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Why is Comfrey considered liquid gold?
Sep 30, 2024
Comfrey is one of my favourite plants. It’s tough, reliable, produces masses of flowers for months on end, is adored by bees, and as a bonus you can use the leaves to brew up free liquid feed for the rest of the garden. I have grown giant sunflowers that were more than 10 feet tall by giving them a dose of comfrey feed each time I watered. Magical stuff! The cherry on top is that comfrey is incredibly easy to propagate by division, so once you have one plant you can produce many many more for free. Just make sure you get the Bocking 14 variety as it won’t produce seeds – otherwise you’re likely to end up overrun with the stuff.
Making comfrey liquid feed
Comfrey purportedly dredges up nutrients from deep in the soil that would otherwise be unavailable to the rest of the garden, and is said to be rich in potassium, nitrogen, potash and other essentials for healthy plants. You can take advantage of this (and save yourself some money) by using comfrey to make your own liquid plant food.
There are a couple of ways of making liquid plant food from comfrey. The one that is usually described is as follows:
Chop enough comfrey to fill a bucket or container. Pack the leaves and stems in tightly, and use something heavy to weigh it down.
Add enough water to cover the comfrey and put a loose-fitting cover over the container.
Stand the container somewhere out of the way as it produces a horrendous smell as it breaks down.
Sieve the liquid into a second container. Add the gunk to the compost heap.
Dilute at roughly 10 parts water to 1 part comfrey feed before using on your plants.
Using comfrey as mulch
Comfrey can be used to mulch plants that need a lot of feeding, such as tomatoes or giant pumpkins:
Simply chop the leaves up and spread them thickly around the base of the plant.
As they break down they produce a nutrient-rich liquid that leaches into the soil for the plants to take up.
Using comfrey as a mulch can also suppress weeds and help retain moisture in the soil.
Dividing comfrey
Dig up part of an established comfrey plant, trying to ensure you get as much root as possible.
Divide the dug up portion. Some of it will pull apart easily, for other parts you may need a clean knife or sharp spade. Make sure each piece has at least a couple of inches of root attached.
For the crown cuttings (i.e. those pieces with leaves attached), cut the leaves off to leave a short stalk. The root cuttings (i.e. pieces of the root without any leaves attached) can be chopped into pieces a couple of inches long – each piece has the potential to turn into a new plant.
Bury the cuttings, ensuring the crown cuttings are the right way up (you can leave the stems poking out of the ground). Give them a drink, and keep them watered if the weather is very dry.
Why is Comfrey considered liquid gold?
Sep 30, 2024
Comfrey is one of my favourite plants. It’s tough, reliable, produces masses of flowers for months on end, is adored by bees, and as a bonus you can use the leaves to brew up free liquid feed for the rest of the garden. I have grown giant sunflowers that were more than 10 feet tall by giving them a dose of comfrey feed each time I watered. Magical stuff! The cherry on top is that comfrey is incredibly easy to propagate by division, so once you have one plant you can produce many many more for free. Just make sure you get the Bocking 14 variety as it won’t produce seeds – otherwise you’re likely to end up overrun with the stuff.
Making comfrey liquid feed
Comfrey purportedly dredges up nutrients from deep in the soil that would otherwise be unavailable to the rest of the garden, and is said to be rich in potassium, nitrogen, potash and other essentials for healthy plants. You can take advantage of this (and save yourself some money) by using comfrey to make your own liquid plant food.
There are a couple of ways of making liquid plant food from comfrey. The one that is usually described is as follows:
Chop enough comfrey to fill a bucket or container. Pack the leaves and stems in tightly, and use something heavy to weigh it down.
Add enough water to cover the comfrey and put a loose-fitting cover over the container.
Stand the container somewhere out of the way as it produces a horrendous smell as it breaks down.
Sieve the liquid into a second container. Add the gunk to the compost heap.
Dilute at roughly 10 parts water to 1 part comfrey feed before using on your plants.
Using comfrey as mulch
Comfrey can be used to mulch plants that need a lot of feeding, such as tomatoes or giant pumpkins:
Simply chop the leaves up and spread them thickly around the base of the plant.
As they break down they produce a nutrient-rich liquid that leaches into the soil for the plants to take up.
Using comfrey as a mulch can also suppress weeds and help retain moisture in the soil.
Dividing comfrey
Dig up part of an established comfrey plant, trying to ensure you get as much root as possible.
Divide the dug up portion. Some of it will pull apart easily, for other parts you may need a clean knife or sharp spade. Make sure each piece has at least a couple of inches of root attached.
For the crown cuttings (i.e. those pieces with leaves attached), cut the leaves off to leave a short stalk. The root cuttings (i.e. pieces of the root without any leaves attached) can be chopped into pieces a couple of inches long – each piece has the potential to turn into a new plant.
Bury the cuttings, ensuring the crown cuttings are the right way up (you can leave the stems poking out of the ground). Give them a drink, and keep them watered if the weather is very dry.
Why is Comfrey considered liquid gold?
Sep 30, 2024
Comfrey is one of my favourite plants. It’s tough, reliable, produces masses of flowers for months on end, is adored by bees, and as a bonus you can use the leaves to brew up free liquid feed for the rest of the garden. I have grown giant sunflowers that were more than 10 feet tall by giving them a dose of comfrey feed each time I watered. Magical stuff! The cherry on top is that comfrey is incredibly easy to propagate by division, so once you have one plant you can produce many many more for free. Just make sure you get the Bocking 14 variety as it won’t produce seeds – otherwise you’re likely to end up overrun with the stuff.
Making comfrey liquid feed
Comfrey purportedly dredges up nutrients from deep in the soil that would otherwise be unavailable to the rest of the garden, and is said to be rich in potassium, nitrogen, potash and other essentials for healthy plants. You can take advantage of this (and save yourself some money) by using comfrey to make your own liquid plant food.
There are a couple of ways of making liquid plant food from comfrey. The one that is usually described is as follows:
Chop enough comfrey to fill a bucket or container. Pack the leaves and stems in tightly, and use something heavy to weigh it down.
Add enough water to cover the comfrey and put a loose-fitting cover over the container.
Stand the container somewhere out of the way as it produces a horrendous smell as it breaks down.
Sieve the liquid into a second container. Add the gunk to the compost heap.
Dilute at roughly 10 parts water to 1 part comfrey feed before using on your plants.
Using comfrey as mulch
Comfrey can be used to mulch plants that need a lot of feeding, such as tomatoes or giant pumpkins:
Simply chop the leaves up and spread them thickly around the base of the plant.
As they break down they produce a nutrient-rich liquid that leaches into the soil for the plants to take up.
Using comfrey as a mulch can also suppress weeds and help retain moisture in the soil.
Dividing comfrey
Dig up part of an established comfrey plant, trying to ensure you get as much root as possible.
Divide the dug up portion. Some of it will pull apart easily, for other parts you may need a clean knife or sharp spade. Make sure each piece has at least a couple of inches of root attached.
For the crown cuttings (i.e. those pieces with leaves attached), cut the leaves off to leave a short stalk. The root cuttings (i.e. pieces of the root without any leaves attached) can be chopped into pieces a couple of inches long – each piece has the potential to turn into a new plant.
Bury the cuttings, ensuring the crown cuttings are the right way up (you can leave the stems poking out of the ground). Give them a drink, and keep them watered if the weather is very dry.
