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Comfrey fertiliser has anyone used it for tree ferns?

Christine 28Christine 28 Posts: 46
in Problem solving
I am attempting to make some comfrey fertiliser following advice from gardeners world. Does anyone know if it will be safe to use on my tree ferns. Thanks.

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Probably safe enough, but it is high potash and used for flowering plants , which your fern is not.   The trunk need to be kept wet. Water it with a well diluted fertiliser in a can of water.  Kelways recommend a diluted seaweed feed.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I've just looked-up the ingredients of a specialised tree fern feed and the NPK ratio is 6:1.5:3 which means it is high in nitrogen (N) but relatively low in phosporus (P) and potassium (K).  It also has trace nutrients.  Comfrey feed has lots of the latter but is high in P & K, (4:1:10) so nettle feed (5.6:0.7:3.7) would be a better fit for your plant.


    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • young codgeryoung codger Posts: 543
    I cannot answer your specific question.

    There is an interesting article here on comfrey fertiliser. It does mention diluting the  batch at 15:1. I guess it can be quite potent stuff with its nitrogen content.

    If you don't get a definitive answer on here you could try a weaker mix-maybe on just one of the tree ferns as a test. You can step it up  gradually if needed.

    https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/grow-your-own-fertiliser-using-comfrey/
  • Christine 28Christine 28 Posts: 46
    Thank you for all the advice. I have used seaweed fertiliser up until now with good results but haven’t any left. Probably safer to order some online and use the comfrey on other plants. Never tried making nettle feed might have a go at that if the comfrey is successful.
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