If you are familiar with comfrey, you may have seen it growing as a wildflower. However, those who are knowledgeable about plants also recognize its reputation as an effective remedy for minor health issues.
While there is no proof it can help the human body heal, there is evidence that it makes a good fertilizer for your garden.
Find out here how to make your own comfrey tea fertilizer to give your plants a boost!
What is comfrey tea fertilizer good for? Comfrey tea fertilizer promotes healthy plant growth. It is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, essential for strong root development, vibrant foliage, and robust flowering. It also contains trace elements and supports microbial activity, enhancing nutrient uptake.
While you may not have heard of comfrey tea fertilizer, it’s pretty great stuff! Continue reading to learn more about what it is and why you should use it.
You’ll also find specific details about it, comparisons of other fertilizers, and how to make your own. See it all below!
Comfrey Tea Fertilizer
A perennial plant that blooms with purple flowers in the late spring, comfrey may seem like nothing more than a pretty sight, but comfrey has more going for it than that!
Use your own plants to make a fertilizer high in macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as micronutrients like calcium and magnesium that your plants need to thrive!
Considered by most to be a dynamic nutrient accumulator, comfrey has a long taproot that can draw nutrients most other plants won’t be able to find with their shallow roots. See more on how to harness these bountiful nutrients below!
What Is Comfrey Tea Fertilizer?
Comfrey tea fertilizer is made by taking the leaves of the mature comfrey plant and steeping them in a bucket of water for many weeks (approximately 3 to 6 weeks).
This will cause the leaves to break down and release their nutrients. The liquid left over from the process is used as a plant fertilizer.
Benefits of Comfrey Tea Fertilizer
Comfrey tea is an excellent fertilizer. The benefits of comfrey tea fertilizer are mainly the nutrients it provides. Another benefit is that it is an all-natural fertilizer that can be made for a low cost.
It’s also organic, so it has a lower possibility of burning your plants because it has no harsh synthetic nutrients. You can even use it as a foliar spray for pest control or to prevent diseases from taking hold!
Plants That Benefit From Comfrey Tea Fertilizer
Pretty much all plants will benefit from comfrey tea fertilizer. it has all the basic nutrients plus even more micronutrients that all plants need. It is great to help vegetative growth overall while promoting abundant flowers and vigorous root growth.
It doesn’t need to be reserved for any special plants; both annuals and perennials can benefit from the use of the tea fertilizer.
The only thing to take into consideration is to avoid applying it to young seedlings that may burn from excessive nutrients.
Comfrey Tea Fertilizer Compared to Compost & Aged Manure
Consisting of all the necessary nutrients, comfrey tea is higher in potassium than most composts and manures.
How it compares to other common natural fertilizers depends on the ratio by which it is made, but it does provide everything compost and manure does.
While compost and aged manure are solid, comfrey plant feed can be easier to apply because it is a liquid and will soak into the soil rather than needing to be mixed in.
How To Use Comfrey To Make Liquid Fertilizer
If you’ve ever made tea, you can make comfrey tea fertilizer. Even if you haven’t made tea, you’ll be a pro in no time! Follow the 6 easy steps below to make a quick comfrey tea!
- Harvest many comfrey leaves, about half of a bucket full. You’ll want to find mature leaves on stalks 1-2 feet long. Wear gloves as the sap from the leaves can irritate the skin.
- Then remove the stems from the leaves. The leaves are the material you want to make the tea.
- Choose a container or bucket that you can use to mix a ratio of ⅓ leaves to ⅔ water. A 5-gallon bucket is ideal.
- Chop the leaves up. This will help to release all of the interior nutrients you want in the tea.
- Fill the bucket with water. Weigh down the leaves with rocks or bricks if necessary.
- Cover the bucket, and allow the mix to sit for a minimum of 3 weeks. At this point, the tea is ready to use, but the longer you let it ferment, the more nutrients will be extracted. It will reach full strength in 6 to 8 weeks.
How To Fertilize With Comfrey Tea
You’ll want to strain out the leaves from the tea if you simply want the comfrey tea as a foliar spray or to apply it as a dilution to feed your plants.
It is also completely fine to apply the green leafy material along with the tea to the ground. It will add green waste compost and liquid nutrients for the plant to enjoy!
Most gardeners dilute the tea in a ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part tea, or if it is a stronger batch, you need to dilute it in a ratio of 15:1.
If you are spraying it as a foliar spray, add the strained liquid to a bottle, and coat the leaves of established plants with the tea. Re-apply the spray weekly or as necessary.
When To Use Comfrey Tea Fertilizer (And How Often)
Apply the organic fertilizer right before blooming and budding begins to occur. The comfrey liquid feed will give the plant everything it needs to thrive without delaying the growing sequence it is used to.
You can apply comfrey fertilizer as necessary once blooming has finished. Every 1 to 2 months during the growing season should be more than enough to benefit the plant as comfrey tea is potent.
Apply the fertilizer in higher amounts if you notice slow growth, yellowing leaves, or a lack of flowering. It will provide all of the nutrients the plants need for the growing season.
Other Ways To Use Comfrey in the Garden
Comfrey is excellent planted as a pollinator species and attracts beneficial insects. It is also good at keeping slugs away; they’ll hate the smell and never want to eat any of your plants!
Comfrey is what’s known as a dynamic accumulator. When you grow comfrey, comfrey roots reach down and absorb nutrients that other plants can not. Harvest comfrey leaves and till them into the soil to help build the soil nutrients.
Comfrey can also dig deep through tough garden soil, helping break it up for other roots and microbes to flourish!
If you don’t have the time to make tea, simply harvest and dry the leaves. Chop the dried leaves up, and add them to the soil as mulch or as an amendment to help build the soil with green waste and nutrients.
You can also add leaves to your compost pile to act as a compost activator.
Related Questions:
Can You Drink Comfrey Tea?
While comfrey tea has been used for centuries to help cure minor medical conditions, it is no longer recommended to consume comfrey tea. While a little bit shouldn’t hurt you, it has pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are considered a liver toxin.
How Long Does Comfrey Tea Last?
Comfrey tea does last some time if stored well. In an airtight container, the liquid feed should last around 6 months. Just be sure to shake it well before each use because the minerals will separate with time.
Now You Know How To Make Comfrey Tea Fertilizer!
Plants amaze us all the time with what they add to our ecosystem. In this case, comfrey can be used to help other plants flourish!
Try to make comfrey tea fertilizer as a fun DIY project or to help your closed-system garden flourish. Odds are you’ll find it easy and beneficial, making it your garden secret!