make your own liquid fertilizer?

[lindyloo]

does anyone make thier own liquid fertilizer? how to proceed- i have some large comfrey plants, and unlimited horse muck, also chicken muck/straw. i thought i could utilize it as a liquid feed? would it work and how to proceed- i guess it needs to soak in water for a length of time? could i replace bought liquid feeds with it?thanks all.

[Shadylane]

I've got a big empty squash bottle which I nabbed from work full of comfrey leaves and water brewing on the patio. I think it takes about three weeks to brew but basically when it stinks it's ready. Comfrey supposedly makes a good feed for potassium hungry plants ie fruiting ones like toms and cucumbers. Nettles are supposed to be good for nitrogen loving plants - leafy stuff like brassicas. You could do the same with muck - brew it in an old pillowcase dunked in a bucket of water. This would provide a nitrogen rich feed. I would dilute 1 part to 10 but I suppose it depends how strong you make it.

[maytreefrannie]

I second the above, also I've also used borage leaves and dandelion.

I also usually dilute the nettle, borage or dandelion mix by about 1 part mix to 10 parts water.

Mighty stuff!

[bobleponge]

I have a Heath Robinson affair at home, its a length of steel drainpipe, a chicken wire filter at the bottom, and a big lemonade bottle attached to the bottom by a jubilee clip.
Put the comfrey leaves in the top of the pipe, they rot down and give black gold at the bottom.
Simple but brilliantly effective. I can stick a photo on here (courtesy of Piskie I imagine) if you would like?

[zazen999]

Me too Bob - I've got one for nettles and one for comfrey.

this way it doesn't smell!

[bobleponge]

Yup, thats pretty similar to mine, cheers Zaz, no need to hurt my brain trying to sort out photo uploading.

[Polly Fouracre]

I use nettles, comfrey and sheep poo. Put all into a plastic dustbin, fill with water, stir with a stick a few times a day for a week, then dilute, a large plastic mug-full into a watering can and top up with water.

[lindyloo]

does this go "off" or stagnant? i have a big drum container, bigger than a dustbin...could i keep it going by just topping up weekly, or do i need to do fresh batches ie empty it out. oh, i have LOADS of stinging nettles too-- i look forward to drowning some!

[zazen999]

Oh - I also have 2 bags of manure slung into the spare water butt; I knew those potato bags would come in handy when I ordered 14kg of seed pots.

That's coming on nicely - will be diluted as we go with more water when it gets to half full; and each watering can will get a few cupfulls in each.

Lindy - it does go stagnant; ie smell - that's when you know it's ready. I use the drainpipe and bag method so that I can empty out the stuff at the end of the season and pop it into the compost bin without having to empty out the whole butt.

I also have a half water butt sized container which perennial weeds get drowned in for a few months. Once this is full - I dig a trench and fork the perennials out, fill the trench back up and plant straight into it. The minging weeds feed the plants from the roots up. The water also gets used as by then, it stinks.

[lindyloo]

thanks! stagnant was a wrong choice of word by me, i think... what i mean is; so even if its a couple of monthes old, it wont harm my plants? ( i am thinking mold and fungus brown slime etc ) will it be strong enough to feed my tomatoes and strawberries or do i need to top up with a shop bought liquid feed as well?

[Shadylane]

I would think as long as you dilute it no harm will come to your plants - it's all good stuff. I'd leave the shop stuff in the shop - comfrey, nettles and poo are all free (well - ish) I bought some tomato feed last year as the comfrey needed a year to settle in but now I have an established patch I intend to never buy tomato feed again. As for strawberries, they don't like to be over fed anyway especially if they're in the ground. Save your cash

[smallfrog]

So a nettle comfrey mix is ok? Even though they do different jobs.

I have made tea and at the mo its steeping. Planning on using it of toms but will it be ok for brassica and pumpkins etc. The old nettles ect compost or mulch which is best and on what.

[Snadger]

So a nettle comfrey mix is ok? Even though they do different jobs.

I have made tea and at the mo its steeping. Planning on using it of toms but will it be ok for brassica and pumpkins etc. The old nettles ect compost or mulch which is best and on what.

Comfrey on toms and pumpkins to supply Potassium which will aid flowering and fruiting and nettle on brassicas to supply nitro to give leaf growth!