My word what a pong!

[Florence Fennel]

First time of making comfrey tea. It's only a week old and my oh my what a stink. I can understand now why TS stuffs the leaves into plastic bottles to make it. It's only been in the buckets for a week and if you're down wind of it in the garden, it smells like somebody's muck spreading. I've decanted some of it into plastic bottles already. Good lesson learned and thank you Snadge and TS.

[chris]

I was checking if my (nettle) tea was ready - opened the milk container, took a huge whiff and almost passed out. Was heaving afterwards, pwooooar!

Good stuff though, eh?

[Florence Fennel]

I was going to say "proof of the pudding" Chris, but it hardly bears thinking about with a smell like that. As you say, it must be good stuff. I've fed it to some of the veg so we'll see.

[Snadger]

I have some left over from last year which is devoid of smell! Whether its also devoid of nutrients, I don't know!

[taff]

you won't believe it but I actually like the smell

[Florence Fennel]

I have some left over from last year which is devoid of smell! Whether its also devoid of nutrients, I don't know!

It would be interesting to find out Snadger

[mrbadexample]

I've been and fetched nettles today, which are now stewing in a bucket. It was to feed my brassicas, but is there anything else it's good for? e.g. growing enormously long runner beans.

[Bren In Pots]

I have some left over from last year which is devoid of smell! Whether its also devoid of nutrients, I don't know!

Glad you've mentioned yours from last year not smelling any more I was starting to think I was getting immune to the smell.

Anyway I started a fresh lot and tipped the 1/4 bucket from last year in my compost bin.

[VirginVegGrower]

Shoved comfrey leaves into plastic milk bottles a la Twosheds and added water. Loads of comfrey and nettles growing all in the lottie site's weed pile...woohoo!

[Maccabee]

I've been and fetched nettles today, which are now stewing in a bucket. It was to feed my brassicas, but is there anything else it's good for? e.g. growing enormously long runner beans.

Nettle tea is a nitrogen feed. As legumes fix their own nitrogen it would be pretty pointless to feed them nettle tea. Comfrey may be worth a try though?

[rth]

i thought Comfrey tea was for flowering ?

[Florence Fennel]

I've just read in the July GYO that you shouldn't put a cap on the bottle as it may ferment and explode and to use it undiluted.

[rth]

i thought you had to dilute it ?

[mrbadexample]

Thank you. What else is nettle tea good for then, apart from brassicas?

[Maccabee]

i thought Comfrey tea was for flowering ?

It is. Peas/beans produce flowers. Although, i don't know if any fertilisers are actually necessary, i just let em get on with it.

I've just read in the July GYO that you shouldn't put a cap on the bottle as it may ferment and explode and to use it undiluted.

Undiluted? That stuff smells pretty potent. I'd love to see how a young plant, or any plant for that matter, would react to undiluted feed. Well, i wouldn't love to see it actually but you know what i mean.

Thank you. What else is nettle tea good for then, apart from brassicas?

So far i've found it good for young tomatoes and chillis/peppers, before they produce fruit. Courgettes when planting out to give them a good head start as they are hungry plants. Apparently it's good for garlic/onions too if they begin to look a little yellow.