Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing FAQs and other Information => Topic started by: shaun on May 09, 2007, 20:36

Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 09, 2007, 20:36
i cant remember where i seen this in a book on the telly or the net but it was drain pipe with a collecting bottle at the bottom.
basically you shove your leaves in the top followed by a weight of some kind to compress the leaves,and out of the bottom comes the black stuff in neat form,has anyone got one of these ?
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Allotment Gardening on May 09, 2007, 20:52
I pack comfrey leaves into strong plastic sacks (forestry sacks).  Tie neck loosely & leave inverted over the top of a plastic dustbin (inside shed).  Neat stuff, as you say.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 09, 2007, 21:41
so how much neat black stuff do you get from a sack full dave?
and what ratio do you dilute for your crops?
this one i seen was realy tidy it was attached to the side of a shed looked just like a drain pipe about 6' high he just kep topping it up with new leaves.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Allotment Gardening on May 09, 2007, 22:22
My method ain't tidy, granted.   These are big sacks ... maybe a gallon over the space of 4 - 6 weeks??   Dilute about 20 : 1 maybe.  These are both guesses.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: noshed on May 10, 2007, 12:27
I tried the pipe method but it seemed to take ages. I just bung some leaves into an onion bag and put it in a bucket of water with a brick to hold it down. Then stand well back.
I dilute it to pale tea colour and try not to breathe too near it.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: agapanthus on May 10, 2007, 13:57
Is this what you mean Shaun?
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r241/annanic/comfrey.jpg)
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 10, 2007, 21:19
thats the one aggy thanks for that  :wink:
ive made a drainpipe one pictures to follow i had a bit of square drain pipe some plastic bottles and a watering can rose 2 empty redbull cans filled with grout(cement and water) and a bit of string. 8)

noshed how long was your drain pipe ?
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: noshed on May 11, 2007, 00:25
About a metre or so.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 11, 2007, 19:38
ive made mine 3m long if it works ok .i will make a load of them and line up on the shed wall like soldiers  :wink:

how long would you keep the black stuff in bottles for guys?
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: noshed on May 11, 2007, 22:32
Not long. It is the stinkiest thing since the last most stinky thing you've smelt.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Allotment Gardening on May 11, 2007, 22:59
Quote from: noshed
Not long. It is the stinkiest thing since the last most stinky thing you've smelt.
Naw ... I reckon it's smellier than that.

But I have kept it from one season to the next.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: ytyynycefn on May 14, 2007, 14:54
Would the drainpipe thingy work with nettles?  My comfrey isn't big enough to start harvesting yet.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 14, 2007, 17:08
not sure about nettles mel,give it a go.
i rigged mine up yesterday and filled it up with leaves and all  8)
now one thing i must add is the drain pipe is to small unless you have the patience to cut it up into tiny bits,so i'm going to make one out of 150mm soil/drain pipe.watch this space :wink:
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Trillium on May 15, 2007, 01:25
Is the comfrey concentrate made simply from the leaves rotting or is it compaction or is a bit of water added? I've never seen or heard anything like it, but I've now got comfrey plants growing at the property line.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on May 15, 2007, 20:13
just put the leaves and all in trillium no water its just the juices of the plant,like i said above i put it up on sunday morning and this evening theres about half an inch of black stuff in the collecting bottle 8)
Title: Re: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Jim T on May 17, 2007, 19:45
Quote from: "shaun"
i cant remember where i seen this in a book on the telly or the net but it was drain pipe with a collecting bottle at the bottom.
basically you shove your leaves in the top followed by a weight of some kind to compress the leaves,and out of the bottom comes the black stuff in neat form,has anyone got one of these ?


Hey Shaun,
Driving along today in my van I spied a gang of cable layers. Cheeky as out, I stopped and asked them if they ever get any left over 6ft lengths of 6 in, pipe. The kind gentleman said sure you can have that - a length about 15ft.- and he sawed it up for me into 3 nice pieces. :shock:
Let me know if you want me to save you one.
Jim
PS My 20 comfrey plants arrived and are now planted :roll:  8)
Title: Comfrey Dispenser
Post by: Spon on June 15, 2007, 10:55
I have been reading through all these notes about ways of obtaining the benefits of comfrey, thinking to myself - 'what a lot of effort!!!'
Can I suggest filling an old plastic dustbin (or similar container) with comfrey leaves and then pouring water in until the leaves are covered? Leave this brew for a couple of weeks and you have ready made liquid feed. It smells that bad that it must be good. I have tested the benefits on my spuds by watering some with this brew and some with plain water. The difference proves that comfrey water works.
I am new to the forums so please excuse me if this has been suggested before.
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Allotment Gardening on June 15, 2007, 11:03
Hi Spon and welcome to the forum.  I find both methods very useful, the method you describe gives a dilute fertiliser; the drip method gives a concentrate which is easily bottled for early-season use the following year.  Handy for keeping at home if your comfrey patch is down at the allotment.
Title: Re: Comfrey Dispenser
Post by: Jim T on June 15, 2007, 16:50
Quote from: "Spon"
I have been reading through all these notes about ways of obtaining the benefits of comfrey, thinking to myself - 'what a lot of effort!!!'
Can I suggest filling an old plastic dustbin (or similar container) with comfrey leaves and then pouring water in until the leaves are covered? Leave this brew for a couple of weeks and you have ready made liquid feed. It smells that bad that it must be good.
Hi Spon, Yeah .......... :evil: That is the very reason why I am using Shaun's pipe method. The plot next door but one has the tub and it smells so orrible that my wife would not allow. I am busy designing how to make my comfrey tea air-tight (well, almost) so to be pong-proof.  :wink: Jim
Title: comfrey dispenser
Post by: shaun on June 15, 2007, 21:04
it will still smell jim when you use it on your veg etc i'm getting used to it now  8)

back to the comfrey device i have had 2 500ml coke bottles of it so far and my toms at home are just loving it i swear you can see them growing.
still want to make a bigger one havnt had the time yet but its on my to-do list
Title: Re: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Jim T on June 19, 2007, 23:22
Quote from: "shaun"
i cant remember where i seen this in a book on the telly or the net but it was drain pipe with a collecting bottle at the bottom.
basically you shove your leaves in the top followed by a weight of some kind to compress the leaves,and out of the bottom comes the black stuff in neat form,has anyone got one of these ?

 :D Hi Shaun.
I have 20 strong comfrey plants now and have made my first pipe and piston. I have fitted a cap to keep rain water out,
I cant remember what you said about when to start putting the leavesin the pipe - do I wait until some of the leaves start to wilt or can I start now with the biggest leaves ?........some  are as big as yuor hand.
PS ... Have eaten some of the pak choi and very nice too.
And the toms you gave me have just started to fruit so I have just started to feed them :D  :D
What's growing best down there :?: Jim
Title: Re: comfrey dispenser
Post by: Allotment Gardening on June 19, 2007, 23:46
Quote from: Jim T : Thu May 17, 2007
My 20 comfrey plants arrived and are now planted
  :shock: I'd advise against cutting them when they've only been in a month JT.   One light cut later in the season if you can't wait until next.