Allotments 4 All
Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: LorrieB on March 06, 2018, 11:09:32
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Hi all, I'm new to growing my own food, this will be the first year, after doing a lot of research, I'm excited to get started on my small gardening space, I was hoping to buy comfrey bocking 4, but it seems you cant get this in the UK, if any one knows otherwise could you please point me in the right direction, I have read this is the best strain to grow with livestock.
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Comfrey Bocking 4 is infertile so does not set seed. That means propagation by division or root cutting or just let the thing run and dig up bits as needed. They can be quite invasive but this one is less so than others.
There are many varieties of comfrey available in the UK and with flowers in a variety of colours as well as some with variegated leaves. They all make excellent ground cover, excellent compost and can be used to make fertiliser "teas" by steeping the foliage in water for a week or two and then diluting the resulting liquid with water. On trials on Beechgrove (Scottish gardening programme on BBC2 nationwide on Sundays once teh season starts) it proved to be the best fertiliser for tomatoes and it's also good for other flowering and fruiting plants.
Try googling "RHS+plant finder+comfrey" to get a list of varieties, how to grow them and who supplies them.
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Thank you for replying, no seeding is what I am looking for, and the fact it can be eaten by equines. :happy7:
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Comfrey can be safely eaten by horses and also is used medicinally in some circumstances. See Horse and Hound for more info on the benefits of comfrey.
The only difference with the non seeding one is that the flowers on the varieties available in the UK will set seed and, incidentally, be of benefit to pollinator insects as they provide pollen and nectar which sterile plants don't do. Given that pollinators need all the help they can get I'd have thought it worth planting.
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Bocking #14 is sterile and readily available in the UK. :wave:
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any one got a few roots ??
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Thanks for all the reply's, :icon_cheers: the main reason for the seeds, is, it's not my land, and would need to keep in check, but am still looking into it.