Curious about Comfrey
Curious about Comfrey
If you’re looking for a way to supercharge your garden without spending a fortune at the garden centre, look no further than Comfrey. I must admit that I have not paid much attention to comfrey over my years of gardening. I dismissed it as a common weed. But since I started looking for sustainable ways of making my own compost and fertiliser -remember my earthworms- I decided to reconsider my position on this plant. Comfrey is more than just a weed; it is a hardy perennial that can create a powerful, natural fertiliser. What more could an organic gardener want?
Comfrey has an incredibly deep taproot system which can reach up to 3 meters deep. This allows it to mine nutrients from the subsoil that other plants simply can't reach. It accumulates high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making it the perfect organic boost for flowering plants and fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers.
I tend to think of Comfrey as a nutrient sponge. Its leaves have a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, they break down much faster than grass clippings or straw, releasing nutrients more readily.
High Potassium (K): Essential for fruit and flower production.
Mineral Rich: Contains calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Sustainable: You grow your own fertiliser right in your backyard.
How to Make "Comfrey Tea"
[Reminder: good fertiliser stinks]
Harvest the leaves: Cut the leaves about 2 inches from the ground using shears. Wear gloves, as the hairs on the leaves can be irritating!
Pack it in: Stuff the leaves into a bucket or a large barrel.
Weight it down: Place a heavy stone or brick on top of the leaves to compress them.
Add Water: Fill the bucket with water and let it steep for 3–6 weeks.
Use: After 3-6 weeks, dilute the now “comfrey juice” until it looks like weak tea (use 10 parts water to 1 part comfrey juice).
Three Ways to Use Comfrey Today
You can use comfrey tea as a liquid feed where you pour it at the base of the plant.
Comfrey leaves can be used as mulch. Chop the leaves and lay them directly on the soil as mulch over fruit bushes and perennials.
You can also use the chopped leaves as a compost activator.
I do hope my comfrey will grow successfully. I’ll be sharing a video on planting comfrey from a rhizome in the coming weeks. Subscribe and follow me on social media to keep up with my gardening journey!
#Comfrey #gardening #Organic