[Yana]

This year I promised myself that I would create a Comfrey bed so that I could brew my own feed for the veggies and fruit. I have a space, but how many plants do I need??

[aelf]

They grow quite wide n bushy so I would say no closer than 1 plant in an area 2ft x 2ft 

[Kleftiwallah]

I take a stroll down the local bridleway and collect as much as I need.  Don't forget, you need bocking 14 as it aint invasive.

Cheers,   Tony.

[crh75]

How big your plot is and how much you want to feed will dictate how much you need to grow!

[New shoot]

I bought a couple of Blocking 14 plants from work as the flowers were so pretty and I have a patch of the plot I want to grow comfrey in.

Following a tip from Madame Cholet, I rooted a couple of leaves just in a glass of water on the kitchen windowsill, so I would say buy only a few and make more if you want them.  They are big plants and aelf's advice on spacing is pretty sound 

[GrannieAnnie]

Also if you are lucky, you can take 3 harvests per year from them. 

I am down in Kent early December, perhaps we could meet up and I'll bring you some roots???  They take really easily.

[Yana]

Wow that is really kind of you GrannieAnnie.

[GrannieAnnie]

I could meet you in Dartford Yana, as I will be staying mainly with my daughter in Slade Green!  Coming down on 3 or 4th December for 10 days! 

[fatbelly]

When I took over my plot I had two Bocking 14 plants stuck right in the middle of the plot. In very early spring I dug them up & took five root cuttings and replanted them where I wanted them. 4 out of the 5 cuttings immediately took but the 5th looked done for but it did take and all five are now good.

I had a bonfire where the original plants were hoping it would kill any remaining roots but it didn't and through the Summer I was hoeing the 2 original plants off but they kept coming back. It was only when I used Round Up on them did they die.

In answer to the OP, I now have five plants and they take up a space of around 10 ft x 2ft

[Yana]

Grannie Annie if you are still aiming to head towards Dartford i would really appreciate the roots you offered.

[noshed]

I can testify to the quality of GA's comfrey plants

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks Noshed!  I've PM'd Yana with my mobile and my itinerary, so hopefully we can meet up in Dartford week after next!

Just hope I remember to go dig up some roots!   

I got the parent plant of my comfrey many years ago when my Mum had bad leg ulcers as I'd read about making a poultice with the roots to help heal the ulcer, but Mum would never try it, trusted the doctor's but her legs just kept getting worse.

Then took a cutting with me to Essex and another 6 years down the line brought a plant here with us in a big pot.  A bit of root escaped the pot which was standing on the old patio, so I planted the comfrey down the side of the garden, now have 2 plants there, but I feel it must be a bocking as it's never inved anywhere else, apart from where I've planted it!   

[bigben]

I am lucky to live near an area which is now just rough land but used to be allotments. The council moved them and bulldozed the land, turning it into a walking area. However all the comfrey the allotmenteers grew is still doing well so you can fill literally dozens of bin bags of leaves. I have dug up half a plant, split the roots and ended up with about 20 plants which I have to plant against the hedge on my allotment. You cannot have too much. Just harvest and add to your compost. If you are short of space and you want to be subversive is there some rough land near you that you could plant a few roots? You can then help yourself. Make sure it is bocking  as this will not spread by seed and take over which would be bad.

[Yorkie]

If they self-seed then they are not Bocking 14, which is sterile.

[GrannieAnnie]

Hey Yana!  Are you around?  Did you get my PM of the 19th??  Only a week until I go to Kent!!!