use.

Comparative Nutritional Analysis of comfrey, compost and manure

Source: "Comfrey, Past Present and Future", by L D Hills ​

 

[StRa]

Thanks Brandon for sharing!

 

[brandon.]

Thanks Brandon for sharing!

No problem. I hope you can get some use out of it!

 

[StRa]

I'm studying on this subject recently!

In the link below how to brew nettle tea!

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=177463

 

[hiker]

I get alot of compost from my friend to use, this should be of great interest to him. Thanks

 

[mosstrooper]

Fresh seaweed will rot down and give you a nice thick liquid exudate. Nettles make good fertiliser too.

 

[mosstrooper]

The best kind of Comfrey to use is Bocking 14, its sterile and wont set seed.

A really good pdf on Comfrey here:

http://www.allotment.org.uk/vegetable/comfrey/comfrey.PDF

 

[mocs0]

High nitrogen? So it's mainly good for vegetating, not flowering?

 

[Amber Trich]

according to the organic fanatics comfrey is good for flowering, as is yarrow

I just love comfrey and so do the bees! also makes great mulch in or outdoors. good post.

 

[purple_man]

high all!

if i remember right: tithonia should be a good candidate for geting more Phosphorous. Also alfa alfa should be good for P and K.

blessss

 

[geopolitical]

Alfalfa is great for a "green manure". So are a ton of legumes. Quinoa is actually pretty good as a green crop if it's cut & turned in prior to maturity. Many green manures can just be turned into the beds directly to add to the carbon content of the soil as well as any other nutrients. Really though it depends on where you live how well any of these crops will work to increase soil fertility. If your soil won't support the plant then it won't do any good to add it.

Your best bet before adding any amendments is to check with your local uni, master gardeners association or agricultural outreach center. You may find that the soil profile for your area is not only mapped out, they may even have planting recommendations for what works best as a "green fertilizer" or manure with your local conditions & soils.

 

[big ballin 88]

Nice to see a thread outside the OFC that opens people up to making their own organic nutrients.

Not only are these fermented extracts good, but their everywhere. Yarrow, chammomile, borage, comfrey, nettles, dandelion, sage, lavender, thyme can be used for either nutrient or repellent purposes and theres many more. They can be made using lacto bacillus or not. Either way it gets you off the bottled nutes bandwagon...

We also have the non-fermented extracts which can be a worm castings tea or dry ingredients to help improve the soil. Life grows naturally around you, learn to use it and become self sustainable...

 

[s13sr20det]

anyone have any tips for germinating comfrey seeds? i got a pack last year, tried starting half and didnt get any to germinate. i later found out they need to be stratified so i put them in the fridge for about 3 months and they still didnt germinate. are you supposed to plant the seeds in the pot and then put them in the fridge for months? i got a new pack and dont want to f them up.

thanks

 

[big ballin 88]

Hey S13,

Some advice is to stratify like you said and than plant in a warm spot on top of the soil. Tap the seed in some. There is a possibility of a +30 days for them to pop. If your still not having luck let me know. Root division works best btw...

 

[herbgreen]

 

[herbgreen]

A good interview w/ coots (Jim Bennet)

Very interesting on the malted barley and fungal activity

Plant based fertilizer is Interesting....Iwant to grow my own fertilizer!

Episode 7: Clackamas Coot Talks About Worm Bins, Peat Moss, & Building Soil

This is the 2nd part of a 3 part interview series with Clackamas Coot. We talk more about neem, IPM strategies, worm bins, peat moss, how to evaluate potting soils, and much more! Important links: Functional Blocks of Neem Oil The Growing Importance of Neem in Agriculture, Industry...

www.kisorganics.com

 

[St. Phatty]

Alfalfa is great for a "green manure". So are a ton of legumes. Quinoa is actually pretty good as a green crop if it's cut & turned in prior to maturity. Many green manures can just be turned into the beds directly to add to the carbon content of the soil as well as any other nutrients. Really though it depends on where you live how well any of these crops will work to increase soil fertility. If your soil won't support the plant then it won't do any good to add it.

I have a strange association between Alfalfa and Suicide.

I was in a community garden in Sonoma County. They guy in the plot next to me spread alfalfa all over the ground.

It worked good - lots of salamanders, worms, etc.

And then he committed suicide, and his garden plot became available.

I took care of some of his plants until they found a new person for the plot.