Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: John on December 04, 2005, 14:48
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Hi - I have expanded my original article "Comfrey, The Wonder Plant" and published it here (http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetables_and_herbs/assets/comfrey.PDF)as a pdf so it can be printed easily.
I'm so impressed by this plant and hope others will find it useful. I may be selling roots cuttings next year as well, but have listed other suppliers.
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First in the queue for root cuttings of comfrey please!!!
:lol:
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Phew, just been reading your comfrey article - everything you would ever need to know I imagine. Great article - and I can feed my chickens with it too. Well done
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Glad you found it of value. I'm always amazed by how productive it is when established.
One point I didn't mention is that it makes a good liquid feed for hanging baskets. But don't tell my wife :wink:
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As a woman she will not need telling I am sure :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Actually (being more serious) I thought about trying making the concentrated liquid so I can bring some home in bottles for her.
The really good bit for gardeners is that the comfrey patch will thrive where most vegetable crops won't. Mine is on the sem-shaded wet patch at the bottom of the plot.
L D Hills reported its use in Africa and productivity even with restricted water availability and its beneficial effects on egg production, both in quality and quantity. He was meticulous in his methods and his examples carefully researched and documented.
I have to wonder if comfrey is against the interests of 'agri business' and so does not get the support that the poor of the world would benefit from.
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Yes that is a very good point - and one which relates to all sorts of 'natural' things.
I have a plot at the bottom of my allotment by the bank that is just the spot for a comfrey bed. It is ideal because it can go rampant if it wishes, as it is next to the hedgerow by the field at the back. I have a corrugated fence that I put up along the allotment at the front and one side is a huge corrugated compost bid for those things that take years to rot down - twigs, perrennial weed roots etc which I will never use of course - and t'other side is a chicken wire fence with a living willow fence that I planted from cuttings - hoping it will grow!
In your article it sound such a great plant and good for chooks too, an added bonus. So I intend to really go mad with it, in a secure and enclosed space so that it does not take over the world!
Must rush - out to go into town and then back to back yet another cake for the big do on Friday - wish me luck, ineed it at the moment
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Good Luck!
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I grow mine under a couple of Sycamore trees where nothing else will grow and it does well, almost like a hedge.
If you use it as a hanging basket feed dilute it to look like weak tea or it will scorch the leaves of plants.
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Will do - if I ever do hanging baskets - I am too busy to faff about watering them twice a day usually. But I would use it for my tubs so good tip.
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Val has quite a few hanging baskets an wall mounted pots in the back garden in summer and watering them all was taking an hour a day. So we bought a drip watering kit (Wilkinsons if you have one near are the best price). It took about an hour to set up, fixing the pipe to the wall using cable clips being the hardest bit. Now it is just a matter of switching on a tap for an hour to drip water into them all. I used 2 outlets on bigger baskets - sort of balancing the output.
The same kit is great for greenhouse plants, growbags etc as well because you drip the water in slowly it soaks rather than running off leaving dry compost under.
When we found them at 75% off in Wlikos, I got another 3 kits to cover pots in the garden and the new greenhouse on the plot. When I get it built....
Good tip on the dilution, olde9856, thanks.
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The only place I've seen these advertised is the organic gardening catalogue - are there any other sources. Presumably you can't plant any until the spring - any tips on starting plants off?
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I might sell a few cuttings myself come late April.
As I say in the article (http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetables_and_herbs/Comfrey_The_Wonder_Plant.php) I start them off in pots of all purpose compost to just get them off to a good start. You can plant anytime between April and September but April / May is best in my opinion as you get a light cut or two later in the year.
I did an expanded printable PDF on comfrey whiich is available HERE (http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetables_and_herbs/assets/comfrey.PDF)
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Talking about comfrey! I bought my first one when we lived in Kent about 25 years ago, becaue the allantoin in it is good for leg ulcers. My Mum had really bad ones, but she would never used it. Then found out what a good liquid feed it made (stinks a bit, but what garden or allotment doesn't when you're manuring??). then I took a cutting with me when we moved to Essex, lived there 6 years, and when we came here to Lincolnshire, I brought a cutting with me and kept it in a large pot on what is going to be the patio. Well, it crept out the bottom of the pot, so I planted the potted one in the garden, down under the poplar tree, dug up the roots in the 'patio' and planted them near the poplar tree, and now the 'leftovers' in the 'patio' are growing again. Anyone want a bit of root?
