Comfrey grows readily in Ireland and is a vigorous deep rooted plant that spreads easily. Its tap root can be up to 3 m deep, which means that the plant is bringing up valuable nutrients from the subsoil. The variety of Comfrey which is best to grow for making comfrey feeds is known as Bocking 14.
Being rich in potassium and nitrogen, this deep rooted healing plant makes an excellent liquid feed for your plants. It is particularly beneficial to potash hungry fruiting plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and berries as they use nitrogen to support leaf growth and the potassium will help to promote flowers and fruit production.
Comfrey Tea Recipe
• Harvest comfrey leaves from established plants; wear gloves, long sleeves, long pants and shoes as comfrey leaves can irritate the skin. From an established plant you can get 3 or 4 cut-and-come-again harvests each year. Comfrey is at its best for liquid tea before it flowers.
• Cut comfrey leaves and best leave them to wilt overnight. Chopping the leaves will help speed up the process. Use a spade to do this. Pack the leaves into a hessian bag and completely cover with water. Cover the container and leave for about 2 weeks. Dilute with water before using, approx 1 part comfrey to10 parts water.
A more concentrated feed can be made by using a press system into which the leaves are packed without adding any water. A barrel with tap at bottom is ideal for this method. This method takes longer but the feed produced is very concentrated and needs to be diluted at 1:20 before use.
A weekly watering of Comfrey tea during the growing season is adequate.
Be warned, comfrey tea has a very potent smell, so avoid using on house plants before inviting a special guest around for dinner!