Home made liquid feed.

[veggiechicken]

Thank you Zaz - most helpful
Pure speculation coming up - no need to answer!!
If you have a comfrey plant and cut it down 4-5 times a year for feed it presumably never has chance to flower........or set seed..........or spread. So any comfrey would do the same job

[Kitchen Gardener]

I have lots of Comfrey growing round the edge of my new allotment and was told of this way to make fertilizer so will try this now.

[Jonthefish]

I have put 5 stems length into each of these 2 litre bottles, is this enough nettles?

[Herbsandveg]

Its not really recommended as you tend to get mossies and all manner of water born nasties swimming about in this stinking liquid. Did I mention legionella!

Far better I think is to use sealed containers like six pint milk cartons. Fill some with comfrey for pottasium and some with nettles for nitrogen feeds.
Once the tops are screwed on there is no smell either.


Just add a cup full of the fermented liquid to a watering can and fill up with water.

Legionella? LEGIONELLA?...Really? Oh heck, I'm worried now!...

[rustylady]

Legionella? LEGIONELLA?...Really? Oh heck, I'm worried now!...

As long as you make it in containers like Snadger suggests there is no risk. Anyway, you're not going to drink the stuff, are you?

[Olorin2001]

As long as you make it in containers like Snadger suggests there is no risk. Anyway, you're not going to drink the stuff, are you?

You don't have to drink it, and best check your windscreen washer before you panic about water butts and compost. Here is some of what that famous on-line encyclopedia has to say about sources of the infection
Potential reservoirs - Potential sources of contaminated water include cooling towers (some 40% to 60% of ones tested) used in industrial cooling water systems as well as in large central air conditioning systems, evaporative coolers, nebulizers, humidifiers, whirlpool spas, hot water systems, showers, windshield washers, architectural fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice making machines, misting equipment, and similar disseminators that draw upon a public water supply.
The disease may also be transmitted from contaminated aerosols generated in hot tubs if the disinfection and maintenance program is not done rigorously. Freshwater ponds, creeks, and ornamental fountains are potential sources of Legionella. The disease is particularly associated with hotels, fountains, cruise ships and hospitals with complex potable water systems and cooling systems.
Respiratory care devices such as humidifiers and nebulizers used with contaminated tap water may contain Legionella. Using sterile water is very important, especially when using respiratory care devices.
Potting mix and compost is also another potential source, including breathing airborne bacteria from.

[Herbsandveg]

As long as you make it in containers like Snadger suggests there is no risk. Anyway, you're not going to drink the stuff, are you?

I had no firm plans - actually, no plans whatsoever! - of actually drinking the stuff myself, but I was worried that the Legionella might spread like wildfire around my crops, so that's all I was really concerned about. Heck, I never used to have this problem when I relied on Morrisons and Asda for my veg!...

[veggiechicken]

Heck, I never used to have this problem when I relied on Morrisons and Asda for my veg!...

Are you sure?

[rustylady]

Heck, I never used to have this problem when I relied on Morrisons and Asda for my veg!...

Do you know what they wash their veg and salad in?

[Herbsandveg]

Do you know what they wash their veg and salad in?

I don't, but i think you're going to tell me...

[veggiechicken]

Its an unknown......Herbs! We have no idea what processes our food goes through before we purchase it - who has handled it, what has crawled over it etc. You just have to assume its safe to eat.
By growing our own, we have far more control over our food! Amazing innit

[rustylady]

Here's some light reading for you HerbsandVeg To Wash or Not to Wash: Are Pre-Bagged Salads Safe? | Food Poisoning Bulletin

[Feral007]

Whew, two lots of palpitations there. One thinking that I'd been making tea out of the wrong comfrey since mine flowers, but I've just chopped up the roots myself to spread it, so it's the right one.
And then that I'd be brewing legionella!

I find mossies were more of a problem this year. They must really like the smelly water, because we always have a water butt under to overflow pipe for the house tank, almost always full or nearly full and we haven't had such a mossie prob in years. I had forgotten to put the lid on a couple of time tho.

I'm of the unscientific opinion, that if you take reasonable care, and especially if you are talking outdoors rather than in a heated greenhouse, or inside, then you've got much less chance of these things happening.

Sunlight, fluctuating temperatures and fresh air seem like the best things to me. In the olden days when I was a trainee nurse we used to have to put furniture from any infectious patient, out in the sun for 4 hours as part of the cleaning. Between less overuse of antibiotics and overuse of the sun, we had a pretty good germ rating.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't know what Comfrey is.

but you know what google is

can this [comfrey] be grown in containers?

As Zazen said, it's utterly pointless growing it in containers, because the plant gets nutrients from deep down in the soil (where your plants can't access it) and brings those nutrients up into its leaves. Then you cut those leaves to provide those nutrients for your plants. If you grow it in a container ... it can't access those deep-in-the-ground goodies

If you have a comfrey plant and cut it down 4-5 times a year for feed it presumably never has chance to flower........or set seed..........or spread.

Exactly, the same as with any "weed": if you don't allow it to set seed, it can't spread around the plot.
I use all my "weeds" as green manures, because they're full of goodness ~ they get chopped n dropped on the soil, and soon disappear as the worms drag them down

I have put 5 stems length into each of these 2 litre bottles, is this enough nettles?

- yes, just stuff a bottle with leaves, then top up with water
- continue topping up with water & leaves all summer. Use all kinds of weeds, not just nettles
- make sure you leave an air gap of 2", otherwise the bottles could explode

- leave some nettles in a sunny spot for butterflies
If you don't let them seed, they won't spread

I find mossies were more of a problem this year.

They love stagnant water, yes.

- I put goldfish in my water butts to eat the mozzie larvae, but it might be too hot for them where you are?
- make a mozzie trap, they really do work

[AkionTotocha]

If you go on holiday, you have to leave your taps running in a well ventilated place for 15 minuets to avoid risk of legionella exposure. It's not something most people do, so I don't worry too much about it when dealing with water.