Kitchen Garden Forum

Can someone give me some answers about making comfry fertiliser, please?
1. do I use whole plant or just the leaves
2. how long after adding water before it starts to smell bad,
3. for how long does it smell,
4. can it be stored for any length of time, neat or ready diluted.
For instance could I tip a bucket full into a butt of water and use over a few weeks?

Use the leaves;if made as a concentrate will not smell;no idea on how long it can be stored;concentrate should be cut 10-1 you would need a heck of a lot for a water butt at that rate(depending on size of butt a 200 litre water butt would need 20 litres)May be best to dilute concentrate in watering can.

If you go to iPlayer and watch last week's gardeners world, there was a lady who made concentrate with no water, and it didn't smell. It was dead easy too.

I agree made it for years now, I actually use an old bucket with a tap on it and weigh down the leaves, stalks etc.
Absolutely no smell!
Hilary

Thanks for replies. It seems it's the stems that make it smell then?

I don't make any liquid with it at all. I just cut the leaves (usually two to three times during spring and summer) and lay them on the vegetable beds. It's amazing how quickly they disappear and I suppose all the 'goodness' will therefore go into the ground.

I soaked comfrey in water once and the smell was dreadful.
I plan to try the dry method next year, I don't grow comfrey at the moment but will make a space for it for next year (with separation from everything else).