Comfrey thrives in damp earth, making it an ideal plant for creating a nutritious homemade feed for flowers, fruit, and vegetables. While comfrey is a favorite due to its rich nutrient content, nettles, dandelions, and groundsel can also be used effectively.
Why Comfrey is a Gardener's Best Friend
Comfrey is a perennial plant with thick, hairy leaves and drooping pink, purple, or white flowers. It grows well in damp soil, often found near streams and rivers, but can also thrive in less favorable ground. Its deep taproot pulls up nutrients from the soil, storing them in the leaves where gardeners can harness them. Additionally, comfrey flowers provide essential nectar for bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, especially in spring.
How to Make Comfrey Feed
To create comfrey feed, harvest the leaves and place them in a lidded bucket. Cover the leaves with water and weigh them down with a brick to ensure efficient decomposition. Within about two weeks, a dark brown, smelly liquid will form. Separate this liquid from the remaining leaves (which can be added to your compost heap), and the feed is ready. Dilute it at a ratio of one part feed to 10 parts water before applying to flowering and fruiting plants for a mid-summer boost.
Using Other Plants for Feed
This simple process works with various plants. Nettles, harvested in spring, produce a nitrogen-rich liquid ideal for leafy plants. Weeds like dandelion or groundsel can also be used, offering a better alternative than discarding them in green-waste bins.
Tips for Growing Comfrey
Comfrey can be grown from root cuttings or division. It requires a sunny spot with adequate moisture. To prevent unwanted spreading, choose the 'Bocking 14' variety, which is sterile and does not self-seed, making it suitable even for smaller gardens.
