comfrey

[john boy]

I am thinking of starting a comfrey patch ,I have a 3 x 2 metre piece of ground nearly always in the shade,would that be o.k if so how many plants would i need,and where can i buy them.Ive never even seen one but read how good they are .would you agree ? I know there are a lot of questions here but i dont have a clue about comfrey so any help will be appreciated

[Lesley Jay]

Like you John I have never grown comfrey but it's supposed to be good stuff. It's high in nutrients and is an excellent source of potassium so is good used as a mulch around tomato plants. You can add a two inch deep layer of wilted leaves in the bottom of the potato trench and a two inch layer in the compost heap acts as a compost activator but don't add too thick a layer as it can turn sludgy. Then you can make comfrey tea to feed your plants by putting the leaves in a container, adding water and leaving for four weeks. Comfrey will grow in the shade but you need to buy Comfrey Bocking 14 which is sterile, therefore will not set seed and will not take over your entire plot. Comfrey is difficult to get rid of once it is established so really it needs a dedicated bed.

You can buy plants from the Organic Gardening catalogue.
The Organic Gardening Catalogue

[john boy]

Thanks very much lesley , you certainly gave a full answer, plus a lot of additional information.Cant wait to give it a go

[peterjf]

hi john boy , i grow my comfrey around my compost heap, i take 4-5 cuttings every year,

soak an onion bag full of stalks and leaves in a water but for 4 weeks then give it a good stir up

i water it into ALL my plants brassicas and peas , beans , a good natural fertilizer for almost everything ,

the old stalks from the onion bag are thrown on my compost heap as a compost activator , hope this helps ,

cheers pete in hull

[bud]

hi jon i to have planted some comfrey didnt really know what to do with it .But i do now only thing is i may have the wrong type

[peterjf]

as far as i know there are 2 types of comfrey, one with blue flowers and one with purple , one is russian but dont know which one ,

just a word of warning about comfrey , wear gloves when handling because the minute hairs on the back of the leaves can leave a rash,

if you gat a rash on your arms rub the area with a dock leaf,

[john boy]

thanks for the info pete, Iv been readng up on comfrey the thing im unsure of is how many plants to put in,the only room iv got is 6 ft x 3 ft would that space be worthwhile john

[john boy]

hi bud the kind you want is bocking 14 as it wont seed it self and take over your plot.john

[peterjf]

hi john boy , my comfrey is around 3 sides of my compost heap , i dont think you will need more then one row as when it is growing the cpomfrey plant produces more plants ,the more you cut the more you get , so one row after 2 yrs growing would be 3-4 foot in width, if you think you are growing too much , in spring you can lay a set of cuttings in the bottom of your potato trench, on top of compost heap , around the base of fruit tree ,

i have about 20 plants in a space of 6 yds x 1 yd

[bud]

best get my spade out dont want to get in trouble with my comfrey taking over the whole site. lol

[peterjf]

if you cut the comfrey regular 5-6 times each year it will only grow where its planted , if you leave it it will steadilly take over ,

Originally Posted by bud

best get my spade out dont want to get in trouble with my comfrey taking over the whole site. lol

[john boy]

thanks pete think i`ll give it a go next year