Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: RTZ on May 09, 2011, 21:57

Title: help
Post by: RTZ on May 09, 2011, 21:57

hi,

please can you help us identify this weed

many thanks

Title: Re: help
Post by: Pol on May 09, 2011, 22:25

Hi RTZ it looks abit like comfrey

Title: Re: help
Post by: RTZ on May 09, 2011, 22:31

Thanks Pol,

We googled it and thought that, but needed some experienced eyes to help us, as it's all new to us, having just got an allotment.

Title: Re: help
Post by: Pol on May 09, 2011, 22:34

If it is it make a good plant feed

Title: Re: help
Post by: RTZ on May 09, 2011, 22:49

How will we know if it is or not..?? the stems when pulled out have a sort of reddish / purple tint to them...

Title: Re: help
Post by: viettaclark on May 10, 2011, 00:55

Don't think that's comfrey.......

Title: Re: help
Post by: Bailz on May 10, 2011, 07:12

If it is comfrey the leafs are a little furry. but it deffo makes great feed cheers bailz

Title: Re: help
Post by: RTZ on May 10, 2011, 07:42

Quote from: viettaclark on May 10, 2011, 00:55

Don't think that's comfrey.......

What do yo think it could be..??  It doesn't appear to have any roots with feelers, it mainly grows from what looks like just a stump of wood...and is popping up everywhere...

Title: Re: help
Post by: mike1987 on May 10, 2011, 07:46

might just be me but it looks a little like doc or that could just be my eyes arnet working havnt been to sleep yet

Title: Re: help
Post by: lucywil on May 10, 2011, 07:57

looks like comfrey to me, if your plot has been rotovated at some point this would chop the roots up and they would all then start to regrow from what looks like lumps of wood

Title: Re: help
Post by: DD. on May 10, 2011, 08:01

I tend to agree with my Right Honourable friend's reasoning.

Title: Re: help
Post by: Pol on May 10, 2011, 13:04

comfrey will feel rough because it has little spikey hairs all over it

Title: Re: help
Post by: stompy on May 10, 2011, 13:10

Looks like Comfrey to me too.

Got to be carefull with it though as there is only one (bocking14) that is self sterile.
If you have one of the others it could have self seeded and it can be hard to get rid of.

I have bocking 14 and it make the best organic feed if made into a tea.
Stewed in a bucket for a month, it stinks but is a great feed.

Title: Re: help
Post by: Chrysalis on May 10, 2011, 13:51

There is a smaller comfrey which is grown in gardens as ground cover. Can't tell the size of your leaves, but they don't look that big!  It has pale yellow flowers and often slightly coloured stems...

Title: Re: help
Post by: RTZ on May 10, 2011, 19:19

Quote from: lucywil on May 10, 2011, 07:57

looks like comfrey to me, if your plot has been rotovated at some point this would chop the roots up and they would all then start to regrow from what looks like lumps of wood

That is excatly what we did, we had it rotovated, and when we dig it up, it looks like it's growing from little sticks or lumps of wood as you say. Thanks

Thanks to everyone, we will start to use it more as a feed and make this tea you suggested and put it back into the allotment.  :)