by Jessica McCann-Dampman
This is my second season in the Wallisch Homestead Community Garden, and this year I’ve learned more about comfrey and its benefits to the soil. If you’ve seen this plant you may know that it just gives and gives – to the bees, to us, to the soil, adding needed nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus through its deep-reaching roots.
Use comfrey to make a fertilizer “tea” that is easy to make, and provides excellent nutrition for plants.
Always leaving some for the bees, I take the stalks and flowers for the fertilizer tea mix. Typically there is an abundance of plant material, so some goes to the compost pile as well. Comfrey can be a fantastic bioactivator that results in healthier compost. Using this plant in compost and the garden is new to me and I am looking forward to its results.
To make the tea:
Fill a five-gallon jug ¼ to ½ full of chopped plant material.
Fill the jug to top with water, being sure to submerge all of the plant material.
Allow to sit for 3-6 weeks in a cool, dark place, topping off with more water as needed.
I put mine under a table, away from common hang out areas as it’s pretty stinky. You can also use this sooner than 3 weeks, if you feel your plants need it.
There is much to learn about comfrey and its uses. I hope you enjoy reading more about it.
