Apply well-rotted manure to your beds and borders and watch them bloom
Making your own fertiliser is a great way to give your plants a boost without splashing the cash on expensive shop-bought products. And there are a good few ways to go about it that are both simple and effective.
So, if you’re a fan of cheap garden ideas, having these tips and tricks up your sleeve is well worth it. What’s more, whether you’re whipping up batches of comfrey tea or putting spent coffee grounds to good use, homemade fertilisers are often a great way to be more eco-friendly.
Comfrey
‘Comfrey is rich in potassium and also contains nitrogen and vitamin B12, which give plants a boost,’ say the experts at Amateur Gardening. Grow a patch in your plot and you can make liquid fertiliser from it. Try sowing Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Bocking 14’ – a sterile variety that won’t self-seed everywhere, unlike the prolific, common comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Just remember to wear gloves and long sleeves when handling comfrey – its hairy leaves can cause an allergic reaction.
Nettle tea is ideal for feeding leafy green crops
Nettles
You can also use nettles to make a liquid plant feed. This is a particularly handy free garden tip if you have some of these weeds growing rampant, as it puts them to good use.
The process is similar to making comfrey tea: pack