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That's a very kind offer. You can post comfrey root but wrap it in damp newspaper and pop in a plastic bag.
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That's great. I'll PM you grannieannie. Thanks
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Hi John, I felt a bit guilty after saying that about the comfrey root, when you had talked about selling your cuttings! Hope you didn't think i was trying to steal your thunder?? Its just that I am quite an impulsive so and so and quite kind hearted really, that's why I'm not rich!! lol.
Funnily enough, I had been thinking about taking some root cuttings and potting them up and putting them out the front when I do my other bits this spring, but then I thought, what if no one wants them? How many people know how good comfrey is??? But after your posting, I made up my mind and went out and dug up the bit that rooted itself under my pot! Boy does that root go down a long way!!! I have LOADS of 3inch pots. We went to an auction 2 years ago, and there were all these banana boxes full of 3inch pots. Well, I only wanted 1 box full, but had to buy all 15 boxes! I got them for £15 and there's at least 500 in each box, so the comfrey cuttings won't cost me much to pot up, and if I sell them really cheap, hopefully more will go. How will you sell yours John? just on the allotments, or do you have another outlet?
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Hi, don't feel guilty one little bit. I certainly didn't feel you were trying to steal my thunder.
I was intending to offer them online off the site but I've got so much on that it's really not worth it. I too have promised some cuttings to people, which I will deliver when the plants start coming back up.
If you think it would help you sell some comfrey, feel free to print off the leaflet I put online LINK (http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetables_and_herbs/assets/comfrey.PDF)
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Thanks for that John, I could print off a copy and put it with the pots for sale couldn't I? I've just been into the link and read the article, its good. See, it says in there abut the Allantoin, and I didn't read it word by word yet, but didn't see anything about it being good for ulcers too! Wouldn't have minded slapping a poultice on Mum's legs, but would feel a little doubtful about drinking the stuff!!!! lol
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Oh, do take care about suggesting people drink it as there is some obscure American evidence it can cause liver damage. You'd have to drink an awful lot, though :)
I was aiming at the garden benefits so only went into the medicinal briefly, but I get the feeling you could explain it well.
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LOL, wasn't going to suggest to anyone that they drink it either! I did see that bit in your article about the woman who had liver damage, after drinking so much of the stuff. The way they put it on ulcers is the same as your article said about using it for wounds. they use a poultice and tie it over the ulcers. So I only know what I learned because of My Mum.
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I bought some comfrey and lanolin ointment many years ago - it's very good on small cuts, scrapes and things like nettle rash. Probably banned under some EU ruling now .
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I bought some comfrey and lanolin ointment many years ago - it's very good on small cuts, scrapes and things like nettle rash. Probably banned under some EU ruling now .
Probably not - I was thinking of making some - I will find out from a herbalist I know and come back to you about it.
I am into making soap and other things too now - so am even more excited this year about growing herbs etc up the lottie.
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any one know where I can get hold of some. I've been trying from my local garden centre for the past two years on and off because of empty promises that they could get it. i went back there last weekend and they said it is something they can't get hold of anymore. As i don't drive it is a bit of a pain.
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The Organic Garden catalogue sell it - or you could ask somone to swap you some.
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:D Thanks!
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I watched a River Cottage last night with Hugh Fernley Wittingstall and he cooked some comfrey with a giant puffball stuffed with other mushrooms, potatoe and pigeon meat. Looked lovely. He steamed the comfrey.
Is this the same sort of comfrey?
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Hi Jake, I remember Hugh F-W cooking the puff-ball, but don't remember him putting comfrey in it. But is probably the same sort as I only know one sort of comfrey. I bought my original plant as it has allantoin in which is supposed to be good for ulcers. My Mum had a bad leg ulcer at the time and I was hoping it would help her get better, but she wouldn't try it, said it was a lot of mumbo jumbo, but now I just use it for liquid fertilizer or as a compost activator!
When we lived in Essex I saw a puff-ball growing down the lane. I said to OH I wonder if they are any good to eat? But the kids next door used it as a football for the 5 seconds before it split into little pieces, and it never grew there again!
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Well I've potted some comfrey roots today :wink:
They really sound like a wonder plant. Hugh didn't put comfrey IN the stuffed puffball but had it as a side veg. It was deffinately that growing wild.
I'd love to even SEE a puffball, let alone eat one. One day.