[julietmaria]

I have some comfrey in my garden which is growing really well, but how do I know if it is bocking 14.  The flower start of unpen as a dark pink and then when fully open they are white.  I have searched on google images and the flowers are white, purple or pink.  Which is bocking 14 and if I don't have bocking 14 is it still worth making the tea?
Thanks guys
x

[Springlands]

It is still worth making the tea. Bocking 14 is sterile so it does not self seed all over the place (you can divide it to get more plants). If you do not have bocking 14 you will soon know because the plants will set seed all over the place.

[julietmaria]

Ok, well I have had it for over 2 years and it has not self seeded as far as I am aware.  Does it not matter what colour the flowers are then, can bocking 14 have different colour flowers?

[Plot74]

Not sure what mine is as it is in its first year I have removed any flowers to strengthen the plant.
Am i doing the right thing.

[Growster...]

It is still worth making the tea. Bocking 14 is sterile so it does not self seed all over the place (you can divide it to get more plants). If you do not have bocking 14 you will soon know because the plants will set seed all over the place.

Springs, does it self seed, or do the rhizomes keep spreading underground - or both?

I planted som seed from a white flowered Comfrey, and they're just through now!

[BussinSpain]

I received 20 Bocking 14 Comfrey plants from the Organic Gardening Catalogue and the web site shows blue/purple coloured flowers.  Here is a link for you.

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/Fruits-and-Plants-Comfrey-Plants/c59_154/index.html

The plants I received were in very good condition and are now sitting comfortably in 4 inch pots growing on before planting out later in the year.

[Springlands]

Hi Growster - my bocking 14 have pinkish/purple flowers when in flower - the bees absolutely love them. Re-read my post and it might have been confusing - the bocking 14 is sterile and does not set seed. You can increase your stock by dividing the rhizomes and I did that quite successfully last year albeit unintentionally.    I wanted to move the plants - dug them up and replanted in their new location - but must have left some roots behind which then continued to grow - so double the plants. If you planted seed from a Comfrey plant that suggests that it is not Bocking 14 and you risk having plants self seed all over the place.

Hi Julietmaria - I do not think that the colour of the flowers matter - if your plants have not self seeded by now they probably are bocking 14.

[Growster...]

Thanks Springs!

"you risk having plants self seed all over the place."

Assuming it doubles up like mint does, I don't mind a big patch of the stuff, because we're going to use gallons of the liquid hopefully.

Last year, we mixed Comfrey, nettles and 6X all in one great big 22 gal butt of 'tea', and it was a fantastic booster for the toms and the runner beans, They just went on for ages!

Mind you, nobody came within a hundred yards of us for weeks...;0)

[Growster...]

Hi JulietMaria, off topic, but I have to ask this - do you know the tennis club in TRWest?

Back in the sixties, the H and B RFC used to take over the clubhouse during the winter, and it was a gorgeous place for several beers, huge amounts of fun and games and a sing-song with a concert pianist on hand - he still lives neaby actually...

Happy days, and lots of memories too...;0)