There is a raft of information about comfrey , but not much about how to set up and take care of a comfrey patch . That ’s why I decided to compose this article to share my knowledge and explain how we raise comfrey in our market garden as part of our fertility design .
A member of the tailwort family , comfrey – Symphytum spp . is aboriginal to Europe and Asia and there are 40 recorded species throughout that region . Most of the sentence , Russian cumfrey ( Symphytum x uplandicum ) is used in garden . It is a of course come about crossbreed of two savage species : coarse comfrey ( Symphytum officinale ) and prickly comfrey ( Symphytum asperum ) .
Several hundred days ago , Henry Doubleday ( 1810–1902 ) learned about the hybrid Symphytum x uplandicum and bear on it as a food for thought and grass harvest . year subsequently , and after two world wars , Lawrence D Hills ( 1911 - 1991 ) would proceed Henry Doubleday ’s Comfrey cause .
pitcher’s mound began studying comfrey in the village of Bocking , which is near Braintree in the UK , in the 1950s . The original trial internet site is on the plot of land now occupied by the Doubleday Gardens housing exploitation . Lawrence Hills last at 20 Convent Lane just around the corner of the visitation situation . At this site , Hills trialed at least 21 healing herb ‘ strains ’ , each one mention after the village Bocking . The most nutrient - dense strain that did n’t produce seed was notice to be Strain 14 . This was the start of “ Bocking 14 ’s ” journeying into gardens all over the world . ( acquire more its chronicle on the Balkan Ecology Project blog . ) .
Medicinal – Comfrey has been cultivate as a healing herb since at least 400BC . Comfrey was often used by the Greeks and Romans to stop gruelling hemorrhage , treat lung problem , and bring around wounds and broken bones .
Poultices were made for external wounds and teatime was consumed for national ailments . Comfrey is said to help keep skin tidy because it moderate mucilage , which soothes , moisturizes , and encourages cell increase .
This industrial plant is my first port of call if ever I call for to preen a wound . Just take a few leaves , brush them together to get free of the hairs , and envelop them around the wound . gently press down on them . It ’s improbably effective at check the bleeding , reducing the botheration and heal the wound .
Biomass : From late May ( late spring ) until hard icing in October or November ( late fall ) , comfrey grow a quite a little of leaves . The plant can be geld anywhere from twice to five times a year , count on how well it is fed and watered . It makes keen mulch . The flora grows rapidly after each harvest .
There is a Comfrey industrial plant called “ Bocking 14 ” next to every yield tree in our gardens so that we always have mulch where we need it . As part of our plan to keep the soil sizeable , we also grow in patches in the market garden and in the wild flower meadows ( more on that below ) .
A party in Germany call in Oxygenisis is trying out using this works for C capture and has bought 1,000 “ Bocking 14 ” cuttings from us .
Mineral dam : Comfrey has roots that go down up to 2 meters deep and practice nutrients in the priming that other plants would have to wash away with the water system in the ground or be inaccessible to them . Once the works ’s root take in nutrients , those food are moved around the plant as take , with some end up in the comfrey leafage mass . When the leafage mass is trim down up and spread on top of the soil , the nutrient that were take out are returned and can now be used by harvest plants with shallow theme .
Different kind of bees and other dirt ball can get nectar and pollen from the Alexander Bell - determine flowers from late May until the first hoarfrost in late fall . Lacewings are said to lay eggs on comfrey and spiders overwinter on the plant . Parasitoid wasps and spider will track down on and around comfrey .
Pest and disease mastery : A comfrey answer has been shown to keep powdery mildew out , according to research . Pest piranha such as spiders , lacewings and parasatoid wasp associate with this plant life . It ’s right to leave alone some plants alone so as to sustain pest predator relationships .
report the earth : Some metal money can cursorily grow to make a thick layer of basis cover . They do best on the sunny side of the ground under trees and shrubs . Symphytum tuberosum – Tuberous Comfrey seems to be the best species for this .
As a plant food , comfrey parting have a good counterweight of the three main flora nutrient ( N , P , and K ) . They can be used as mulch , as a powder , or by letting chopped comfrey leaves plume in water for a few week to make a thick , dark liquid that can be mix with water and applied to found rootage . More on this below .
Comfrey ’s nutritional value : The table below show that wilted comfrey has a lot more potash than other organic fertiliser . It is well known that comfrey is a enceinte seed of potassium ( K ) , which is a major works food that plant require in large quantity to uprise and procreate .
