Topic: Beginners guide to Comfrey

[wetandcold]

For my small garden I have grown a couple of Russian Comfrey plants with the intention of feeding my toms and cucumbers.

I have looked around the web but found quite a lot of conflicting advice - can anyone give me some advice about converting the leaves into something useable and how many leaves do I need (roughly, of course!)

[Sinbad7]

When I made this I just covered the leaves with water, so it would depend how many leaves you have and the size of the container you are going to use.

Not sure if this is correct but hopefully someone who knows for sure will reply.

Sinbad

[saddad]

Even strewing the leaves on the ground near plants will help... turning into liquid feed is a smelly business...  ::)

[daileg]

i was wondering where i can get some seeds for comfrey as no one on my site has any any help appreciated

[Trevor_D]

Take one Wickes black plastic bucket (or similar container).

Fill it with as many comfrey leaves as it will take.

Top up with water until over-flowing.

Place brick or tile on top to keep leaves in place.

Leave in situ for about two weeks, or until neighbours complain about the smell.

Strain off liquid (wearing old clothing no longer required), disguard debris onto compost heap & use liquid diluted heavily (half a pint to a 2 gallon can is about right).

[asbean]

The russian Bocking 14 ones I believe don't grow from seed, they are propagated by division. We got ours from the Organic Gardening Catalogue. The leaves don't half grow quickly, though, which is fantastic.

They also do a Comfrey for gardeners guide, which is useful:
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/publications/guides.php

[calamityjayneuk]

I love my comfrey, you can do all sorts with it. But apparently bocking 14 (which I have) is the only type to have, the others self seed like weeds. I got mine from ebay, a chap posted me some roots for a few quid.

When you want a bigger patch of bocking 14 you can dig the plants up, slice the roots into pieces and plant each piece. You can harvest the leaves low to the ground a few times a year and they actually seem to like this. They are pretty indestructible.

I make the 'tea' described above  and I also add things like nettles and coffee grounds. I just fill an old tomato feed bottle by dipping it in the top of the mixture without disturbing the gunk in the bottom (yes it does reaaaalllly stink!) Then I add a capful to the watering can.

Comfrey is also brilliant for adding to your compost, it speeds up the process. People also put the leaves in the bottom of potato trenches, around fruit plants etc. The bees seem to love the flowers too. And apparently slugs can be tempted away from other plants by laying the leaves around, they love to eat comfrey.

[STEVEB]

I chop it up and lay it round the base of my plants,know idea if it does any good but its free and cant help!
When your stewing the tea its worth putting the leaves in an old leg of tights or similar.

[caroline7758]

Nigel Slater says he puts the leaves around plants, too- if that's any recommendation!

[wetandcold]

Thanks for all your great replies - I'll give it a go at the weekend! I like the idea of the bad smell - anything to irritate my neigbors is a good thing!

Daileg - I got my seeds from Chiltern http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/pages/moreinfo.asp?pe=DBFAAABHQ_+comfrey+russian&cid=211

Just going off on a different tack here but I germinated a few and sent the rest to my dad in an envelope - when they arrived they had been squashed in the post so badly they looked like porridge oats - unbelievable!

[Oldhippy]

When you `harvest` the comfrey - for whatever you decide to use it for - do you pick the leaves off or cut it down & use the stalks as well?

[speedgardener]

You can do anything you like, pull it or cut it, it'll still grow back and will rot down just as quick. If you bruise the stalks they'll rot as fast as the leaves. I get three crops a year from mine and use it on the compost heap, in my council daleks that I fill with leaves, in a blue drum full of water which I then water the compost heap/leaf bins/fruit bushes (as a foliar feed) and anything else that needs it. Just make sure you leave enough room for it to grow and spread, I started with 6 plants and now have about a dozen sites where it comes up. Great stuff, and free with it!!

[manicscousers]

hi, speedgardener, welcome to the site  ;D
we have the old type, 4 plants in their own bed, never get big enough to flower, so we don't have a spreading problem  ;D

[Baccy Man]

I find comfrey concentrate is not as pungent to produce. I place the leaves tightly packed in an old 5 gallon homebrew bucket with a tap fitted & draw off the liquid daily.
There are several methods for using comfrey here:
http://www.north-west-dahlias.co.uk/comfrey.htm

[Redduck]

Hiya
I'm new to this site though I've had an allotment for three years now...I wish i'd found the site before and maybe i'd not have made quite so many mistakes!!  Found the site today as i've been offered some comfrey plants and was trying to find out if they're worth having.  Looks like I need to grab them quick!  Hello to everyone and thanks for the great advice.

[manicscousers]

hiya, redduck, welcome to the mad house  ;D

[Zoglet]

My comfrey tea

Fill a big closable bucket with leaves. I generally cut the leaf close to the ground and leave a just a few at the base. Drop them into the bucket and stand on them. Repeat till you can squeeze in no more. Add water till leaves covered. Close bucket and leave for at least 2 weeks.

Dilute the resulting comfrey juice (about 1/2  ltr) with water and fill  your watering can.  Water copiously where required.

Plants seem to really put on a growing spurt when ever I have used it. Only draw back is the smell!


Iv also used the leaves at the bottom of a trench of potatoes- but they are still in the ground -so no news there yet! :)

Iv also notices that if you let the plants flower ( a big no-no apparently, if you want the leaves for tea) the bees love them.  Also, careful where you plant it cos it is darn persistent!


Also, the left over comfrey slop is a fantastic compost heap accelerator.

Best of all, its free and virtually endless.

[daileg]

thanks to asbean and wet and cold will have a look into that think i might go for the non prolific one  though