[Rampant_Weasel]

on reading up on these plants it says a sterile version was invented.
if i buy some plants from a website will it be the sterile version or are all the varieties sold?

[gobs]

There is a new variety which is not invasive.

Could you please let me know where you found it, as I've been tracing it, but did not found any for sale.

Thanks, Weasel.

[Rob the rake]

Gobs, If you have a flowering version of comfrey, just take off the flower stems as they appear and there shouldn't be a problem with it.

I have 18 plants in 3 rows of 6, with a 2ft x2ft spacing, and since they're not permitted to flower they just stay where they are planted, without taking over.

A winter mulch each year keeps them fit and healthy. They can take their manure extremely crude, and even poultry or pigeon waste in neat form is not too strong. What I try to do is give them a different mulch each season, to keep them supplied with a wide range of minerals and nutrients. Treated this way, the plants seem to come back stronger with each passing year, and in a good season you will get as many as 6 or 7 cuts of comfrey leaves.

If you can cloche them in the early spring, the first cut is usually ready for potato planting and can be used to line the trenches.

Rob.

[mushroom]

on reading up on these plants it says a sterile version was invented.
if i buy some plants from a website will it be the sterile version or are all the varieties sold?

Bocking 14 is the variety you want. it doesn't set seed, it's sterile. I can dig some up and send it if you want, but is now the best time to do it? I'm not sure, maybe others know better. PM me how much you need, I'll see how much I can get.

You'd plant the roots in about 6 inches of soil, then water well (at least that's what I did). It took about 2 months in summer-autumn for this to grow.

[Rampant_Weasel]

thanks for teh offer mushroom, i may take u up on that
is this the right time? i thought autumn/winter was the best time for all plants with it being the dormant season?

gobs, i read elsewhere that its over a pound a plant so i assumed it was generally available on the net

[gobs]

Thanks, RW, I think we might be talking two different varieties.

Didn't you use to have a great avatar picture? :?

[Rob the rake]

I've not put an avatar on this site yet, Gobs. S'pose I'll get round to it eventually.

My post was to let you know how to treat a standard variety of comfrey in order to to keep it in check, in case that's all you could get hold of. The advice about taking off the flower stems remains good though. It makes the plant put all its efforts into making leaves, which is exactly what you want it to do! I'll post some pics in the spring when the plants really get going and you'll see what I mean.

When you get your Bocking 14 roots you can plant them at any time of year as long as the ground's unfrozen and friable. Bocking 14, as far as I know, has a higher potash content than the standard Russian comfrey, so you should snap up Mushroom's offer tout de suite!

Anyone who misses out can buy it from the organic gardening catalogue (HDRA).  http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=59_154

Rob.

[Rampant_Weasel]

thanks for info guys thats great
says avaliable may  to august, i bookmarked it.

thanks again