Home made plant feed

[rary]

it is well known that you can steep comfrey leaves in water to make a plant feed, which compares well with the proprietary feeds, but has anyone tried the same method with dandelion leaves and if so how did it compare?

[Bigmallly]

I have a large trug of water (with a dustbin lid) which I throw any vegetation into. It stinks but gives good results.

[rary]

Yes BM I am doing the same, brambles the lot go into it now, and I will use it around the garden, a comfrey, worm juice, 6x blend will be used in the greenhouse, but I was just curious to know if anyone had used dandelions only or could tell me whither it would be any good, I think I will give it a go the next growing season

[Baldy]

I've asked similar questions over the years Rary - it's a difficult thing to prove I guess. Comfrey and nettles have a certain amount of science behind them. But if you look at something like docks they are fairly deep rooted - strikes me that they may be a little like comfrey - but cos they aren't as good it doesn't get recorded. It all gets ducked in my weed eater bin...

[Baldy]

According to The Permaculture Way: Practical Steps to Create a Self-sustaining World
By Graham Bell dandelion and docks (amongst other weeds) look useful in plant feed for potassium and phosphorus:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...delion&f=false

[Cadalot]

I have a large water butt which I was thinking of turning into a drowning pool for weeds to create feed, I just need to find a lid for it and I'm guessing there will be a need to empty once in a while when the tap get silted up.

[lottie dolly]

put it in net bags,treat it like a tea bag,only give it a few weeks,not minuts,done your marigolds with peg on nose ,empty on the compost heap,noe why did I not think of that before mmmm.

[Baldy]

Could perhaps use one of those builders rubble sacks as a filter. Mine is just a 'dunk' tank so I just empty the remnants once a year onto the compost heap

[Bigmallly]

I don't bother with fancy taps, just a glug in a jug is fine added to a watering can.

[Bren In Pots]

I'm using a couple of old water cisterns, one for dandelions and nettles the other's comfrey. Both have good fitting lids one did have a tap but it soon clogged up so I went back to using a jug.

[Baldy]

The science (or lack of) behind 'dynamic accumaltors' like comfrey:

The Facts about Dynamic Accumulators - The Permaculture Research Institute
Dynamic Accumulators - Do They Exist? - Garden Myths
For me things like comfrey seem to be beneficial - at least anecdotally and I grow them in places where I wouldn't grow anything else - mostly the hedges around the outside of the site... things like docks and dandelions might as well be rotted down too...