Buttercup Liquid Fertilizer

Buttercup creeps around my garden, crawls through my rockery and springs to life in early spring when most everything else is still sleeping underground.  This early surge potentially allows it to get a head start and an upper hand, and it is necessary to pull it out by its roots so it doesn't spring back a few days later.  Luckily, in early spring the ground is moist and with a garden fork loosening the soil it is fairly easy to harvest a bed of buttercup...
Yes, I said harvest.

Buttercup makes a beautiful liquid fertilizer and contains elements for your soil that it is deficient in: phosphorus, potassium and calcium.

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Here's how:
Fill a bucket with buttercup roots and all. 
Cover with water.  Stir with stick occasionally to submerge the leaves that want to keep growing right up out of the water.  Stirring also mixes air into the brew which allows it break down more quickly.  When it is good and stinky, poor off liquid.  I use 1 part buttercup liquid fertilizer to 4 parts water.  If you plan on using a watering can you will need to further strain it through a sieve.

Buttercup Liquid Fertilizer is great for early spring crops that demands a lot of feeding like garlic, shallots, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and spring greens.  Apply fertilizer once a week while plants are in full growth.

Sarai Stevens
Gathering Force Farm

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