Making comfrey feeds

[roweson]

Hello,

I joined a free email newsletter on how to grow tomatoes and was told to use comfrey to make a solution to feed my tomato plants. I don't have the room in my garden for comfrey plants so would dried comfrey be ok to make tomato feeds?

please advise.

[Snadger]

Welcome to the vine Roweson!

You could grow a single comfrey plant in a large pot which would supply you with all the comfrey tea you would need?
I don't think dried comfrey would be a cost effective way to feed your tom plants.
For the cost of the dried comfrey you could probably buy an organic liquid feed off the shelf!
Also, they dried comfrey would be missing its natural oils and elements which are part and parcel to making the liquid fertiliser.

Happy gardening!

[Beetroot Bob]

we have sacks abd sacks of it but we don't grow it. Have a look around on the side of the road or common land. There's loads around if you look for it

We make our feed by stuffing it in to a 4" waste pipe with a mesh plug at 1 end. Stand it pipe on it's end in a bucket (mesh end donw) and drop a 2ltr pop botle filled with water or sand down the pipe from the top. give it a few weeks and you'll get a drak brown or black liquid that stinks like a pig farm. Bottle it and dilute 10-15 part water to 1 stinky stuff. works a treat.

[Two_Sheds]

Borage is just as good as comfrey, if not better and it is, as has been said, all around if you know where to look (we have a patch up the old railway tracks).

Nettle tea can be made for free too, though borage and comfrey are higher in potash

[taff]

didnt know that about borage, just thought that bees enjoyed it.
Right,better stick them plants in somewhere then

[gojiberry]

I have comfrey for the first time this year. The plants are nice and healthy and about 2' tall with loads of flowers just coming. I think I read somewhere that it should be harvested twice a year. Does that mean cutting right back to the base or what. I am more inclined to harvest throughout the summer more like you do with cut and come again. What are other grapes doing.

Ian

[Two_Sheds]

I cut it repeatedly from now until October, with the final cut being placed around the plant as a mulch to feed it.

[rdmstff]

comfrey tea

Our comfrey has developed a powderry mould on the leaves. Can we still use it to make the tea? We have an enormous amount no longer have sheep. We made one lot but it didn't smell, we used an old bath -mistake thanks

[gojiberry]

I don't cut mine right down, usually leave about 9/12in of growth. That way I find I dont have to wait to long before I can take a few more leaves. Have tried the cut and come again but find I need to keep the plant under more control as the taller stems tend to flop all over the place. I use a couple of 45gall drums and just keep adding comfrey as I cut back. When I use the liquid I go on the colour and if it looks to dark I just add more water.

Ian

[Two_Sheds]

Our comfrey has developed a powderry mould

Yes, it is prone to powdery mildew, when the plant is taking up less water than the leaves transpire.
Solution is to cut the leaves off (yes, put them in tea) and water the plant well.

[jojo2910]

Can you tell me when comfrey seeds should be sown?

Ta very much.

[vegetable-gardener]

Comfrey can take up to 2 years to germinate.

But why not buy a plant from the garden centre. Or ask a friend for a piece of root - that's what I did last year and now it's every where.

[Kristen]

Comfrey can take up to 2 years to germinate.

Hmm ... I grew it from seed once (before I knew that it was invasive and I needed Bocking-14 instead ) and they came up like weeds in the seed tray!

[chris]

Can you tell me when comfrey seeds should be sown?

Ta very much.

I'd go with bits of the root from ebay. I bought some last week I think, for �4.50 for 5 bits of the root. (inc delivery)

[jojo2910]

Many thanks, plants it is then.