Animal fodder – Comfrey has a long history for use as an animal feed . Lawrence D Hills dedicated Word to this topic . * The leave of absence are best received by animals wilted . Cows , sheep , and chicken will deplete fresh leaves , but Sus scrofa , sheep , and horse will only eat wilt leaves .
genus Symphytum officianale and Symphytum x uplandicum are both tell to be used for salad and herbaceous plant , and they try well when they are cooked . I do n’t like the texture , but I will occasionally eat on something from the garden made with the young growth in a leaping green salad .
forethought : Comfrey has been used as a food harvest , but in the last 20 years , field have shown that it may cause Cancer the Crab because it seemed to hurt rats ’ liver and grow cancerous tumors on them . These study have temporarily restricted ontogenesis of comfrey as a food craw . In spark of this , the steady consumption of comfrey is not advisable .
Comfrey starts to uprise in early April , and by early May , you may see stringent clustering of fresh foliage in the pennant of the previous plant . Within a few weeks , the leaf blades with long petioles have grown to over 35 curium mellow . Basal leaves are large , lance - shaped , stalk , and coarsely haired . The foliage give way back following the first frost and persist dormant for wintertime . Many species can spread vigorously via seed and are in the main not welcome in the garden because of this . Other species can spread via Tuber and all species promptly regenerate from broken root pieces .
anthesis – Starts in tardy May or former June and continues until the first frost in late autumn . The bell - shaped flowers with pedicels are in terminal cymes or one - sided clusters . Most rough-cut comfrey flowers are a creamy yellow color , but in Europe mass have catch flowers that are lily-white , flushed , or purpleness . Prickly comfrey has pink and blue flowers while Russian comfrey has gamey , purple , or red - purple flower . Tuberous comfrey has creamy white flower . The plant continue arise foliage even after it flowers , and fresh stems are add together all the sentence during the spring up season . Most comfrey plants can be a bit invasive , sending semen to parts of the garden where they do n’t belong . ‘ Bocking 14 ’ will bloom and furnish nectar and pollen but will not acquire viable seed .
Roots – Some species have short , thick , tuberous roots such as Symphytum tuberosum . Others such as Symphytum x uplandicum have deep and expansive ascendant systems .
Moisture – Some species are drought patient of e.g. Symphytum tuberosum . Cultivated plants require irrigation .
pH – Tolerates a wide range ( 6 . 5 - 8 . 5 ) , which is n’t very sensitive to soil pH , but report say that the full yield bechance on pH 6 dirt . 0 to 7 . 0 .
Comfrey has long been prized by gardener for its power to provide a potent nutrient rise to plants . But what precisely makes this unassuming herb such a nutritionary powerhouse ? One of the key factors is comfrey ’s exceptionally high degree of potassium .
What is Potassium and Why Do Plants Need It?
Potassium ( chemical symbolic representation K ) is one of the three major macronutrients require for level-headed plant growth , along with nitrogen ( N ) and morning star ( P ) .
atomic number 19 plays several crucial role in plants
It help in photosynthesis , the appendage works use to convert sunlight into energy .
It assist modulate the opening and closing of the stoma , the tiny pores on plant life leaves that allow air and water exchange .
It assists with water regulation , nutritious shipping , and overall works vigor .
It is critical for flower and yield production , as well as improve coloring , flavor , and harvest quality .
Potassium deficiency can result in weak , scrawny emergence and rock-bottom proceeds . Providing adequate atomic number 19 ensures plant develop strong , resilient cell walls and are unspoilt able-bodied to resist disease .
Why Comfrey Leaves Are So High in Potassium
The comfrey industrial plant is surpassing at drawing potassium up from the dirt and concentrating it in its leaves and roots . Here ’s why comfrey accumulates such abundant level of K :
It has a large , dense root organization that explores a wide soil area , tapping into taciturnity of atomic number 19 .
As a dynamical accumulator works , comfrey specializes in pull certain nutrients from the grunge and lay in them in soluble forms that are easily used by other plants .
K is taken up apace and transport quick to the foliage before flowering , where it gets lock in the plant tissues in readily available forms .
truehearted , lush leafage maturation in spring and summer allows comfrey to amass real potassium in its farewell by the clock time it ’s ready for cut .
Potassium Levels in Comfrey Leaves
When canvas , comfrey folio have been launch to contain :
2 - 3 % potassium in dry folio matter .
Up to 4.5 % potassium in fresh cut leaf .
To put this in view , stock manure stop about 1 - 2 % potassium . Wood ash contains 3 - 7 % atomic number 19 . Comfrey allow furnish potassium level on equality with or surpass these traditional plant food source .
In practical gardening terms , the prolific leaves harvested from a cumfrey industrial plant can supply a immense amount of K for feeding other crops . Just a modest routine of comfrey works can provide atomic number 19 - robust fertilizer for an entire garden when the leaves are converted into melted plant feed or used as mulch .
The Many Benefits of Comfrey as a Potassium Fertilizer
Choosing comfrey as a renewable K source offers many advantages :
Comfrey is easy and cheap to raise . Once established , a few plants can provide year of abundant leaf for harvesting .
Cutting comfrey go away promotes rapid regrowth , admit for multiple harvests per time of year .
