DIY Plant Food

There are many ways to make your own liquid plant feed. Here are few for you to try

COMFREY TEA

If you have a garden, grow comfrey! Comfrey has very deep roots, which means it can get at nutrients from deep in the soil. These nutrients are stored in the leaves and by letting them break down, you’ll have a rich, dark, nutrient-rich plant food to use around the garden. It’s especially rich in potassium, making it the ideal for lots of plants, including tomatoes.

  • Pick the leaves and chop/break them up
  • Pack them tightly into a water-tight container, top up with water and fit a lid
  • It’s a good idea to let it sit in a quiet part of the garden as it gets smelly!
  • Leave to sit until you have a rich, brown liquid
  • When you are ready to use, dilute this liquid further, 1 part to 10 parts fresh water

Alternatively,

  • Pack chopped leaves into a string bag (an empty onion bag for example)
  • Hang bag over the side of a water butt
  • Nutrients will leach into the water to create liquid that can be used straight onto the garden

MANURE TEA

This is an excellent source of nitrogen. You are aiming for a mix of 1 part manure to 5 parts water

  • Take some well-aged manure. It doesn’t really matter what manure you use but it must be well aged.
  • Add some water to a large bucket or other sealable container
  • Shovel the manure into a potato sack or pillowcase and place it in the bucket.
  • Top up with water and cover (it’s like a giant tea bag).
  • Let it sit for one to two weeks.
  • When you’re ready to use it, dilute the liquid further, 1 part “tea” to 16 parts water

COMPOST TEA

Compost tea is made in the same way as manure tea

SEAWEED LIQUID FERTILISER
Have a look on a local beach for the seaweed, you won’t need a huge amount. Don’t take seaweed still attached to rocks or in rockpools. Just take seaweed washed up on the beach.

  • Rinse the seaweed well to remove excess salt
  • Place the seaweed in a bucket, cover with water.
  • Aim for a 1:5 seaweed to water mix
  • Let it sit for about 8 weeks in a dark as the seaweed needs to decompose
  • It’s a good idea to let it sit in a quiet part of the garden as it gets smelly!
  • When ready to use, dilute again to a ratio of 1:2

BANANA PEEL FERTILISER

Banana peel is great for plants, especially roses. It is full of potassium, phosphorus and calcium.

  • Soak two to three banana skins in half a litre of water for a few days
  • When you are ready to use the liquid can go directly onto plants.
  • The soaked peels can go onto the compost.

You can download this information sheet here

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