Two years ago I bought some comfrey roots; those plants are thriving in my garden now. Comfrey has so many uses: medicinal, livestock feed, compost activator and more. I feed it to my goats, I make salves and ointments with it, I add leaves to my compost pile. But this is the first year I'm making comfrey tea and using it as fertilizer in my garden.
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I have to admit that in the past I've neglected to fertilize my garden plants. I was building my soil and I thought that was enough. About halfway through summer my plants would sort of give up and go on vacation. I think they were just tuckered out and needed a boost from a good organic fertilizer.
This year I bought some fish emulsion fertilizer from Amazon, but I've also read that fertilizer made with comfrey is terrific for the vegetable garden, so I'm also trying that this summer.
Wait, you're not growing comfrey? Here's why you should!
All plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - and comfrey has all three. Nitrogen promotes leafy growth, phosphorus provides the vigor needed to fight off disease and pests, and potassium promotes flower and fruit production. Comfrey is one of the few plants that contains potassium, an essential nutrient that vegetable plants need to produce fruit.
Comfrey also contains trace minerals and nutrients that other plants need for optimum growth and health. Comfrey has a very long root system - some sources say that the roots will go down twenty feet or more into the ground - which brings those minerals from deep underground up into the plants' leaves.
Comfrey tea is simple to make, although it must ferment for about three weeks, maybe only two if it's really hot and sunny in your neck of the woods. Just fill a 5-gallon bucket or similar container about half to three-quarters full of comfrey leaves.
Chop or cut the leaves in rough pieces if you'd like. I left mine whole. I use gloves when I'm harvesting comfrey leaves, they are hairy and a bit prickly.
I've read that you should weigh down the leaves in the bucket with a rock or brick to hold them under the water, but I didn't do this. Fill the bucket with water, put a top on it to keep out flies, and leave it in the sunshine for about two to three weeks. You can stir it occasionally but it isn't really necessary.
After one week. Pretty nasty-looking, isn't it?
When it's "done" it will be a stinky mess, but your plants will love it! Strain out the leaves if you want; you can add them to your compost pile. Dilute your tea before you apply it to your plants with at least an equal amount of water in a watering can, and bless your plants with goodness!
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Comfrey tea is potent so remember that less is more. Some gardeners dilute it even more, and water their plants with this weaker tea every two weeks.
If you'd like to make worm casting tea for your garden instead of (or in addition to) comfrey tea, check out Making Worm Casting Tea the Easy Way from Stone Family Farmstead.
If you'd like to make worm casting tea for your garden instead of (or in addition to) comfrey tea, check out Making Worm Casting Tea the Easy Way from Stone Family Farmstead.
Here's to a great garden and really good tomatoes!
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
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