Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big three, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. It becomes a good source of nitrogen.
Is comfrey high in nitrogen?
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.
What does comfrey do to soil?
Comfrey's roots break up heavy clay and creating channels for aeration and better water absorption, similar to dandelion roots. Over time, its decomposing leaves and roots enrich and condition the soil. This dual action of decomposing leaves and roots can help improve marginal land.
How much nitrogen is in comfrey?
The nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) ratio of dried comfrey leaves is 1.8-0.5-5.3; comfrey also contains calcium.
Is comfrey low in nitrogen?
The high level of nitrogen in comfrey and the low carbon / nitrogen ratio, means that it is not really suited to making compost on its own. It is, however, an ideal activator for the general compost heat.
17 related questions foundHow does comfrey fix nitrogen?
Comfrey is high in just about every nutrient a plant needs, including the big three, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and many trace elements. Its high carbon to nitrogen value means that it does not deplete nitrogen from the soil, as it decomposes. It becomes a good source of nitrogen.
Is comfrey safe as a fertilizer?
The large hairy leaves are an excellent source of the three macro-nutrients found in fertilizer. As such, it makes an excellent liquid fertilizer or composted tea to feed plants and help reduce insect pests. Making comfrey tea for plants is easy and requires no special skills or tools.
Is comfrey fertilizer good for tomatoes?
By harvesting the leaves and letting them break down, you'll have a rich, dark, nutrient-rich plant food to use around the garden. It's especially rich in potassium, making it the ideal feed to promote flowers and fruits in a range of plants, including tomatoes.
What is the NPK of comfrey fertilizer?
Comfrey's NPK profile is 1.8- . 5-5.3.
What is the NPK of comfrey?
The NPK (nitrogen-phosporous-potassium) breakdown of comfrey leaves is 1.80-0.50-5.30 for true comfrey and that last number bumps up to 7.09 for Russian comfrey.
Is comfrey good for potatoes?
On potatoes Comfrey has an almost perfect ratio of nitrogen, potash and phosphorous. In comparison with farmyard manure, Hills shows it has more nitrogen, twice as much potash, but less phosphorous. It is an ideal potato and tomato food.
Is comfrey good for worm farms?
I did some additional reading the other day and was pleased to discover that comfrey leaves decompose quite rapidly if chopped up and moistened – it sounded like a great way to make them more worm/microbe friendly!
Is comfrey a green manure?
Additionally, comfrey leaves are used as a green manure and mulch, being cut, then spread over planting beds and left to decompose on site, further helping to condition soils.
Is comfrey a bio accumulator?
All of us who have studied permaculture have heard some impressive claims about comfrey. It is a dynamic nutrient accumulator; it improves the soil; it is “a slow motion fountain” of nutrients, bringing them up from the subsoil to improve the topsoil.
What are nitrogen fixing plants?
Nitrogen-fixing plants are those whose roots are colonized by certain bacteria that extract nitrogen from the air and convert or “fix” it into a form required for their growth. When the bacteria are done with this nitrogen, it becomes available to the plants, themselves.
Is comfrey feed high in potash?
Comfrey is rich in potassium (K), which is required for fruit production, and also contains potash (P) and nitrogen (N). A liquid comfrey feed has a higher NPK ratio than farmyard manure. Comfrey is also one of the few plants to contain vitamin B12, so it's a rich source of food for plants.
Which plants like comfrey feed?
Potassium deficiency, however, is more common. I grow a row of comfrey to provide a potassium-rich feed for tomatoes, gooseberries, currants and my two citrus trees, and as a boost to containerised flowers such as pelargoniums and brugmansias.
What is the difference between borage and comfrey?
It's easy to tell comfrey and borage apart when they bloom. Borage flowers are always blue while comfrey flowers bloom in white, pink and purple. The flowers have different shapes, as well, with comfrey flowers shaped like bells and borage flowers like stars.
Can you use comfrey in compost?
Place cut or bruised comfrey leaves in alternate layers throughout your compost heap. Their decomposition will encourage bacterial action causing the heap to heat up and speed up the composting process. Use as a mulch.
Is comfrey good for lawns?
Yes, you could use Comfrey tea as a liquid organic lawn feed for a very poor lawn or use just once a year to give it a boost.
Does comfrey like clay soil?
Comfrey thrives in clay soil with plenty of moisture in zones 3-9; however, it is quite adaptable and tolerates a wide variety of conditions. Depending on the environment, Comfrey can reach heights of 3 to 5 feet tall on thick, hairy stems.