[Dabhand]

Hi all,

Comfrey contains allantion, a natural substance that boosts cell repair hence it's nickname Knitbone.  It is not advisable to ingest it as it doesn't do the liver any good.  It's also good as a massage medium when you've been working hard on the allotment all day or your arthritis is giving you jip.  You can keep a bottle handy,  fill a small plastic bottle with Sunflower oil and cut some comfrey leaves and a bit of root and dry them in the microwave wrapped in paper towel on short bursts until the leaves are dry but still green. Then put them in the bottle fully submerged and leave to infuse, give a little shake now and then and keep topping up with oil and changing the comfrey every so often. If you keep it in the greenhouse or on a sunny window sill the warmth will speed up the infusion.   It's also used on horses to ease sprains etc.  

Stinging nettles are used by old farmers and suchlike for easing arthritis pain, apparently they pick a bunch and rub them on the affected joints, something to do with the histamines helping the inflammation.  Iv'e got an arthritic knee but I'm not putting it to the test..  Anyone here tried it??

Dawn

[Trillium]

Haven't tried it, but if the arthritis keeps up, take glucosamine with chondroitin (not sulfate - it's vet use mostly). My chiropractor recommended it and it seems to be helping my knees which spent too many hours kneeling in damp earth. Gave the gluc/sulfate one to my old dog regularly and her limp has cleared up.

[Dabhand]

Haven't tried it, but if the arthritis keeps up, take glucosamine with chondroitin (not sulfate - it's vet use mostly).

Yes, I take that also and CLO. I also take Mobic (Prescribed) and rub on comfrey and my own blend of essential oils in a massage oil. Every little helps as they say!

[muntjac]

i like nettles ,i have  patch growing ( roots locked in tho ) i use it for twine in my skils lessons and also make tea etc . the effects of the sting are good  to remove stings from the actual nettles you can beat them agin a post or wilt them over a fire ( which i knew before blooming muppet mears ) i have some ready made tea leaves  if anyone wants to try some , but i also let them grow for my butterflies to lay on , late in the season when they are dying back i cut them low down and roll them for twine plaiting them into nets etc the fresher mid summer ones are better for twine but the wildlife has first dibs on mine

[Trillium]

the effects of the sting are good  to remove stings from the actual nettles

Not sure if I follow you on this, Muntjac. Can you explain?

[Bigbadfrankie]

I am very interested in this green manure carry on. I cannot yet master placing an image on here. But is this the stuff in question.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Russian_comfrey_800.jpg.
I have grown mustard, but the seed cost £30 and I have yet to grow any crops on the treated land to see any benefit. I think I will have a strip of cut and come again green manure this year to keep adding mulch to the ground. Even just grass would be a help I guess. Our ground is very sandy so the more we can add organic material the better. I thought I would also grow some sun flowers and chop them down early, and compost them as the stems are full of potash. The seeds are cheap from the pet shop. I have a load of lettuce in to put between the widely spaced onions and shallots. I will have a few then shallow rotovate the rest in.
In fact last year was such a disappointment this year is going to be all about improving soil structure for us. Hopefully it will be a bit wetter (not while Karl is down though) in general.

[Mysteryjimbo]

If anyone wants some, mine is just coming up in 3 different places!!  Where I used to live, it never spread, but it does since we moved to Lincolnshire.  

I'll take some!    

[muntjac]

sorry trillium i missed a bit ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,the efects of the stings .are good for rheumatism etc ,  
to remove stings from the actual nettles you can beat them agin a post or wilt them over a fire

[slowcompost]

I collect comfrey leaves out of the road verge on the way to the allotment. A bag full each time, just put them in a water butt till it pongs.
dont fancy cultivating it on the allotment though. You might finish up with a plot full of comfrey.

[milkman]

If you acquire a variety called Bocking 14 this doesn't set seed and doesn't spread, so is quite useful.  You do need to plant it out in its final resting place as if you move it there is every chance you'll leave a tiny section of root which will regrow...