Making Comfrey Juice
Comfrey juice is a valuable FREE fertiliser. It is easy to make, just follow the instructions below.
To make a simple press use a length of plastic sewer pipe. The length is unimportant but the longer the pipe the more liquid will be produced; I use about 1.4m (4.5ft.) One end needs to be blanked off with a standard blanking cap. Drill a 6.35mm (0.25 inch) hole (the size of the hole is not critical but it should not be too big) in the centre to allow the liquid to drip through.
Click on any image to enlarge
The blanking cap with hole in centre. Ignore the larger hole covered with a plastic plate, it was a mistake!
Fix the pipe to a vertical surface using clamps. Make sure you can get to the open end and leave a space at the blanked end for a container for the juice.
Next you need a weight that is a snug fit inside the pipe. I used a plastic drinks bottle. It needs to be as heavy as possible so fill with sand and water. Attach some string to the neck of the bottle so it can be easily retrieved from the pipe.
Place a container under the blanked end of the pipe to collect the juice. Make sure that rain cannot dilute the liquid in the container by making it a snug fit with the bottom of the pipe.
The pipe The bottle weight Container to collect the juice
Now cut some leaves, I generally remove the thicker stems, and fill the pipe.
Comfrey leaves can be an irritant so wear gloves when cutting and handling them.
Push the leaves down the pipe, using a garden cane or similar, to ensure there are no gaps. You can also drop the bottle in a few times. Make sure the pipe is full but with enough room for the bottle at the top.
Leaves ready for filling the pipe Filling the pipe!
When the pipe is full drop the bottle in the top and wait for the juice to appear - it will take several days. My press produces around 1 litre of liquid per filling.
The juice stinks so don't spill it on your clothes! You might want to site the press away from the house and not next to your neighbour's barbeque!
The completed and filled Comfrey press. If you want to make large quantities of juice then use a barrel with appropriate weight e.g. round paving slabs!
To use the juice dilute 1:10 with water for heavy feeders like tomatoes and 1:20 for anything else.
Update: after 3 weeks the press has produced about 1 litre of comfrey juice and is still going.
New: see how to make MUCH larger quantities here.
To make a simple press use a length of plastic sewer pipe. The length is unimportant but the longer the pipe the more liquid will be produced; I use about 1.4m (4.5ft.) One end needs to be blanked off with a standard blanking cap. Drill a 6.35mm (0.25 inch) hole (the size of the hole is not critical but it should not be too big) in the centre to allow the liquid to drip through.
Click on any image to enlarge
The blanking cap with hole in centre. Ignore the larger hole covered with a plastic plate, it was a mistake!
Fix the pipe to a vertical surface using clamps. Make sure you can get to the open end and leave a space at the blanked end for a container for the juice.
Next you need a weight that is a snug fit inside the pipe. I used a plastic drinks bottle. It needs to be as heavy as possible so fill with sand and water. Attach some string to the neck of the bottle so it can be easily retrieved from the pipe.
Place a container under the blanked end of the pipe to collect the juice. Make sure that rain cannot dilute the liquid in the container by making it a snug fit with the bottom of the pipe.
The pipe The bottle weight Container to collect the juice
Now cut some leaves, I generally remove the thicker stems, and fill the pipe.
Comfrey leaves can be an irritant so wear gloves when cutting and handling them.
Push the leaves down the pipe, using a garden cane or similar, to ensure there are no gaps. You can also drop the bottle in a few times. Make sure the pipe is full but with enough room for the bottle at the top.
Leaves ready for filling the pipe Filling the pipe!
When the pipe is full drop the bottle in the top and wait for the juice to appear - it will take several days. My press produces around 1 litre of liquid per filling.
The juice stinks so don't spill it on your clothes! You might want to site the press away from the house and not next to your neighbour's barbeque!
The completed and filled Comfrey press. If you want to make large quantities of juice then use a barrel with appropriate weight e.g. round paving slabs!To use the juice dilute 1:10 with water for heavy feeders like tomatoes and 1:20 for anything else.
Update: after 3 weeks the press has produced about 1 litre of comfrey juice and is still going.
New: see how to make MUCH larger quantities here.
