"John Vanini" wrote in message
...
Following my earlier posting on Nitro-Chalk, I would be pleased to hear of
anyone else's home-made fertilisers (that is, if you don't mind passing
the information on!).

I ask because, yesterday, I heard about a man on the allotment site who
makes his own by adding Growmore, stinging nettles, and horse manure to
water in a very large butt and letting it stand.

I was amazed at the size and health of his crops but I haven't managed to
see him yet, as we, obviously, go up there at different times but when I
do I'll ask him the quatities he uses and how he uses it and hope he tells
me.

I've read of comfrey and stinging nettles (among other things) being used
but never tried it myself, as yet so I'd love to hear of other people's
favourite recipes.

I throw whatever I have on hand into an old 44 gallon drum which has a
plastic lid held down by a brick and top it up with water. I then let it
fester for a few weeks. I use a big garbage bin for between times and
always have one on the go and one lot brewing. The mix can include manure
from horse or cow or alpacas tied up in an old bag, weeds/plants that I
can't/don't compost (comfrey, dock, wire weed, marshamallow) and then when I
want to use it I put it into a watering can and dilute it till it looks like
weak tea and pour it from the watering can. Little and often is the usual
dosage. Old gardeners use multiple names for such a brew and all have their
favourite names. I call it "Black Jack" but there are perhaps as many names
as there are gardeners.