Comfrey and weed tea advice.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi, Sorry if this has been discussed over the past few days I seemed to of missed it.
My computer said 'No' on going on line and working in general, been busy down allotment and then my mom was rushed into hospital.
So here is my question.
When you make comfrey tea and nettle tea can you just stick a load in add water and leave it. Or can you keep adding to it for a few weeks. Was just thinking if I needed to buy another bin or large bucket to put several lots going.
Also can I rot down horse tail as well as nettles? Was thinking I could do a mega stew behind the shed and believe me the amount of nettles and horse tail that I have it would be a mega one.
How long do you have to leave it?
Thanks everyone. Sorry again.

[Kristen]

I would say "Yes" to all those.

I would keep Comfrey and Nettles separate - Comfrey is good for Potash, Nettles for Nitrogen. Dunno what the primary nutrients in Horsetail are - only thing with that is that I would like it well rotted before using it so there was no chance of spreading spores, so maybe add plenty and then leave it a good two weeks, but for the others you can add to the concentrate-bucket constantly. Just add enough of the concentrate into your watering can until the colour is like weak tea, and then water that onto the plants.

I think that anything with deep roots is worth rotting down and re-using the "tea".

[PassionateButInexperience]

I just bought Nettle tea and Confrey tea prepared liquid from Organic gardening.

Its concentrated and only 3 months self life.
You mix 25 ml to 1 liter and use.

You also get them in pellet forms from same site, just mix warm water and leave for 2 days them mux and use...


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[bretty666]

Hi kristen...sory to junp into another post but could you take a look at my thread 'good idea or not' please as i have asked for some advice after my experiment and not had any news back off anyone...was an.interesting experiment

[Kristen]

Hi kristen...sory to junp into another post but could you take a look at my thread 'good idea or not' please as i have asked for some advice after my experiment and not had any news back off anyone...was an.interesting experiment

I'll take a look, but I definitely have not seen it. I only read threads where the title suggests that I might be able to contribute, and it is very unlikely that I will read any thread with a title that is "vague". That's not to say that anyone else does that too ... but I have limited time, so only focus on things which look to be "of interest" in the Index of new posts

[Two_Sheds]

can you keep adding to it for a few weeks.

Also can I rot down horse tail as well as nettles? Was thinking I could do a mega stew

I don't make mine in barrels, I don't think it's fair on the neighbours. My mega stews are done in 5 litre water bottles, with a 3" air gap for expansion.

I put allsorts in mine, inc. any slugs & snails I find

[noviceveggrower]

I don't make mine in barrels, I don't think it's fair on the neighbours. My mega stews are done in 5 litre water bottles, with a 3" air gap for expansion.

I put allsorts in mine, inc. any slugs & snails I find

That does sound like a mega stew. How long do you leave it for? is it a case of time or colour?

[Kristen]

I put allsorts in mine, inc. any slugs & snails I find

More of a Protein Shake than Phosphate Tea then perhaps?

[Two_Sheds]

How long do you leave it for?

I use it straight away. It's topped up with fresh leaves weekly, and fresh water every time I use some of the tea

[WPG]

Just wanted to share my easy-peasy method for making comfrey concentrate. I'd looked at several methods for doing this, but they all seemed a bit complicated and needed bits of drainpipe and drill-holes etc (I'm not very DIY-minded). The method I use couldn't be simpler and it makes around 4-5 litres of comfrey oil.

I use a normal 80 litre plastic bin, with a fitted lid, and stack two griddle pans at the bottom of the bin - they just fit (photo 1)
Then I fill with comfrey leaves, weigh them down with a brick and put the lid back on the bin (photo 2). I've found a bin holds about 4 large comfrey plants
After a few months the comfrey has completed rotted down (photo 3) and all that's left are a few stems and the comfrey oil (which is under the griddle pans)
I strain the oil and bottle (photo 4) it can then be stored and diluted for use.

[kathycam]

I've done it like that WPG, but put them in an old bag and weighed it down with bricks. Very smelly stuff at the end, but the plants loved it.

[roitelet]

Horsetail needs to be boiled to extract the active ingredient which issued as a fungicide.