[princesslayer]

Hello,

Does anyone know if I can soak chicken manure and use it like a plant tea?  I don't want to scorch the plants as I know chicken manure can be a bit lively.  Its fresh out of the shed.

I've also soaked some of the sheep daggings (pooey bits of wool clipped from the back end, for non- sheepy people) in a bucket and have heard I can make a tea out of that.  Is it likely to be a problem if I use it too strong?

Thanks!

[Fleecewife]

The dag tea is great stuff.  Just dilute it in the watering can so it's the colour of a cuppa you'd make for yourself and it will work wonders.  You can put sheep droppings in a hessian sack and make a tea from them too ("More tea, Vicar?"  )

I've never done the same with hen poop as I'm wary of its strength and burning ability too.  Maybe add that to the compost heap and let it break down for 6 months to be sure.

There's also nettle tea, which stinks but works well and of course comfrey tea which doesn't stink quite as much.

[princesslayer]

Thanks! Can you buy comfrey seeds? I've never grown it, but can only find the plants advertised?

[Fleecewife]

Thanks! Can you buy comfrey seeds? I've never grown it, but can only find the plants advertised?

The best comfrey for the garden is a variety called Bocking 14, which was developed by the Henry Doubleday Trust.  This doesn't grow from seed at all, so any comfrey seed offered for sale is not that variety.  The major drawback of other varieties is that because they grow from seed, they will spread absolutely everywhere.  Bocking 14 does spread, but by bits of root - it sprouts very readily, even when dug in.  Bocking 14 is I believe much bulkier than the wild types - I see a yellow/cream flowered version growing on the roadsides, but it's small. The real stuff grows about 4 feet tall when in flower, is absolutely loved by bees, especially bumblebees, and can be cut for use four times a year.  It really is great stuff.  My sheep love it, so it's planted just the other side of many of our mesh fences, and the sheep graze on the leaves which grow through the wire, without destroying the plant.

I'm not sure where you live princesslayer, but if you are close to me I have masses of the stuff and you are welcome to come and dig some up to start your own plants.  The tiny bits of root offered for sale are pathetic and expensive, when the stuff grows like weeds once established.

[princesslayer]

Thanks fleecewife!  I'm in Hampshire, near Basingstoke.  Do you have permanent areas of it then?  I guess if it keeps going like a weed it gets a bit out of control?  If I grew some in with the sheep would they completely decimate it?!

[HesterF]

I'm growing comfrey from seed at the moment - they went out a few weeks ago and are now avoiding the slugs quite successfully. They won't be big enough to harvest until next year though. They're in a bed which is on the North side of a low wall so not great for growing much else and previously full of weeds so I'll not mind if they spread. In fact, I might coplant with mint (which is proving rubbish in pots) and let them fight it out.

I believe a tea with borage in as well is even better - I think there was another magic ingredient too but can't remember what (wasn't chicken poo though!).

[artscott]

I think the other secret ingredient is a little recycled wine or beer!

My compost tea has nettles, comfrey, sheep poo and the above.  It smells so bad you just know it’s perfect for the plants.
!

[Jukes Mum]

I'm really intrigued by this thread as I have cumfrey, borrige, nettles, sheep and some very hungry tomato plants! How does one go about making these teas?

[cloddopper]

Hello,

Does anyone know if I can soak chicken manure and use it like a plant tea?  I don't want to scorch the plants as I know chicken manure can be a bit lively.  Its fresh out of the shed.

I've also soaked some of the sheep daggings (pooey bits of wool clipped from the back end, for non- sheepy people) in a bucket and have heard I can make a tea out of that.  Is it likely to be a problem if I use it too strong?

Thanks!

 Chicken muck in a sack, soaked suspended in a barrel of water is a magic elixir .
in the 1950's & later Dad used to " brew "  it in an un topped 50 gallon steel drum , Use a poly woven sack  ,they last much longer than the old hessian sacks .

If you throw a kilo of brown sugar into the water as a couple of pints of very hot water with it dissolved in it and then introduce the sack of muck the sugar will feed the yeasts as well which is an added benefit for the plants as the yeast help break down rotting manure & old vegetation roots to produce the nutritional juices that plants love to drink via their hair roots. 
.
Stir it every day for a week  ,it will start to go green  and then use it diluted at 50 /50 or less  ,  when the barrel level gets to half way down recharge with more brown sugar and more water to the top & stir . You should be able to get two half  barrels & one final barrel of plant feed.  feed .

Don't put it on the carrots and parsnips the high nitrogen content will make the go fork rooted . don't put it on salad crops foliage or any other foliar/ above ground  crop that you will be eating raw nor put it on strawberries unless you can guarantee that all strawberries will be boiled silly & made into jam........ you don't want E Coli


 You can make Comfrey up in the same manner , chop it into 3 to 4 inch long bits . bruise it well with a lump of wood to get it rotting quicker and stuff the sack as full as you can then suspend it in the sugared water butt.

 This comfrey liquid feed is primarily  used as a tomato feed , any leavings in the sack can be added to the compost heap or put in next years 2 foot deep bean .trench along with all other  garden veg waste ,

[artscott]

Oh! and don't get it on your hands when it's neat.  I doesn't burn or anything but I spashed some that soaked my hand last week and I coudn't wash the smell off for three days.  I had to clean my teeth with my left hand as my right hand smelt so bad.
 
But my vegetables love it, they are growing like stink!

[Lesley Silvester]