[Plumby]

Hi 

I think I've found a nice big source of wild comfrey.  Does this look like comfrey to you?  I took this picture yesterday, is it too small to pick yet?

[al78]

Looks like Comfrey to me, do the leaves feel hairy? I've used some of my Comfrey by pulling some of the leaves, cutting them up and sprinkling into the potato trenches prior to planting, leaving three quarters of the leaves on the plant. I suspect that even if you cut all leaves to ground level it would resprout quickly, so I would say you could use it now. Comfrey is very difficult to kill, it is like a perennial weed in that even a small segment of root in the ground will grow into a plant. I tried to dig up several plants on my local community allotment last autumn, despite my best efforts to dig down and pull out as much root as I could they are throwing up leaves now.

[Plumby]

Thanks.  They do feel quite prickly yes.  I plan on using them to make some tea for a general fertiliser.

[viettaclark]

Be careful it's not the fertile type! Seeds everywhere and hellish to dig up the roots. Very invasive. Think it's the Russian type that's sterile but need confirmation on that from the experts!

[aelf]

Defo comfrey. Very useful but also, as has been said, invasive if not the Russian type. I have it popping up everywhere on my plot, but it gets scythed off at ground level every few weeks and the leaves go in the compost or to make comfrey tea.

[Plumby]

Thanks guys. I was planning on just using the leaves so that should eradicate the chances of it growing where not wanted.  I appreciate the confirmation that it is comfrey!

[arh]

Can somebody help me please. I have what seems to be Comfrey, growing wild around my garden, it has the look of Comfrey, complete with the hairy undersides, but I'm not sure it is, as the flowers, which have just appeared, are small bright blue ones, coming out next to the stem at the base of a leaf, very small, looking like forget-me-not flowers, not the bell-like ones which Comfrey seems to always have in the photo's. It only appears in the beds or under the hedge, never in the lawn. it has proved impossible to remove, even with "Roundup"and deep digging,(where possible, as it in the hedge as well). has anyone any ideas??. I was thinking of chopping some up and putting in a bucket to see,(smell), if it starts to pong. Thank you, arh.

[Mum2mj]

Can somebody help me please. I have what seems to be Comfrey, growing wild around my garden, it has the look of Comfrey, complete with the hairy undersides, but I'm not sure it is, as the flowers, which have just appeared, are small bright blue ones, coming out next to the stem at the base of a leaf, very small, looking like forget-me-not flowers, not the bell-like ones which Comfrey seems to always have in the photo's. It only appears in the beds or under the hedge, never in the lawn. it has proved impossible to remove, even with "Roundup"and deep digging,(where possible, as it in the hedge as well). has anyone any ideas??. I was thinking of chopping some up and putting in a bucket to see,(smell), if it starts to pong. Thank you, arh.

I'll hazard a guess at borage as that self seeds pretty well but do you have a picture?

[arh]

Pictures "ain't that easy" for me, as you know, lol, Because I don't own a smart phone, or one with a camera in for that matter, but I'll use the camera, and try to upload it to the gallery. Thank you Hun.

[victoria park]

Arh, if you have something that looks like but isn't comfrey, and hs blue flowers,  it will be borage, which is also a very very useful plant. My borage has just started flowering.
Good find that wild comfrey in the photo. I give mine a proper haircut 3 times a year. before the flowers get going each time. It's beauty is it is ready for it's first cut just at the right time. I shall cut mine in a couple of weeks, and then a couple of weeks brewing away sees the first tomato flowers appearing, the second cut fits in with the pepper flowers and squashes etc. The last cut great for mulching and composting . The first cut is a  bit late for lining potato trenches though, as they are prepared 2nd week in March here.

[arh]

I've put the photo in the gallery under allotment pictures Mos, thank you. Well looking at "borage on wiki, I'm not so sure that it it borage, but I'll let the flowers grow out then have another look.

[greenjay]

do you think it may be a brunnera. they have small blue flowers?
just a suggestion.

[Comfreypatch]

Try googling green alkenet, it is a member of borage family. Small blue flowers, hairy leaves, deep rooted.

[Rhys]

I've put the photo in the gallery under allotment pictures Mos, thank you. Well looking at "borage on wiki, I'm not so sure that it it borage, but I'll let the flowers grow out then have another look.

I have lots of borage on mine..





It's covered a few square metres in the corner of my plot, in amongst the spuds. Bees loved it. I've left some and pulled most up. I'm wondering whether to dig it all up and use it as green manure?

[viettaclark]

Pretty sure yours is alkanet. I got some root from a friend thinking it was borage and it wasn't! Spreads everywhere and has really tough long tap roots......grrr...
(Pretty with the forget-me-nots and bluebells tho.)