Organic fertiliser?

[Snadger]

Does anyone know what nutrients are in comfrey, seaweed and borage/nettle?

My take on it is that seaweed is high potassium, nettle is nitro, comfrey is a balanced (with a bias to pottassium methinks) bringing up numerous chemicals from deep down, and all I know about borage is that it has pretty flowers (and of course they are nice in pimms which everyone knows!!!)

No doubt someone will google a correct analysis for us!

[AllieB]

My mum has a wormery (sp?) which produces a liquid fertiliser and compost.

Never heard about borage in Pimms will need to give that one a try - provided I can find someone to pick the flowers for me. I come out in a rash just thinking of borage.

[Cutecumber]

I'd have to consult my old Geoff Hamilton "Organic Gardening" for the details, but from what I can remember...

Seaweed is more useful for the range of minor and trace nutrients it contains than for N:P:K, hence it's value as a soil conditioner or foliar spray. If you are container gardening, it's not necessarily going to give your plants enough food on its own. It is often referred to as a "tonic" rather than a fertiliser.

Nettle juice is, I agree, Nitrogen strong, but I disagree about your thoughts on Comfrey - it is not balanced, but heavy on the Potassium and hence best for fruiting crops.

[NSB]

How about a fertiliser for vegetarians?

[smallblueplanet]

You're not supposed to eat it NSB!

We've been talking about veggie fertilizers - comfrey, seaweed, nettles, borage....the wormery

Just gotta figure out the nutrient ratios.

So what nutrients of the N:P:K get used for what part of the growing process please?

[johnygreenfeet]

Nitrogen is used by the plant to produce leafy growth
Phosphorus is essential for seed germination and root development
Potassium has the chemical symbol K from its Latin name kalium. It promotes flower and fruit production

[smallblueplanet]

I can see you didn't fall asleep in chemistry class johnygf!

[growbag]

organic fertiliser

This analysis of Comfrey leaves compared to manure garden compost was in a booklet by Garden Organic. Tis on a fresh weight basis mind. Might be useful to you.


% Nitrogen % phosphorus %potash

Comfrey leaves 0.74 0.24 1.19
Farmyard manure 0.64 0.23 0.32
garden compost 0.50 0.27 0.81

[cottage garden]

Very interesting. Glad I have comfrey growing in the garden.

[Snadger]

I'd have to consult my old Geoff Hamilton "Organic Gardening" for the details, but from what I can remember...

Seaweed is more useful for the range of minor and trace nutrients it contains than for N:P:K, hence it's value as a soil conditioner or foliar spray. If you are container gardening, it's not necessarily going to give your plants enough food on its own. It is often referred to as a "tonic" rather than a fertiliser.

Nettle juice is, I agree, Nitrogen strong, but I disagree about your thoughts on Comfrey - it is not balanced, but heavy on the Potassium and hence best for fruiting crops.

Ok, CC my thoughts on comfrey are that because it is deep rooted it will have a good proportion of NPK with the emphasis on K. I am aware that balanced means equal quantities but just wanted to highlight that it will have a bit more to it than just Potassium alone. According to growbags figures it looks to be roughly a proportion of 3-1-4.

[kirsty b]

I think it's a bit to do with the feel good factor of drowning the adversary Jacob!
All weed roots, especially deep rooted ones pull nutrients from deep below ground which can be released by allowing them to rot in suspension methinks!

I read something similar about bramble roots. Also that you can dry them right out (so they don't start to re-grow) then crush them to powder and dig that in.

[jacob marley]

My mum has a wormery (sp?) which produces a liquid fertiliser and compost.

Never heard about borage in Pimms will need to give that one a try - provided I can find someone to pick the flowers for me. I come out in a rash just thinking of borage.

If you can scrounge some of the liquid that come from the wormery it is the best fertilizer that i have ever used dilute 10--1 majic stuff jacob

[momol]

Apart of all mentioned, I would like to add human urine...but as salt content can be very high so I presume the better urine, will be from the low salt diet person. Having to included it in the list, I haven't try using any my self.

I saw farmers at our area used pig manure too, they would be composting it hill high and covered it with some black plastic and the smell is just unforgettable .

[robD]

I've just ordered a few bags of rockdust in an attempt to add some fertility to the soil of my long neglected site. Anyone else used it?

[smallblueplanet]

I think I've heard of the product idea, but never seen it - do you have a link rob? (I think it seems an odd idea to add 'rocks' to your garden! )