Guest Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 we've had a cple of batches of nettle soup so far and am going to try nettle beer and this to feed our fruit and veg... http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlemanure.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I made this last year. I fed it to my tomatos and I had a very disappointing crop. They were much better with shop bought tomato food. Sorry to have to say this. As you know I like to make your own and make do with the best of them but it didnt do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 You can also feed them to the chooks, but stamp the sting hairs down first. Very nutritious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 You can also feed them to the chooks, but stamp the sting hairs down first. Very nutritious or you can dry them and mix them into their food, I forgot that one, thanks Clare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 The nettle plant food smells really bad too We are doing some with comfrey this year which I think also smells pretty strong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 It does Liz! Loads of Comfrey around this year too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackrocksrock Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I also did it with comfrey and had some left which I forgot about I had to clean it out and it was so smelly but I put it on the compost heap and cleaned out the bucket in March - it has been there since last July!!! What a pong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 You can just dig Comfrey into the soil as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 That's if the girls don't eat it first! Our comfrey is sadly lacking - but lots of shoots now it's all fenced off. We have laid comfrey leaves on the soil around the toms to rot down. When you look underneath there are always slugs and snails - pick them off for the hens. I gather comfrey has the most nutrients and vitamins for plant food, but I have some Epsom salts to hand because I don't think it has enough magnesium in it for the toms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I picked up two pots of comfrey from the church plant sale for 50p. I just thought it looked nice. So what do I do with it? What is it good for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Comfrey contains most of the trace elements for healthy plants - chop it back, put it in a bin and let the juice drain out into a container. Stinks to high heaven, but it needs diluting when watering plants with it. Or you can make ointment with it - it is very versatile! Just plant it in a place that is out of the way because depending on type, it can be invasive (it's the Russian one that's the best). The roots are very strong and will pop up from a little sliver, so be careful. Just chop it back before it flowers, and you can carry on throught the season harvesting it. I'm sure I've forgotten something, but this is off the cuff and my dinner is pinging on the timer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I have a big comfrey bush with pretty pink flowers. I grew it from seed that I took from a plant in a pub car park a couple of years ago. It is so pretty and there are so many insects on it at the moment i am loathed to cut it down. I was going to get my OH to rotavate some into the ground when he did our small allotment plot the other day but I forgot and now he has green manure sown on that patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
