[purplebean]

We have decided to start a comfrey plot. Was thinking of just buying a few plants and then increasing the numbers from root cuttings over time. My question is how many plants do I eventually need for my garden. I have done a quick calc and I think that the veg growing area in the garden is about the same size as a standard allotment plot.

[compostqueen]

A plot full of comfrey and nothing else  :?  C'mon elucidate  

[purplebean]

Was I not very clear  

OK we grow veg in a space about the size of an allotment.

We want to be able to use comfrey as John suggests, for potatoes and then for a liquid feed right through the growing season.

How big an area of comfrey will we need to feed an average allotment plot?

Is that any better  

[compostqueen]

not very much cos you make a liquid feed with it. You can chuck leaves in at planting time for say spuds or beans, and add them to your compost heap but I don't think you'd need a plot full. They are very vigorous and once planted you won't get rid of them, even the well behaved Bocking 14's.  I grow mine against my hedge line to keep them where I can control them better.  You can keep taking leaves off your comfreys for months.  Mine are beginning to produce quite a few leaves already but I won't start using them til they get a big bigger and bushier.  I wouldn't plant too many to start with to be honest.  I have about six plants and that keeps me going, although I don't plant acres of veggies     I have a comfrey pipe which I keep stuffed with leaves to produce comfrey liquid concentrate and chuck leaves in my many  compo bins.  If you get them from the Organic Gardening Catalogue they sell em in multiples of 5 I think, well they did when I got mine. Since then I've produced quite a few more from these to sell at our fundraisers

[Eristic]

I reckon about an acre for the comfrey to feed a standard allotment plot. 1 pile of horse manure would achieve better results.