Allotments 4 All
Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: Mark S on March 31, 2011, 13:01:39
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Hope you forgive a newbie for asking what might be a silly question:
Where can I buy / get hold of some comfrey?
Is it a plant that you can pick up from a decent nursery / garden centre, or, dare I say it, do you see it growing wild and pinch a bit from the side of a road??
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Bear in mind I know nothing about this, just passing on a conversation from an adjacent plot holder who has had comfrey a couple of years.
Be very careful !! They were complained about quite vociferously by other allotmenteers who were alarmed at the massive amount of comfrey that had populated the plot and who were worried it would spread wider.
Digging out with tractor didn't help, now they're digging lots out all by hand after warnings by the committee
As I said, I know nothing ...
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Yes..wild comfry will do that..spread like wild fire..
Generally comfry,even the wild sort is ok..but you need to give them a bed/place where they are not disturbed and moved about..you can leave them be year after year..it will regenerate from root pieces quite easily so if you disturb it by moving it about and leaving bits behind...well..need I tell you more.. ::)
As where to get some...you could start by sending PM to me and we have a 'chat' about it.. ;)
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If you grow 'wild' comfrey, you can cut it before it flowers, otherwise it seeds everywhere. The flowers, though, are much loved by bees and we grow some and allow it to flower on the wildlife area of our allotment site
The 'Bocking' variety is considered best as the flowers on this are infertile but I find that the 'wild' comfrey is a stronger grower
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We got 3 cuttings last year fro bocking 14. The compost was wonderful ;D.
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I bought mine from garden organic at Ryton. Brocking 14 that is. I think you can buy by post, that's of course if no one on here as any to spare ;) I would like to no how to take cuttings off mine. Is it just a case of pulling the old ones up and then cutting into pieces then replanting? And when is best time of year to do this?
Planting wild comfrey on an allotment I don't think is a good idea, as already said spreads like wild fire if left to seed. I must admit I do pick the wild stuff from the lane before it goes to seed to supplyment my 2 plants. (I don't take the whole plant just the leaves. Do wear gloves). Its good in the bottom of bean trenches as well. And makes a great liquid feed.
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Taurus..To get more comfry plants..yes it is just matter lifting the clump a bit from soil and taking one of the growing points with a bit of root out..and re-planting or potting on that section ;)..easy.. ;D And the best time to do it is now.
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I bought some seeds for s type of Comfrey that wasn't supposed to self-seed... However, every year I get quite a few little comfrey plants dotted around the vicinity! I really don't mind as they are easy enough to weed our and obviously do wonders for the compost heap.
I think they make a great garden plant - you get all the fertilising properties and the bees seem to adore them!
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If I still had my Comfrey plants I would send you a cutting like other A4Aller's have done in the past, look on e-bay, :)
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"Its good in the bottom of bean trenches as well."
I did this about 20 years ago. I still haven't got rid of it from that place.......
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Many thanks Goodlife for the info.
Small, I only ever used the leaves.
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i've got a full 16" bed of comfrey it was there when i took over the allotment and it's impossible to dig out so i just leave it and keep it cut down for use in the water barrels and compost bin.
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Hi Mark,
I've just planted some Comfrey that I ordered online from Suffolk Herbs (http://www.suffolkherbs.com/)
It's the Bocking 14 sterile version which doesn't spread - you order root cuttings.
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I have a 20' by9' comfrey bed on some very poor soil that gets waterlogged each winter. It grows remarkably well and I take crops off it three or four times a year. It will grow about 5-6' in height when it is happy if you let it. I would not recommend that you let it get that big though. I do not use the Bocking 14 sterile variety - I am too miserly to do that, so my comfrey is the native wild flower. I went around the allotment site digging up small comfrey plants to start myself off. Wild comfrey still makes a bostin liquid fertiliser which I use on all my veg but especially things that fruit like; pumpkins, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and peas.
I crop it by cutting the leaves off at ground level and then putting them into water butts with a tap at the bottom. I used to put water into the butts too but I don't bother now. The leaves rot down to a rich black tea like liquid which you can run off using the taps.
Comfrey has a NPK ratio of 1.8-0.5-5.3. so you can see it is relatively high in potassium.
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I bought some seeds for s type of Comfrey that wasn't supposed to self-seed... However, every year I get quite a few little comfrey plants dotted around the vicinity! I really don't mind as they are easy enough to weed our and obviously do wonders for the compost heap.
I think they make a great garden plant - you get all the fertilising properties and the bees seem to adore them!
If you bought comfrey seeds, then it wasn't the type that doesn't self seed....or else you wouldn't have been able to buy the seeds!
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I bought mine from garden organic at Ryton. Brocking 14 that is.
Bocking 14 you mean :D
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Experiences vary; some people with the wild type report that it self-seeds everywhere, but that's never been my experience. One thing to bear in mind is that it's next to impossible to get rid of once it's established in a particular spot.
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it does make great fertiliser if you let it rot down , but the smell :-X
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Experiences vary; some people with the wild type report that it self-seeds everywhere, but that's never been my experience. One thing to bear in mind is that it's next to impossible to get rid of once it's established in a particular spot.
When I gave up a half plot last year I warned the new gardener about the comfrey I had planted.
I offered to weedkiller it- cover with black plastic but apologised and warned him it would take him years to get rid of. :-[ :-[ :-[
He said don't worry he would sort it.!
He dug it out and in the last year I never saw one bit re-emerge!
??? ??? ??? I've got to admit I was impressed as I know how difficult it is to get rid off! :D
I love the smell by the way ;D ;D ;D
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I have a variegated form which is in the allotment flower border... might be coming up for division... I'll check over the weekend. It's relatively tame... doesn't spread, doesn't get as large, doesn't seed... very pretty... :)
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This gives some tips on where you might find it growing wild http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfrey and has a few pictures.
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There's a white version which grows around the lane on my site, which doesn't get so big.
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All white? Mine has large white margins, or a green mid-rib... not sure which!! :)
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I have a variegated form which is in the allotment flower border... might be coming up for division... I'll check over the weekend. It's relatively tame... doesn't spread, doesn't get as large, doesn't seed... very pretty... :)
Any chance of a neighbour having some then???? Pretty please? ;D ;D ;D swap you for some seeds? 8)
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All white? Mine has large white margins, or a green mid-rib... not sure which!! :)
White flowers.
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I think so Robert but I can't honestly remember...
I may divide it Deb... I haven't decided yet... :-\
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If you want to find comfrey in the wild then check out Long Hanborough in Oxfordshire it is covered in the stuff.
It is stiunning comes in so many colours, white, pink, blue, purple and all the colours in between, amd also two tone.
I only take it from quiet lanes, I am worried that the lead from the petrol is still lurking deep down in the verges. After all where has it gone?
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I have Bocking 14 and if you PM me your addie, then I shall try to get some dug up to pass on this weekend.