Oganic gardening for beginners

Important facts about comfrey: (Symphytum Officinale) Is a wonder plant. My secret weapon for growing tomatoes is comfrey...

Comfrey is a common name for plants in the genus Symphytum. Comfrey species are important herbs in organic gardening. It is used as a fertilizer and as an herbal medicine.

Comfreys deep roots work to bring nutrients up from the subsoil. These nutrients are then made available in the abundant number of leaves it produces every year (4-5 lbs of leaves per established plant/per year. The leaves are rich in Nitrogen and potassium with phosphorus making them a wonderful homegrown fertilizer.

The NPK(nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium) of comfrey is 1.80 - 0.50 - 5.30.

Comfrey is an ideal fertilizer for plants that produce flowers, seeds and fruit for which potassium is an essential component.

You can also make a concentrated liquid fertilizer out of comfrey with a NPK ratio of about 8 - 2.60 - 20.50. You will have to dilute this before you use it. The leaves are also full of silica, calcium, iron, magnesium and other essential nutrients to help fruiting plants thrive.

There are many great ways to use comfrey around the garden.

*Mulch - leaves can be cut and left to wilt for a couple of days before piling them around hungry plants such as tomatoes and potatoes as thick mulch.

*Dig In - Wilted leaves can be dug into the ground that is being prepaired for a new crop and will break down to give an excellent feed.

*Liquid fertilizer- Comfrey leaves can be crammed into a large container with a hole in the bottom with a smaller container underneath to catch the thick black liquid gold which will be produced in a few weeks. Weighing the comfrey down with an old brick will help the process now some people add water but doing it this way will make the comfrey tea smell awful. Once produced the liquid should be diluted 15:1 with water before you use it as a leaf feed for plants such as tomatoes.

* Potting soil - Comfrey leaves can be shredded and mixed with leaf mold to produce a balanced soil for plants in pots, although it is a little strong for your seedlings.

* Compost Activator - Adding high nitrogen sources is a great way to boost "hot composting" if you have the right balance of green and brown shredded material. Comfrey being high in nitrogen, is ideal for this and should be well combined with the whole mixture rather than adding it as a layer.

To help prevent disease and fertilize your plants, diluted and strained comfrey tea can be made into a foliage spray by adding a few drops of a gentle liquid soap to the mix which helps the spray stick to the leaves. You can use a watering can with a gentle pour, but a garden sprayer will work better. Before you add your diluted liquid comfrey to the can or sprayer, strain the liquid through muslin or another fine filter or your likely to clog the nozzle rather quickly. Make sure to spray the underside and top of the leaves.

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