[JohnB47]

A recent post made me think of this.

To maximise the quantity of leaves, does it make any difference if you just let the flower stalks come and flower as they choose?  Or is it better to cut the flower heads off, perhaps after producing some stalk and leaves but before the flowers actually get going?

This is my first harvest year for comfrey (I didn't pull any last year).

I'm using Bocking 14 if it matters.

Cheers.

[viettaclark]

I would say it's up to you. Bocking is sterile so no seeds to invade everywhere but the flowers are a real bee magnet so great for pollination.
Maybe you could remove the dead flowers? They can go into your comfrey tea.

[JohnB47]

Thanks.

So if I want to make sure of maximising the leaf quantity, it doesn't really matter if I take the flower stalks off, or leave them on?

[Trillium]

No, it doesn't matter. The plant will send out a specific amount of shoots that year and if you wait until close to flowering time, that's the maximum leaves for that period. Cut them fairly low and you'll get another flush before summer's end. It helps if you manure a bit around the plants.

If you have the natural, wild comfrey, you definitely don't want to let it go to seed as you'll be swamped in them and the roots are impossible to remove. Literally.

[lacewing]

Bocking 14 is the best strain of comfrey. I get three- four cuts per year,  from my four year old  plants. I always cut as the flowers are starting to appear, ( my choice, a reminder to cut) But it it makes no different to let it flower, 'Bocking 14' is sterile, therefore allowing it flower will not deplete the enegery of the plants.

[fatbelly]

Sorry to slightly derail the topic, but I have 3 Bocking 14 plants which I wish to move and also split to make more plants.
Anyone any advise on doing this  or have you done this.
If so how and when.?
Thanks FB

[strangerachael]

I moved plots in January so did it then when I brought the old plants with me. I would have thought it best to do it while they are dormant, and you just chop the roots up into several pieces and replant. I don't know how they would react to you doing it now while they are growing, but they are pretty tough. You could try it with one and see what happens?

[fatbelly]

Thanks Rachel,
What you say makes sense about moving it when dormant.
Do you really just chop / break pieces of root off to propagate it? Is it that hardy?

[MOLUSC]

I have dug up and snapped off pieces of comfrey root at this time of year.
All the roots that i planted grew into fantastic full grown plants within a few months!!!!!

[Old Tom]

From what I`ve read, it really is that hardy. Mind you, I did manage to kill off 3 out of the 5 root cuttings I started out with

[mumofstig]

trouble is when you move them, you leave little bits of roots behind and they grow

[Hobnails]

Sorry to slightly derail the topic, but I have 3 Bocking 14 plants which I wish to move and also split to make more plants.
Anyone any advise on doing this  or have you done this.
If so how and when.?
Thanks FB

I did this just last week. Dug up roots of Bocking 14 plants, split and repalnted them.
Plants are faring well after the move.
have also noticed a few emerging leaves in the ground from where i took them. Obviously I did not get all of the roots.

[Kristen]

Do you really just chop / break pieces of root off to propagate it? Is it that hardy?

I had 6 Comfrey plants in 8" pots (got slips last year, and didn't get around to planting them out). They had become crowded plants in the pots

I tipped them out, broke off root-plus-shoot bits where I could, cut through with a knife (to divide them up) where I couldn't.

Having cut with a knife I was left with bits of root an inch or two long that were no longer connected to anything.

All were re-potted to be planted out shortly, and have been in greenhouse.

The root-plus-shoot bits are already decent sized plants, suitable to plant out.

I put the root-only-bits into individual 3" pots. They are JUST sprouting.

So my conclusion is that root-plus-shoot division will give you a plant more quickly.

But I reckon I'm going to get 100% strike rate with "bits of root" too

[st0ne5ish]

I'm planning a comfrey bed, how far apart should I space the cuttings that are just coming up in their pots now when I plant them in the bed?