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Nettle and Cumfrey Tea

maggyholtmaggyholt Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Hi, I'm a novice at making my own fertilizer and don't know how long I can keep the feed for?
I've just opened a large container of nettle and comfrey tea that has been sitting all winter at the side of my greenhouse,  it has a quite a thick film on top nearly a crust!!!  Is it still safe to use ?, I was going to drain off the stems and leaves etc and put the tea into another 5 gallon container, but I just completely forgot ..... should I start all over again or is it worth salvaging

Posts

  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I would use it, I can’t imagine it goes off. Maybe it becomes less effective but doubt it’s harmful.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • maggyholtmaggyholt Posts: 7
    Hi Butterfly66
    Thanks for the info ..... Will I still have to dilute the solution down
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Yes.  dilute it so that it is the colour of weak tea.  If you have more comfrey, just add it on top. I have a dustbin full, I removed all the vegetation from last year and added it to the compost heap. I added two big bags full of comfrey leaves to fill it to the top six weeks ago, and added another two bags two weeks ago. It stinks to high heaven, but is developing a lovely brown colour.  The nettle bin next to it smells even worse , and usually gets rat tailed maggots (hoverfly larvae) in it.
  • maggyholtmaggyholt Posts: 7
    Hi fidgetbones
    Cos I mixed the 2 plants together I wasn't sure if I'd done that right! The colour of the mixture has a greenish/ brown  tinge to it  ..... So,  you have yours in  separate bins,  is there a reason for that,  or do you use the different teas for certain Vegetables/plants ...... I've got lots of comfrey leaves  and nettles available so should I still continue to add them together
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    edited May 2020
    Nettles are rich in nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth.  Comfrey is rich in potassium, which promotes flowering and fruiting.  There's no harm in making a mixed brew, but I think most of us make them separately.  That way you can use them more selectively.
    You don't want to encourage lettuce and rhubarb flowers!
  • maggyholtmaggyholt Posts: 7
    Hi Josusa47 
    Well that's good to know, thank you so much for your reply..... Over the past 30 years I've always bought fertilizers,  Tomorite , Miracle Grow and other stuff like that,  so when I was given some comfrey plants I thought I'd have a go at making  my own  ..... is there anything else that makes good plant/veg  fertilizer or are these the best two to carry on with
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    I don't know of any other plants that are specially good for making feeds.  But someone told me she collects a small sack full of sheep poo from the fields and suspends it in her rain butt.
  • maggyholtmaggyholt Posts: 7
    Waste not, want not,  most animal faeces have been used  in allotments/gardens for years,  why not sheep's poo, she's  very resourceful  .....  My brother soaks chicken pellets  in his water tub during the summer months when there's been little or no rain, saves him digging or raking them in.
  • ValleysgirlValleysgirl Posts: 344
    Maggy as your brother did with Chicken Pellets my OH did exactly the same last week and the bucket the feed is in is just outside our greenhouse and we put it on lots and lots of our pots and garden, we do use bfb in our mix for potting to give plants their boost but Hey great minds think alike give it a go .
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