[moonglow]

Well been a while since i posted but here goes .

Been a lovely time on my allotment i started in last march, learnt lot and made mistakes.

But anyway my question is i brought some comfrey root cuttings from ebay last year and i got 5 decent plants from them. Now i always had the thought to take root cuttings from one to proporgate more so i can fill the space allocated for them and to not be so reliant on shop brought plant food.

Anyway all the cuttings i took have come up and are growing nicely in the kitchen window but alas are getting too big, only place i have to move them too would be a unheated greenhouse, would they survive, or should i invest in a greenhouse heater?>

[Kajazy]

The wild comfrey we have on our plot seems to be unkillable!! Famous last words...

[moonglow]

True so ive heard, but i was thinking of these cuttings as more of a young plant and not have the hardeness of the parent plant.

Yup the above sounded good when i said it, but god knows if its right

[Kajazy]

You could harden them off gradually - put the outside or in the unheated greenhouse for a longer period each day until they're a little hardier

[viettaclark]

Or plant them out with a plastic bottle (with airholes) over each one?

[ANHBUC]

Or do a combination of all suggestions and keep one cutting in doors as a backup plan.    Then you can tell us all which method worked best.   

[viettaclark]

I was given a few root cuttings and they sat in a bowl of water for ages. The water froze over but they survived and I planted them out when the soil was softer.
They've grown absolutely fine except for the fact the chickens munch them!

[moonglow]

all very good ideas and thanks .

Il be sure to let you know which i try and what succeeds .

[Goldfinger]

I planted mine in late summer last year, it all died back to nothing over the winter, so I'm hoping I haven't lost it. 

[Growster...]

I planted mine in late summer last year, it all died back to nothing over the winter, so I'm hoping I haven't lost it. 

Interesting that Gold.

I planted some seed (wild stuff), and it grew to a couple of biggish leaves, before seeming to die down.

I've never grown it before, and although it should be the Bocking Breed, I'd like to know if this is normal?

[lacewing]

I have a bed of Bocking 14 and it starts to die back in mid November, re-growth begins again around  March, depending on the weather.

[savbo]

I planted mine in late summer last year, it all died back to nothing over the winter, so I'm hoping I haven't lost it. 

Interesting that Gold.

I planted some seed (wild stuff), and it grew to a couple of biggish leaves, before seeming to die down.

I've never grown it before, and although it should be the Bocking Breed, I'd like to know if this is normal?

it always dies back in winter. , so no worries. BTW if it's grown from seed, it's not Bocking 14! That's sterile...

[Growster...]

I planted mine in late summer last year, it all died back to nothing over the winter, so I'm hoping I haven't lost it. 

Interesting that Gold.

I planted some seed (wild stuff), and it grew to a couple of biggish leaves, before seeming to die down.

I've never grown it before, and although it should be the Bocking Breed, I'd like to know if this is normal?

it always dies back in winter. , so no worries. BTW if it's grown from seed, it's not Bocking 14! That's sterile...

Thanks Sav! We just saw it growing in the woods, and shook out some some seed when the flowers had died away.

[engineer]

How can one identify which is the bocking 14 and which is the stuff that seeds? i have looked in many books but to no avail, i am aiming to develope a patch but want the right breed

[savbo]

the only way is to buy/get given some known Bocking 14 roots, as far as I can see

The wild stuff is great (that's what I use), it's just not quite as great at concentrating nutrients as B14 and it will seed like mad if you let it