[kennethc]

Hi

I'm interested in concocting some homemade liquid feeds for fruit & veg on the allotment.  Instead of buying tomato or off-the-shelf bottled feeds I would like to know if anyone has had any success with developing feeds for the following items:

potatoes
tomatoes
broad/runner beans
strawberries

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Kenneth

[Beetroot queen]

I use comfrey tea on most things or nettle tea.
I dont tend to do anything specific for each plant they need to learn to accept what they get bit like hubby needs to learn with his dinner. 

[Dai]

Im also about to start making nettle tea, and want to look at buying comfrey to make a patch because thats apparently the best thing you can make feed out of so im interested in seeing what replies come of this post.

Im also interested in knowing what veg you shouldnt use it on and im also worried i might make it too strong.

[bigben]

... and want to look at buying comfrey to make a patch because thats apparently the best thing you can make feed out of so im interested in seeing what replies come of this post.

Buy it? Last year a friend let me dig up a bit of his comfrey. After splitting the roots and planting out into pots I now have over a dozen plants. Ask around on your your site for anyone who could spare you a bit of root and plant it up. Pretty quickly you should have your own patch. I use the tea with most plants, onions, garlic, spuds, toms, chillis etc. I have been know to do a cut just to add to my compost heap to enrich it if I have leaves spare.

[viettaclark]

I have some chicken pellets that have gone like runny mud in the bag (it obviously leaks and let in rain) so I've been mixing with water in the can for a feed.
Stinks! So maybe it's doing good!

[Baldy]

I've got a big plastic waste bin that catches water from the shed - into which I dump nettles and leave to brew - the other plot holders a probably thankful that I've got a corner plot 'cos the smell is very 'agricultural'. I use it as a general purpose fertilizer - when I remember I water it down to about 1:10. Its got decent amounts of nitrogen I believe - so useful for leafs...
I've just got hold of some comfrey - that's got more potassium in it I think - so has an impact when plants are fruiting. Some people simply add comfrey leaves to their potato trenches - I'll be trying that next year - along with a comfrey brew...
Might also be worth considering drowning/rotting weeds in a bucket of water - as far as I understand it those weeds that can be killed off this way will release their nutrients into the water.
I've also used chicken pellets in watering can - again as a general purpose feed thats gone on to my grass like leek seedlings in a bid to get them bulking up.

Cheers,
Balders

[homegrown]

Stinging nettles ?

[Totty]

I use three types. Nettles for nitrogen, comfrey for potassium, and sheep manure after steeping for runner beans 

Totty

[tomboy]

On our allotment we grow comfrey no feed is better for herbs tomato peppers and  laying the leaves at the bottom of your potato trenches, but the only problem with comfrey it can spread (but very easy to grow).So Find a decent container place quite a few comfrey leaves in it, place an heavy weight to press down the leaves cover the container (with lid) then leave to rot down, when it really smells pour the liquid in a bottle, and water it down till it has the colour of straw ( 13 percent water to one percent comfrey ) you can do the same thing with stinging nettles but water that down a lot more as this can burn your plants if too strong. hope this helps you. 

[Kirpi]

Comfrey tea
Comfrey liquor
Nettle tea
Nettle liquor
and diluted down urine

also have a drowning bin where I submerge any perrenials like dandelions and such and use the tea from the assorted perennials rotting in it - a kind of general feed.

[devonbarmygardener]

Comfrey is pretty rampant - I'm sure another plot holder would let you have a bit.

[solway cropper]

I'm lucky in living by the coast so I make a lot of seaweed tea but you do need to check any local bye-laws before gathering it. Normally in rural areas it's OK but if you live in Southport or Brighton it might be different!

Also use my own pee and steep all perennial weeds for a few weeks before composting them.

[Kirpi]

Ah yes - seaweed tea. I've got a nice binful of seaweed and rainwater brewing away as we speak!