Topic: Non-smelly comfrey liquid!

[caroline7758]

I opened the bin on my comfrey bin this morning to mix some in with the water for feeding my plants, and it didn't smell! Does this mean it will not be so effective, or does it naturally lose its smell eventually? (This is left over from last year, obviously). Should I give it a stir?

[Chrispy]

The smell comes from bacteria.

Once the bacterias food source runs out then the smell will stop, you could say your tea is fully brewed, so should now be at it's best.

The smell is not actually a good thing.
It does show the bacteria are doing their work, but it is the wrong type of bacteria.
If you stir the mix more often to introduce more oxygen then you will get less bad anaerobic bacteria and more good aerobic bacteria and it will smell less.

[caroline7758]

Thanks, Chrispy, that's useful info. I'm now wondering, would it be best to keep this "good stuff" separate,and start a new bin when my comfrey is next ready for cutting, or would it improve the quality of the new stuff?

[telboy]

If it's useful info.
Last year I stuffed a large plastic container with comfry leaves, put the lid on and left it. After a few weeks I recharged the container and left it again. Inspecting again earlier this year, I found very little vegitation but a couple of glass measures of odourless liquid.
Diluted, this could be a good plant feed. I shall repeat this year as I now have a couple more containers (and lots of comfry).
What do you think?

[Digeroo]

Has anyone tried adding yoghurt to see if that makes it smell better.

[irridium]

I always thought that the potency of comfrey (and others) diminishes over a certain time, and that it wouldn't keep for the following year. mind you, that hasn't stopped me from reusing mine from last year. i've just fed my ornamentals with this today.

[Chrispy]

I was forgetting that low temperatures also slow things down, so this also may contribute to the lack of smell, so may smell again as it warms up, but nothing like fresh stuff.

The chemicals will eventually break down, same as any liquid feed, don't know how fast, but the amount of heat and light will effect it, so storing last years through the coming summer would not be a good idea.

I would use up any you have for the spring feeds and then make fresh for later on.

I prefer to do what telboy says, make a hole in the bottom of a bucket, stuff full for comfrey, brick to compress it and place over another bucket to collect the liquid.
No water = Lots of oxygen = No bad bacteria = No Smell

Dilute this, I think 15:1, and use as a liquid feed.

[gazza1960]

ima comfrey fan but did a small experiment last season...yes you recall that crap year we had,well I did a side by side compaired to bladderwrack
sea weed in a bucket and found on my Losetto Bush toms in the polly tunnel that the sea weed fed tommies faired better than the comfrey fed bush,I know this was a one off trial but im keen to bring home some more weed from my fishing trips to see if another side by side trial works on our San Marzano Plums ....will be interested to see what happens.

I do know one thing though.....the Tatters luv it......

Gazza

[gavinjconway]

Gazza - I didn't think spuds liked comfrey tea.. thanks for the tip. I have a big water but for making it and actually poured the remains out at the year end last season so will start again when mine is big enough for the first cutting..

[gazza1960]

sorry Gavin,I didnt mean the comfrey,I meant the seaweed,I got around 20 + bags of fresh bladderwrack from my fishing outings after speaking to a fishing mate in Jersey who gets tonnes of it from his local coastline and instead of earthing up his tatter tops when they come thru the dirt he surrounds
the growth with seaweed then some top soil,I did this last term and had some great results,I had read that the salt content would effect the tatters but I didnt notice any problems.

I DONT use comfrey on potatoes.
Gazza

[telboy]

Chrispy,
LIKE IT.
Production line coming up!!!

[gavinjconway]

Ok Gazza... just wondering..

[aj]

Here's the design I use for the liquid.

I also chop and put it directly in with compost when potting up tomatoes and chillis.

http://linearlegume.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/comfrey-and-nettle-gunk-pipes.html