This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Time to Make Plant Feed 'Tea'

It's time to make home made fertiliser for the garden - and it's FREE to make. This year I'm combining comfrey and nettle to make a brew of 'tea' that will feed both the flowers and the vegetables in the garden.
Left and below: A comfrey plant that appeared in the garden - a weed as such. I leave it in the flower border as the bees love it and I can make fertiliser from the plant a couple times each year. Aren't the flowers pretty when photographed up close!

Above: I've taken the approach Monty Don demonstrated on the TV show Gardener's World. He stuffs as much comfrey or nettles into a bucket, adds water, and puts it in a shelter position for about a month. Then its a case of diluting it with water to use in the garden.
Above: This is a small container I filled with nettles a month earlier and covered with a lid to 'brew' - it is now quite smelly but perfect to dilute (about 10 parts water; 1 part brew) and used in the garden. Nettles are nitrogen rich and are said to provide a good source of nutrients for plants, especially those growing in containers.
For a video on how to make Nettle Tea for the garden - click here.
For instructions on how to make Comfrey Fertiliser / Tea - click here.

Copyright: All words and photos are property of Kelli's Northern Ireland Garden.
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8 comments:

  1. Jo@awholeplotoflove10 July 2013 at 01:29

    I have some comfrey in the garden, it is the first time for me. I do have plenty of nettles just over the garden fence. I like the idea of combining the two, I shall have to give it a go.

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  2. Lindac10 July 2013 at 01:40

    I made some Comfrey tea too Kelli, it's brewing away in the polytunnel and smells pretty disgusting but it's about ready to use.
    I may have to have a go at combining the two :)

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  3. Peggy10 July 2013 at 01:54

    Hi Kelli, I am smiling down here I have just posted on the same topic, making Comfrey tea!
    great minds think alike, i hope you are enjoying the fabulous sunshine at the moment

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  4. Jo10 July 2013 at 05:17

    I'm glad the plants like it as it doesn't look like the kind of tea I'd enjoy. Don't forget the peg for your nose.

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  5. Sue Garrett10 July 2013 at 06:19

    I hope you keep a lid on the stuff as the smell is lethal!

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  6. Casa Mariposa10 July 2013 at 19:37

    I've never heard of doing this but it's really interesting! Does it stink while it brews? what type of effects do you see in your plants are you give it to them?

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  7. gardenenvy10 July 2013 at 21:33

    I don't have these two plants but I wonder if there is something else I could use from my garden. jeannine

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  8. Janneke 11 July 2013 at 02:16

    You bring me on an idea. Long ago I made nettletea and I remember it was quite stinky. I think I shall give it a try again, it's a cheap and a very good fertilizer.

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