The comfrey is just coming into flower and has grown very well this year so was wondering when you make the first cut. I'd like to get plenty of tea prepared this time as I was well short last year.
Cheers!
I made my first cut 2 weeks ago...but I've been looking at mine just today and I could start cutting again quite soon.. ::) Mine gets 'short back and sides' as soon as the leaves are big enough or worth while for cutting.
I was looking at mine this evening and thinking the same. I was also using up some liquid from last year and wondering whether it gets more or less effective with time- anybody know? I watered my garlic with it today.
Thanks, I'll get the scissors out this weekend, I think I've been too kind to it in the past.
We have several of Comfrey plants ( usually left alone ) , what strength is best , and on what crops , advice please ... I have been told that too strong can effect the plants taste.
My comfrey is still quite small because I moved it around in the autumn. I could take a crop off it now but I am letting it get a little bigger. (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZz0ZNGBIDM/Ta6FzUh46DI/AAAAAAAAAPI/R-noyEPxoXg/s1600/April+comfrey.JPG)
I have cropped my sweet cicely and nettles and I am making liquid manure out of these.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7ae35TSJpM/Ta9LIzwEm5I/AAAAAAAAAQM/RXprSrNufbY/s1600/Sweet-cicely-in-the-bin.jpg)
I got the nettles from around the allotment site.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E01omn2EMw8/Ta9MD2AF4FI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/l23iiBueEVE/s1600/nettles-and-comfrey-in-barr.jpg)
I normally cut mine after the flowers have finished because I like them and so do the bees. I got two cuts off my plants last year and I only put them in last spring!
Tony - sweet cicely tea? sounds tasty for us, but I'm curious about what good it does the plants. I have sweet cicely, but it doesn't seem big enough to cut.
Someone remind me to harvest some nettles from the park!
Hi Aquilegia
Ken Thompson in his book "An ear to the ground" says that," Russian comfrey Syumphytum x uplandicumis certainly remarkably rich in the big three mineral nutrient, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium but it is not unique in this respect. Several other plants can do just as well, maybe a little better, including chickweed, nettle, sweet cicely, fat hen, goose grass and hedge garlic. "
So I use sweet cicely for making liquid manure. I mix it with comfrey and worm liquid as well. And grow quite a bit of it.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIY-SGmEnhg/Ta9JV0PtuvI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Gh9Lzo_1oJs/s1600/Sweet-cicerly.jpg)
Quote from: picman on April 20, 2011, 22:11:22
We have several of Comfrey plants ( usually left alone ) , what strength is best , and on what crops , advice please ... I have been told that too strong can effect the plants taste.
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Yes, which crops should I use it on. I have'nt enough for all of them.
Thanks Tony. That is interesting. I didn't know that.
Your plants are huge! Mine isn't even half the size of one of those!
Goose grass too? I've got that growing in the rough bit at the end of the garden.
Quote from: picman on April 20, 2011, 22:11:22
We have several of Comfrey plants ( usually left alone ) , what strength is best , and on what crops , advice please ... I have been told that too strong can effect the plants taste.
I've heard various versions but I dilute it so looks like tea with no milk. Probably one in twenty.
I'm sure others will be more scientific ;)
Hi is it ok to use the comfrey tea Ive got left from last year?
If it is ok to use it could I add newly cut leaves into the same barrel?
Also is it safe to use on all plants/veg/fruit etc?
Thanks for any advice/tips
I have been using comfrey liquid from last year because this years is not ready yet. It has been in the butt since last autumn when I took the last crop of comfrey.
Crystalmoon, what goes in the butt stays in the butt. In other words the only thing that comes out is the liquid through the tap at the bottom. I just keep adding leaves at the top. I will probably have to clean the butt out sometime, however the tap seems to be working fine.
Comfrey liquid is fine to use for all vegetables. I water in seedlings with it. I watered in my mange tout peas with it today. I water it down like Tomorite, although I have put it on the blackcurrant bushes neat. It is perfectly safe to use anywhere.
Based on experience - again no scientific or research gone into this- but I just keep using and adding to my comfrey bins year after year. No ill effects.
People complain about the smell- me I LOVE it ;D ;D ;D
I also have two bins one is pure comfrey for high potash feed, the other has nettles, chicken poo, household liquid fertiliser and this has high nitrogen content.
My scientific background came in so useful as I absolutly no idea what is in it concentration wise, but it works!
I have just planted 20 comfrey plants. Should I cut them this year or just leave them to die back and start harvesting next year. People I have spoken with say to just cut it back to 6" as soon as it grows but on the packet it says not to cut in the "first season". Any ideas?
It really depends on how well your plants are growing, if they are growing well I would take a crop now.
My first comfrey cut (from well established plants) was in April and this was put into a container with holes in the bottom so the juice drained into another container and was then 'bottled' at the end of May; this was very dark so I am diluting about 15 to one.
Did not make myself clear. These are root cuttings so not growing at all at the moment as they were only planted out yesterday.
After re reading this thread I now remember why I got An Ear to The Ground.If I had a brain I would be dangerous ;D. No comments please.
The bottom line is that you can be a savage and brutal as you like with comfrey, you have more chance of the pope turning moslem than killing comfrey by cutting it.
I just bend the plant over and chop down with a spade to cut it, whenever its gets out of hand. It soon comes back
Many thanks lincsyoke12. That's what I'll do.
Quote from: lincsyokel2 on June 25, 2011, 20:30:36
I just bend the plant over and chop down with a spade to cut it, whenever its gets out of hand. It soon comes back
Thanks so much for that tip- I did it today and it was so much easier than snipping. I used the spade to chop it into small bits before adding to compost too.
I chopped down loads of comfrey and borage today. They were all flowering (I still have loads left for the bees!) but was wondering whether it's best to cut the flowers off before adding to compost as the borage is such a prolific self-seeder.
did you grow or comfrey from seed or buy plants? I have bought 2 packets of comfrey seeds from t and m and neither has produced anything!
Quote from: donnythistle on June 26, 2011, 20:45:19
did you grow or comfrey from seed or buy plants? I have bought 2 packets of comfrey seeds from t and m and neither has produced anything!
i grew my from halved roots, taken in autumn.
I chopped mine down about two weeks ago, already im thinking of chopping it again, it really does go like mad when it gets cracking.