If you're new to gardening, then the concept of feeding your plants might be a bit confusing. What fertiliser do you need to use? And when do you use a feed? Should you use pellets or a liquid feed?

Out of all the options on the market, you may be interested in a more natural feed that you can make yourself with very little effort. This DIY Comfrey Feed recipe will provide you with a highly concentrated natural feed that can be given to any cropping plant or seasonal bloom. Here's how to make it. 

What You'll Need

Black buckets
Garden fork
Protective gloves

The Method

Instead of throwing dead and cut leaves into the compost, you can repurpose them to make your own nutrient rich feed that's high in potash and phosphate. A great way of giving nutrients back to the earth, sustainably. 

Step 1: Take any cuttings, lawn trimmings, or dead leaves and put them to one side. Ensure they are as dry as possible. 

Step 2: Compact all the leaves into a black bucket, packing them in tightly. Don't add any water, as it'll dilute the concentration of the feed. You can dilute the liquid later, once it's ready to use. 

Step 3: Place the bucket/s somewhere sunny and leave for 3-4 weeks. The black plastic will absorb the heat better than other colours, which will quicken the process. 

Step 4: Keep an eye on the bucket, and after around 3-4 weeks, check on their progress. If you have a mix of both leafy fibre and liquid, then it's ready to use! You can remove the fibre with a garden fork and put them into your compost bin. 

To use the fertiliser, dilute 1 part fertiliser to 4 parts water. It can be used on fruit crops like tomatoes and courgettes, or even summer bedding plants. You can also use it year-round, especially in winter on fruiting plants to encourage further growth in the following spring. 

And there you have it, a natural fertiliser that's packed full of glorious nutrients, that costs almost nothing to make! Let us know if you give this recipe a whirl this summer.