A simple ‘tea’ can be made by using leaves, stems, and flowers of plants. Individual or mixes can be made.
Here is a nettle one for example;
Nettle Feed;
Put water and nettles in a container. Younger nettles are slightly better. With around half water – half nettle.
After around 10 – 20 days, the liquid is proper; More heat and stirring will speed up the process. Liquid feeds usually have an extremely strong smell when breaking down and when disturbed.
Follow this process for all other feeds. Combinations of different plants are fine to make as well.
Another method, instead of mixing the plant material in the water, is; the plant material can be suspended within a sack (hessian, hemp sacks etc), in the water, and then the liquid feed will be reaggy in around the same time.
To make a spray, strain this liquid and pour into a spray bottle.
Types of Feeds
There are lots of different types of feeds to be made. A nettle feed would be ideal for Kannah-Besem while in leaf growth stage. To encourage flower/bud growth a feed of valerian. During flowering, a feed of woodland fern is ideal, marigold could be added too. Like with the garden itself, use knowledge and logic to create different plant feeds. Using a wormwood liquid feed near anything that likes earthworms would cause the earthworms to vacate the area. However wormwood liquid is very good to be sprayed onto currant bushes to cure ‘rust’. (Just having wormwood growing near the currants will help, but remember worms themselves will stay well away).
Blackcurrant Leaves Suffering Rust – A Wormwood Spray Will Cure
A liquid feed of green onion leaves/stalks (or plants of the onion family like leeks, allium etc) is very good for strawberries, and the moulds / fungi that attack them.
Most seedlings and plants can be dipped into liquid feeds before they are planted again, this gives a little boost.
Bigger, mature plants, trees and shrubs can have a good soaking of nettle feed or suitable feed before being planted.
When planting out, pour some in the planting hole. Now plants will be best furnished for a sound and healthy life.
Liquid feeds made of cabbage and similar plants will be nutritious for the garden.
Rhubarb and/or Horse radish liquid feed will prevent club root in cabbages and other plants.
Liquid feeds (preferably nettle mixed with erbs), can be used to heal wounded tree trunks by painting it on. Use water glass to help it stick if needed.
Frost damaged trees can also be treated with the liquid feeds.
Mildew is prevented by using a horsetail spray.
Strawberries enjoy nettle feed.
A mixture of nettle, comfrey and cabbage feed is healthy for strawberries.
General Types of Liquid Feeds;
Kannah-Besem,
Nettle,
Mustard,
Comfrey,
Cabbage,
Woodland fern,
Valerian,
Medicinal erbs and combinations of them,
Combinations of different plants
Use These Liquid Feeds Carefully;
Wormwood,
Parsley,
Mugwort,
Lovage.
Use the end of the liquids in compost pile. It will start a new compost pile quickly. Also trees and heavy feeders can have the last of the liquid.
The bits and residues that remain can be put in the compost or again, used to quickly start a new one. It can also be spread on the cover of growing plants.
There are many uses for liquid feeds, use them as an advantage, and experiment.
