Make Your Own Plant Food
Feeding your plants doesn’t have to mean buying expensive fertilisers or harming the environment. For years, peat has been used as a fertiliser, but as we’ve learned more about its vital role in preserving the planet, it’s clear we need better alternatives. Peatlands act as carbon sinks, store water, and support diverse ecosystems—yet they take centuries to regenerate. To nourish your garden without damaging nature, why not try making your own plant food with comfrey?
Comfrey, a fast-growing plant with leaves packed full of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, is a natural powerhouse for your garden. By using it to make liquid fertiliser, you’ll create an effective and sustainable plant feed while reducing waste and saving money. Just a quick heads-up: this method works wonders for your plants, but it’s not the most fragrant process!
How long will it take?
How hard is it?
How many people can do it together?
Under 1 hour
Moderate
Participants: Solo or a group project for eco-friendly gardeners
Spring-Summer
a wildish story
What do you need?
A barrel or water butt with a lid Around 1 kg of freshly picked comfrey
Gloves (essential for handling comfrey—it can cause a rash!)
A brick or heavy object to keep the leaves submerged
How to do it.
Harvest the Comfrey Using gloves, cut around 1 kg of comfrey at 5 cm above the soil level.
Don’t worry about taking too much—comfrey grows back rapidly and can be harvested up to five times in a season. Separate the Leaves from the Stems Remove the leaves from the stems. Add the stems and flowers to your compost bin—they aren’t needed for the fertiliser.
Prepare Your Barrel Place the leaves into your barrel or water butt, then cover them with 15 litres of water. Submerge the Leaves Press the leaves down to ensure they’re fully submerged.
If needed, use a brick or heavy object to weigh them down. Cover and Leave to Steep Seal the barrel with its lid to contain the smell. Leave the mixture to steep for 4–6 weeks, allowing the comfrey to break down and release its nutrients.
Be warned, it will smell quite strong! Collect the Liquid Once the comfrey has fully rotted, collect the nutrient-rich liquid. Pour it directly onto your garden soil as a natural fertiliser.
Compost the Leftovers Add the sludge at the bottom of the barrel to your compost bin to ensure nothing goes to waste.