How to Make Comfrey Liquid Fertilizer Part 2: Leaves

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Today I started making liquid fertilizer from Russian comfrey. Begin with Part 1: Jugs. With those done, I harvested leaves.


Russian comfrey grows under the apricot tree.




Comfrey bears small, pendant, bell-like flowers that may be pink, lavender, or light blue. They attract many bees and some other pollinators.




Comfrey leaves are large, ovate-lanceolate, and bristly. Most people prefer to wear gloves when harvesting them.




I picked a handful of comfrey leaves, tore them into coarse pieces, and put the pieces into Jug 1.




The leaf bits form a thin layer on the bottom of Jug 1.




This closeup shows the size of the leaf bits.




I filled Jug 1 with tap water.




I put the lid on and adjusted the jug's position on the bench. Jug 1 is now complete.




I started filling Jug 2 with torn comfrey leaves. I got it about half full before I wore out and needed a break.




I added more leaves to Jug 2. They are still rather loosely packed.




This closeup shows the loosely packed leaves.




I added more leaves to Jug 2 until it got difficult to keep new additions inside. Then I put the lid on and moved it to the north bench of the old picnic table.




Here are the two completed jugs. The liquid fertilizer is usually ready to use after a few weeks, but the time can range from days to months depending on various factors such as temperature.