Making Comfrey Tea
Comfrey tea is a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer made from steeping comfrey leaves in water. It's one of the most valuable ways to use comfrey in your garden, providing plants with readily available nutrients for healthy growth and abundant harvests.
Why Make Comfrey Tea?
Comfrey leaves are packed with essential plant nutrients, particularly potassium, which is vital for flower and fruit production. They also contain significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and other trace minerals.
When steeped in water, these nutrients become available in a form that plants can readily absorb through both their roots and leaves. Comfrey tea provides:
- Balanced nutrition for healthy plant growth
- Boosted flowering and fruiting due to high potassium content
- Strengthened plant immunity against pests and diseases
- Improved soil biology when applied as a soil drench
How to Make Comfrey Tea
Basic Comfrey Tea Recipe
You'll Need:
- Fresh comfrey leaves (about 1 pound or enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket 1/3 full)
- 5-gallon bucket with lid
- Water
- Brick or heavy stone (to weigh down the leaves)
- Straining material (old pillowcase, mesh bag, or cheesecloth)
Instructions:
- Harvest comfrey leaves - Cut leaves from established plants, leaving at least a few leaves on each plant to support regrowth. The best time to harvest is before flowering.
- Chop the leaves (optional) - Roughly chop or tear the leaves to speed up the decomposition process and nutrient release.
- Fill the bucket - Place the comfrey leaves in your bucket, filling it about 1/3 full.
- Add water - Fill the bucket with water, leaving a few inches of space at the top.
- Weigh down the leaves - Place a brick or heavy stone on top of the leaves to keep them submerged.
- Cover and wait - Place the lid on the bucket and let it steep for 3-6 weeks. The longer it steeps, the stronger the tea will be.
- Strain the liquid - Once the tea has steeped, strain the liquid through your straining material into clean containers.
Note:
Comfrey tea has a strong, unpleasant smell as it ferments. Place your brewing bucket away from living areas and consider adding a few drops of essential oil (like lavender or eucalyptus) to the lid to help mask the odor.
How to Use Comfrey Tea
As a Liquid Fertilizer
Dilute the finished tea at a ratio of 1:10 (one part tea to ten parts water) before application. This diluted solution can be applied:
- As a soil drench - Pour around the base of plants every 2-4 weeks during the growing season.
- As a foliar spray - Use in a spray bottle to mist plant leaves in the early morning or evening (avoid spraying in direct sunlight).
For Specific Plants
Comfrey tea is especially beneficial for:
- Fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants
- Flowering plants to encourage more blooms
- Potted plants that may have depleted their soil nutrients
- Young transplants to help them establish quickly
Quick Method: Comfrey Tea Concentrate
If you're short on time, you can make a concentrated comfrey tea without water:
- Fill a bucket with chopped comfrey leaves, pressing them down firmly.
- Place a second bucket (with drainage holes) inside the first, on top of the leaves.
- Add weight to the top bucket to press down on the leaves.
- Over 1-2 weeks, the leaves will break down and release a dark, concentrated liquid.
- Collect this liquid and dilute it at a ratio of 1:20 before use.
Note: This concentrate is extremely potent! Always dilute properly to avoid burning your plants.
Tips for Success
- Use only Bocking 14 or other sterile comfrey varieties to avoid spreading invasive plants.
- Harvest leaves before the plant flowers for maximum nutrient content.
- Always dilute comfrey tea before application to prevent nutrient burn.
- Apply in the early morning or evening to prevent leaf burn in strong sunlight.
- Store unused tea in sealed containers away from direct sunlight.
- Use within a few months for best results.
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