Time for tea

This month Rob Smith is talking tea; not for human consumption of course but the kind your plants will thank you for

- Rob Smith

When it comes to growing fruit and veg we all know that different plants need different levels of feed and differing nutrients to perform to their best in the garden. There are lots of different fertilisers and feeds on the market for almost every plant you can think of, but they can be quite expensive, especially if you are feeding all the plants on your allotment or veg garden. Therefore, why not have a go at making your own fertilisers from plants and other things you’ll readily find or can grow in your garden or allotment?

One of my favourite fertilisers that I’m constantly making in the garden is comfrey ‘tea’; but don’t think it’s a tea that you can drink; it’s a ‘tea’ or liquid feed for your plants. It’s not for human consumption (and neither are any other ‘teas’ you can make for the garden).

COMFREY TEA

I grow a sterile variety of comfrey called ‘Bocking 14’, which is known for having a higher nutrient content than regular comfrey and doesn’t spread like wildfire, so it won’t take over your allotment or pop up all over the garden. ‘Bocking 14’ was made popular by Lawrence Hills, who was the founder of the Henry Doubleday Research Association, which is now known as Garden Organic. They are huge advocates of using comfrey in the garden and how it can feed your plants. Comfrey makes a great plant feed for anything that fruits or flowers as it is high in potassium, which is needed by plants for good harvests and bumper blooms.