Abbeyleix Tidy Towns is pleased to introduce our Natural Comfrey Fertiliser and Plant Tonic – a locally produced, eco-friendly plant feed designed to support both healthy gardens and sustainable living.

This project emerged from a mini research initiative carried out by one of our dedicated volunteers, who explored how the circular economy could be applied at a local level. Comfrey quickly stood out as a valuable and underused natural resource due to its high nutrient content and vigorous local growth.

Harvest the Leaves

• Cut leaves from the plant about 5 cm above ground level.

• Wear gloves—comfrey has coarse hairs that can irritate skin.
  
  

Preparation

Take one of your three buckets and drill a series of drainage holes in the bottom to allow the liquid to seep through. Pack comfrey leaves tightly into the bucket with the drainage hole, potentially chopping them up to speed up the process.

Drainage:

Position the bucket with the hole inside the second bucket without a hole to collect the liquid that seeps out.

Weighing down:

Fill the third bucket with water and place on top of the 2 stacked buckets to keep a consistent heavy weight.  

Decomposition:

The comfrey leaves will decompose, releasing a nutrient-rich liquid.

Collection:

After a few weeks, the liquid fertilizer is ready to be collected from the bottom bucket.

Dilution:

Dilute the liquid with water (typically 10-20 parts water to 1 part comfrey liquid) before using it to feed plants.

One of out volunteers developed this project as part of a Circular Economy course with SETU - South East Technical University.