Bucket, Butt or Bin
The traditional method of making plant food by soaking the plant material was to weigh the leaves down in the bottom of a bucket or water butt with a stone and wait until it decomposed. Ideally the container would have a lid as the product would have a strong unpleasant odour. I understand that the technical term that they stink.
However, as gardens have become smaller with less material to turn to food and space to hide an extra water butt several commercial systems have come on the market.
On our Composting Demonstration site, at Stokes Wood Allotment, Leicester, we use clear lidded buckets for some volumes of plants such as dandelions and horse tail so that visitors can see the decomposition in progress. This enables the process to be monitored without opening the lids. Mixed weeds being killed are soaked in a dustbin while the plants used in larger quantities being soaked to produce feeds e.g. comfrey is soaked in old Bokashi bins or water butts enabling the liquid to be run off while most of the sludge remains in the bin. It helps speed the breakdown if the liquid is stirred vigorously every day of two.
There is a difference between making Plant Feeds by soaking and drowning perennial weeds to kill them to make them suitable for composting. The process of drowning perennial weeds will require soaking over weeks, months or even a couple of years to kill weeds while soaking leaves and green shoots to make a liquid feed will only take days or two to four weeks (depending on the technique and equipment). When making liquid feeds only the green parts of the plant are used carefully avoiding the use roots of perennials plants and seeds which will survive the process if the sludge is added to a cold compost heap. Chopping and tearing the greenery into small pieces will speed the decomposition.
The plant material can be contained in a plastic mesh tube or in a pair of old tights to reduce the need for filtering the product. A commercially available compost sack or bag used in the making of Compost Teas can also be used If it is not filtered the sludge will block the rose of the watering can or spray when being applied.
The effectiveness of the process can be influenced by the position of the buckets in the garden and of course being biological decomposition, it will occur best at temperatures favourable to the microorganisms involved. Within the range 12°C to 25°C is best. While some direct sunlight very strong sun over a period may cause the container to fad!
Ideally rainwater collected from the roofs of sheds or greenhouse. If tap water must be used it should be left standing for at least two days. After which the pH should be checked and a little spirit vinegar if it needs acidifying to bring it to a neutral PH.
Commercial systems
There are several systems on the market the majority being made of plastic. Choose with care, some of the lower priced models on sale a few years ago when not very robust and the plastic mesh basket designed to hold the green waste warped in use and had to be held together with rubber bands.
Natural Plant Food Maker
Higrow Natural Plant Food Maker
This low-priced plastic food maker makes 4 litres of liquid fertiliser from green waste and can be kept outdoors in the garden or on an allotment. The green waste is put in a rigid plastic mesh basket and the four litres of water is poured into the bucket. The mixture is aerated by gently lifting the integral plunger on a regular basis. Two to four times a week is recommended but I would recommend daily agitation if possible.
The plant food will be ready for use in 3-4 weeks and can be dilute up to twice the original volume (1:1).
I had one of these plant food makers some years ago and found that the plastic mesh basket was a problem. After some months use the basket in which the green leaf waste is soaked distorted and the clips no longer held it together. We ended up using rubber bands to keep it closed. I have just brought the one shown in the photos for use on our new demostration site and while the basket appears more rigid one of the clips was broken.
The Burgon & Ball Organic Plant Food Maker
This is a stainless-steel infuser bucket with a central inner tube that pushes into a retaining lip in the base of the bucket. The lid is help firmly in palce by clips.
The plant material is loosely placed inside the tube and water added to fill the bucket. The equipment does not have an agitation system, but ca be stirred with a stick or just shaken.
Being stainless steel, it is relatively expensive
Hozelock BioMix
This 19 litre Biomix food maker is a more expensive plastic system but is well designed and made, and it feels as if it will give years of use. Hozelock make the point that the Biomix pays back its purchase price after only two uses when compared with buying packs of plant feed!
The tank has a lid which includes an external stirring knob allowing the stirring fingers to be rotated inside the tank without opening it and releasing the smell. A viewing window is provided in the lid The inner tank has an integral strainer to separate the liquid feed from the plant debris. A drainage tap enables easy decanting of the food.
A cotton filter bag is supplied for the additional filtration of plant fertiliser, to prevent the sprayer nozzle becoming clogged. I like this system and will be using it on the demonstration site. Photos below show it being used with banana skins an activity I recommend to school garden clubs.
When using this equipment approx. 1kg of green plant material e.g. leaves and in some cases stems but not roots or seed heads are cut into as small as possible and put into the tank. 10 litre of rainwater is added and the lid put in place. The liquid is stirred throughly at least every two days.It can be difficult to stir if the leaves are not cut small enough. After about 10-15 days bubbles will stop rising to the surface of the liquid indicating that the macerating is complete. The liquid is run off and filtered into an opaque container unless it is to be used straight away. A cotton filter bag is supplied for the additional filtration of plant fertiliser, to prevent the sprayer nozzle becoming clogged. I like this system and will be using it on the demonstration site .
The fertiliser is diluted between 5% and 20% for application by spraying or watering can.
Please note these systems are not designed to kill the plant material by drowning if this is required the weeds it should be left soaking in a bucket or bin for a longer period until it has all formed a black mush. This may take several months or even two years depending on the weed. See Plant Liquid Feeds
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