Make Herb Tea Fertilizer
Did you know you can make liquid fertilizer for your plants using other plants? Sounds like floral cannibalism but it’s not unlike compost when you think about it. Some plants are high in particular nutrients which can be extracted in the same way that you would make a medicinal tea for yourself. What’s more, all of the plants worth using tend to be invasive in the garden. This year your eyes will light up with enthusiasm at the sight of that ever-expanding patch of comfrey behind the shed instead of glazing over with the thought of digging it up. Hell, I am completely jealous of your expanding comfrey patch. Yeah, come to think of it, I’ll take your shed too.
1. Fill up a bucket, large jar, or other container with the leaves, stems and flowers of pruned herbs. Pack them in tightly. There is no need to remove the entire plant. Just cut it back and you’ll be able to make another batch next month.
2. Pour in water, filling your container to the top.
3. Let the whole mess sit for a day. Put it in the sun to speed things up.
4. Strain out the herbs and fill up a spray bottle or watering can with the concoction.
You can spray the leaves of your plants with this mix as a foliar fertilizer, or just pour it onto the soil.
Herbs to Try:
- Comfrey – High in magnesium, phosphorous, and pottassium.
- Stinging Nettle – Contains magnesium, sulphur, and iron.
- Horsetail – Loaded with silica, a nutrient that makes plants strong.
My tea contains comfrey and stinging nettle (watch those stingers!).
