Organic Feeding 101.

Chronikool

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
Mashpotato Johnson said:
Some additional notes on the use of COMFREY as a fertilizer. Taken from wiki here.

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Fertilizer uses[edit]

Comfrey is a particularly valuable source of fertility to the organic gardener. It is very deep rooted and acts as a dynamic accumulator,[SUP][citation needed][/SUP] mining a host of nutrients from the soil. These are then made available through its fast-growing leaves (up to 4-5 pounds per plant per cut) which, lacking fibres, quickly break down to a thick black liquid. There is also no risk of nitrogen robbery when comfrey is dug into the soil as the C:N ratio of the leaves is lower than that of well-rotted compost. Comfrey is an excellent source of potassium, an essential plant nutrient needed for flower, seed and fruit production. Its leaves contain 2-3 times more potassium than farmyard manure, mined from deep in the subsoil, tapping into reserves that would not normally be available to plants.[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]
There are various ways in which comfrey can be used as a fertilizer. These include:[SUP][citation needed][/SUP]

  • Comfrey as a compost activator - include comfrey in the compost heap to add nitrogen and help to heat the heap. Comfrey should not be added in quantity as it will quickly break down into a dark sludgy liquid that needs to be balanced with more fibrous, carbon-rich material.
  • Comfrey liquid fertilizer - can be produced by either rotting leaves down in rainwater for 4–5 weeks to produce a ready-to-use 'comfrey tea', or by stacking dry leaves under a weight in a container with a hole in the base. When the leaves decompose a thick black comfrey concentrate is collected. This must be diluted at 15:1 before use.
  • Comfrey as a mulch or side dressing - a two-inch layer of comfrey leaves placed around a crop will slowly break down and release plant nutrients; it is especially useful for crops that need extra potassium, such as fruit bearers but also reported to do well for potatoes. Comfrey can be slightly wilted before application optionally but either way, avoid using flowering stems as these can root.
  • Comfrey potting mixture - originally devised to utilize peat, now environmental awareness has led to a leaf mold-based alternative being adopted instead; two year old, well decayed leaf mold should be used, this will absorb the nutrient-rich liquid released by the decaying comfrey. In a black plastic sack alternate 7–10 cm (3-4 inch) layers of leaf mold and chopped comfrey leaves. Add a little dolomitic limestone to slightly raise pH. Leave for between 2–5 months depending on the season, checking that it does not dry out or become too wet. The mixture is ready when the comfrey leaves have rotted and are no longer visible. Use as a general potting compost, although it is too strong for seedlings.[SUP][3"[/SUP]
[SUP]
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I found this super informative as I have an over abundance of the stuff where I live.
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Love comfrey!....use it a lot in my flowering plants and compost bin....i dont let my comfrey plants flower though...3 is plenty. :)


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Black liquid gold... :)
 

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Wallflower1

Wallflower1

Member
I was wondering about all the goose poo I encounter, it is very green and looks like it could be very beneficial, the poo is very fresh and has a 2-4-2 profile when dried. I am a newbie, but have always had a no-till organic garden outside, but realize growing indoors and in containers will be a new learning process for me. My thought with the goose crap is that because the goose is a herbivore and eats a lot of marine greens it could be loaded with alot of microorganisms that could benefit the soil. I haven't been able to find anyone who has used it but it seems it would be a boost to the plant right before and during flowering.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
Wallflower1 said:
I was wondering about all the goose poo I encounter, it is very green and looks like it could be very beneficial, the poo is very fresh and has a 2-4-2 profile when dried. I am a newbie, but have always had a no-till organic garden outside, but realize growing indoors and in containers will be a new learning process for me. My thought with the goose crap is that because the goose is a herbivore and eats a lot of marine greens it could be loaded with alot of microorganisms that could benefit the soil. I haven't been able to find anyone who has used it but it seems it would be a boost to the plant right before and during flowering.
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IMO, any manure should go through a thermophilic composting process to kill off any pathogens that may be present. I wouldn't put goose shit right in to your soil.
 
Wallflower1

Wallflower1

Member
goose poop is a very fast decomposer, will try it with my edibles first after I take it out of my bokashi, and use the tea from the bin. I was just curious why nobody has ever mentioned it on any of the forums.
 
DANKSWAG

DANKSWAG

Well-Known Member
st0wandgrow said:
IMO, any manure should go through a thermophilic composting process to kill off any pathogens that may be present. I wouldn't put goose shit right in to your soil.
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I agree, it should be added as part of a Super Soil mix so it can cook "decompose" properly to not only kill but with added air it would help feed the soil and encourage beneficial bacteria growth. If it was placed in a vermi composter "feed em to the worms Danno!" it would be really really B O N Z A I S H E E A TE !

Anywise stay tuned and if you want a good advised in the right place, if you want a go to Guru source to be enlightened in a condensed fashion check out True Living Organics by the Rev. He writes for SKUNK magazine anywise he breaks down some techniques designed for building a layer soil in a container allowing for everything to complete grow. Goes beyond just building a super spoil, goes through techniques as well as uses, sources, applications of organic nutrient and natural inorganic compounds that can be beneficial as well if applied properly. I think more along the lines of natural materials as opposed to synthetics, with a focus on organic.

Anywise start a worm bin and feed the poop (rabbit is good too) and if you have bokashi feed your vegan bokashi to the worms as well.

DankSwag
 
Organix420

Organix420

Member
Great Thread; Thanks nick17gar. I've been using this recipe during veg (per gallon):
2-3 Tbsp High N bat guano
1 Tbsp Water soluble mycorrhizae (Oregonism XL from roots organics)
1 Tbsp Unsulfured molasses

but now I'm about to go to flower and I'm modifying my recipe (per gallon):
2-3 Tbsp High phosphorus bat guano
2 cups worm castings
1 Tbsp Water soluble mycorrhizae (Oregonism XL from roots organics)
1 Tbsp Unsulfured molasses

I'm also considering adding roots organics HPK [0-5-4] which is basically bat guano and langbeinite. Does anybody think that the HPK will be too much? the instructions say use 1tbsp per gallon but I was going to use 1/4tbsp per gallon just in case.
 
NaturalWorksOrganics

NaturalWorksOrganics

Member
I get my organic blackstrap molasses for under $4 for 500ml at a health food store. I wouldn't pay extra for any molasses that says its specifically for plants, thats pure marketing bullshit imo. Mine seems to be working.
 
smokin away

smokin away

Well-Known Member
Been getting into the organic tea ideas. Great thread with many great ideas. One idea I have not noticed is the idea of using a mixture of byproducts from past plants. I have been experimenting with a combo of leaves, stems and even the ash from past joints. Just about anything I would have normally discarded even seed. Last time I aerated with a aquarium pump in a five gallon bucket for about 10 days. Used it straight up and it makes my newbies sooo green. Can't wait to put something else in there. Just ground it up with a mini chopper and put it in an old sock and stuck it in a five gallon bucket of water. Made a batch last summer with the males stuffed in netted bag for about two weeks with no aeration and applied straight up with excellent results. Definitely better than anything I've used yet.
 
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