Liquid feeds provide plants with nutrients in a readily available form. Organic principles are all about feeding the soil, not specifically the plant, but there are times when a plant needs a tonic.
You can make your own homemade liquid feeds from manures, plant and animal wastes or you can buy them in your local garden centre. They provide a short-term solution if you are trying to grow nutrient-loving plants in a poor soil.
I have used seaweed, nettles and comfrey as ingredients in the past to great benefit. Young seedlings will need a liquid feed if planting is delayed, which can often happen in Ireland, so it’s very handy to have a supply at the ready (potting compost will only have enough nutrients to last six to eight weeks). Homemade liquid feeds can be a bit smelly, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
nettle feed
Nettles make a fantastic “pick-me-up” general purpose feed and they are totally free. This is the best time to cut them as they contain the highest level of nitrogen in springtime, when they are young. Nettle feed is used to encourage plenty of green growth.
For nettle tea you will need:
A decent pair of strong gloves and long sleeved top, so you don’t sting yourselfA pair of garden clippersA hessian bagA few stones or bricks20 litres of water, collected rainwater is preferableA decent bunch of nettlesA container that will hold 20 litres of water with a lidCut the nettles before they flower, chop them up well and put them into the hessian sack and tie the sack with twine. You then stick it into the end of the barrel/container and put a heavy stone on the sack to weigh it down and fill up the barrel with water.
If you don’t have a barrel with a lid you can use any container that will hold water and cover it with whatever you have available (for instance a board and brick to hold it in place).
The reason for the lid is to keep the smell at bay. You probably would be well advised to place your nettle feed station at the back of the garden.
After about three weeks, the feed should be ready to use. Mix it at a ratio of one part feed to 10 parts water and pour around your plants. This feed is brilliant for any plants that require high levels of nitrogen.
IMPORTANT: As always, take care when storing any water where children might be playing.
Comfrey Feed
If you are lucky enough to have comfrey already growing in your garden, you can make this feed up very easily. Otherwise buy a plant this year and once the plant has established, you can start stripping its leaves for use in feeds. Follow the same instructions for nettle feed, replacing the nettles with comfrey leaves.
Comfrey is very easy to grow and the leaves break down very fast, so the goodness is released quickly.
Be careful not to use on acid-loving plants, as comfrey is a little alkaline. It is high in potash and is used to encourage the development of flowers and fruit, like strawberries.
Be sure to wear gloves as it can irritate the skin.
Comfrey Concentrate
I set up a comfrey concentrate collection post in my garden. It is simple to do: all you need is an old water bottle, a length of drainpipe, a container to collect the concentrate and, of course, a comfrey plant.
You cut off the bottom of the bottle and attach it spout end turned down to a short length of drainpipe. Attached to a timber stake positioned right next to a clump of comfrey, you simply cut or pull the leaves using gloves and push them to the end of the drainpipe and allow the rain to fall in as they rot.
You will end up with a fabulous black liquid concentrate feeding into the water bottle and dripping into a container for collection.
After a few weeks, that can be diluted at a ratio of one part comfrey to about 20 parts water. Keep feeding leaves through the drainpipe and you will have a continuous supply of natural, free liquid feed. However, do remember to do this well away from where children are playing. CL
Contact
Maura Sheehy runs Maura’s Cottage Flowers near Tralee in Co Kerry, supplying cut flowers for weddings and businesses. Call 087 061 2622 or visit www.maurascottage
flowers.com
Liquid feeds provide plants with nutrients in a readily available form. Organic principles are all about feeding the soil, not specifically the plant, but there are times when a plant needs a tonic.
You can make your own homemade liquid feeds from manures, plant and animal wastes or you can buy them in your local garden centre. They provide a short-term solution if you are trying to grow nutrient-loving plants in a poor soil.
I have used seaweed, nettles and comfrey as ingredients in the past to great benefit. Young seedlings will need a liquid feed if planting is delayed, which can often happen in Ireland, so it’s very handy to have a supply at the ready (potting compost will only have enough nutrients to last six to eight weeks). Homemade liquid feeds can be a bit smelly, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
nettle feed
Nettles make a fantastic “pick-me-up” general purpose feed and they are totally free. This is the best time to cut them as they contain the highest level of nitrogen in springtime, when they are young. Nettle feed is used to encourage plenty of green growth.
For nettle tea you will need:
A decent pair of strong gloves and long sleeved top, so you don’t sting yourselfA pair of garden clippersA hessian bagA few stones or bricks20 litres of water, collected rainwater is preferableA decent bunch of nettlesA container that will hold 20 litres of water with a lidCut the nettles before they flower, chop them up well and put them into the hessian sack and tie the sack with twine. You then stick it into the end of the barrel/container and put a heavy stone on the sack to weigh it down and fill up the barrel with water.
If you don’t have a barrel with a lid you can use any container that will hold water and cover it with whatever you have available (for instance a board and brick to hold it in place).
The reason for the lid is to keep the smell at bay. You probably would be well advised to place your nettle feed station at the back of the garden.
After about three weeks, the feed should be ready to use. Mix it at a ratio of one part feed to 10 parts water and pour around your plants. This feed is brilliant for any plants that require high levels of nitrogen.
IMPORTANT: As always, take care when storing any water where children might be playing.
Comfrey Feed
If you are lucky enough to have comfrey already growing in your garden, you can make this feed up very easily. Otherwise buy a plant this year and once the plant has established, you can start stripping its leaves for use in feeds. Follow the same instructions for nettle feed, replacing the nettles with comfrey leaves.
Comfrey is very easy to grow and the leaves break down very fast, so the goodness is released quickly.
Be careful not to use on acid-loving plants, as comfrey is a little alkaline. It is high in potash and is used to encourage the development of flowers and fruit, like strawberries.
Be sure to wear gloves as it can irritate the skin.
Comfrey Concentrate
I set up a comfrey concentrate collection post in my garden. It is simple to do: all you need is an old water bottle, a length of drainpipe, a container to collect the concentrate and, of course, a comfrey plant.
You cut off the bottom of the bottle and attach it spout end turned down to a short length of drainpipe. Attached to a timber stake positioned right next to a clump of comfrey, you simply cut or pull the leaves using gloves and push them to the end of the drainpipe and allow the rain to fall in as they rot.
You will end up with a fabulous black liquid concentrate feeding into the water bottle and dripping into a container for collection.
After a few weeks, that can be diluted at a ratio of one part comfrey to about 20 parts water. Keep feeding leaves through the drainpipe and you will have a continuous supply of natural, free liquid feed. However, do remember to do this well away from where children are playing. CL
Contact
Maura Sheehy runs Maura’s Cottage Flowers near Tralee in Co Kerry, supplying cut flowers for weddings and businesses. Call 087 061 2622 or visit www.maurascottage
flowers.com
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