Comfrey adapts readily to a variety of condition and is hassle - liberal to preserve .
The parting break down chop-chop into a alimentary plant food that can be lend oneself instantly or brewed into liquid fertiliser feed .
Comfrey allow for potassium in a bod that is immediately usable by plant life . It deliver a spry - acting K boost .
Comfrey can help gardeners reduce reliance on expensive synthetic fertilizers .
Fertilizing with comfrey is an constitutional , sustainable option that benefits the total garden ecosystem .
For gardeners assay to harness the nutritional power plant of potassium in an approachable , eco - well-disposed form , it ’s hard to beat comfrey . This retiring , easy - to - develop herb can enrich compost , multiply yields , and supercharge plant development and fruit when apply as a singular potassium - pack fertilizer .
How we use the comfrey
As mulch : Comfrey leaves that have just been cut make effective mulch because they are high in nitrogen and do n’t take N from the soil as they break down . Comfrey is great for vegetables like tomato , peppers , and cucumbers , as well as for berry and yield trees , because it has a lot of potassium .
With adequate provender and lacrimation we ’ve see yields of 2 - 3 kg of biomass per plant life per cut .
Comfrey beds establishing well . This layer was planted with divided jacket 5 months prior to this photograph being taken .
melted fertliser – What I wish to call ‘ Comfert ’ . Fill a barrel , rather one with a bottom tap and gauze on the interior to keep it from getting clot , with about three quarter of fresh comfrey leaves . Then add water to replete the gun barrel all the mode to the top . cross it , and have it steep for 3 - 6 weeks . The aroma from the resulting liquid is far from attractive so approach with care . The tea may be used full strength or diluted by one-half or more . Do n’t use it before it ’s going to rain a mass , because most of the food in the liquid will wash right through the dirt . When your vegetable need it most is when you should go for the feed for the good results . This will be unlike for each plant . For instance , love apple should be prey when they are gear up fruit and afterwards at any time while they are fruit . apply comfert before this can be antagonistic fertile and make your plant more susceptible to pest problems . The black slurry at the bottom of the barrel can be break up evenly back over the comfrey spot .
you may also make “ Comfert Plus , ” a liquid fertilizer concentrate , by putting tonic - excision healing herb tops into an old pail , put something ponderous on top of them , and seal the eyelid tightly . Then , wait a few weeks , and the big top will recrudesce down into a black slurry . By score a yap in the bottom of the bucket , you could catch the dressed ore as it drips into another pitcher . Dilute this comfrey centralise about 15 to 1 with water , and utilize as you would comfert . you’re able to varnish this concentrate in plastic jugs until you are ready to habituate it .
Warning ! Comfert stinks like sin . My nieces come to travel to from London last year and offer to help out in the market garden . One of the tasks that day was to apply comfert to the crops . Simply put , things did not go as planned . The next day , we had a much better metre cut down deal trees .
Setting up a comfrey patch
You might want to grow healing herb to feast your animals , make medicine , usance as mulch or compost , or possibly you ’re a bit of a masochist and require to roll around raw in the sharp bed of biomass ( not me ) . In any case , here ’s how to do it .
The plant we use in our garden isSymphytum x uplandicum – ‘ Bocking 14 ’ . A sterile cultivar that produces copious quantities of nutritive dense biomass . The following information is based on using this flora .
What site to apply ? We ’re acquire for biomass , so we want the plants to get as much spark as possible . consequently , we lay out our beds on an E to west axis ( we ’re in the northern hemisphere ) .
To get good crop fruit from plant life , you require to irrigate them , so select a spot that can be irrigated is very authoritative .
In spot where it does n’t rain down much , using the slope of the land to direct rain toward your bed will make your plant need less water . If it rains a lot and the body of water table is gamey , you might want to move the water away from the beds .
Once it starts to grow , comfrey is hard to get free of , so pick a spot where you want it to stay on . If you want to grow crops , do n’t found healing herb there because the impoverished roots will grow newfangled works quickly and beat out slower - growing crops .
Position comfrey downhill from where you expect leachate to be present , i. e downhill from a manure muckle , compost sight , outside crapper , beast pen etc . can give plants inactive prolificacy and keep minerals from being washed aside with the groundwater Grow the healing herb where you require to use it . We may be taking more than 1/4 ton of biomass from our patch , and we do n’t require to have to convey that over long distance , as you ’ll see after .
sire the site ready : raised beds are a big part of our fertility plan because they contain weewee and nutrients very well over time . I use 1 . We grow our crop in 3m - wide seam surrounded by 50 centimetre paths . This make it gentle to glean from anywhere in the bed without having to step on the soil , and the paths are all-embracing enough for our lawnmower .
First , get disembarrass of all the plants in the area . This can be done best by plane mulching the area the year before . Pernicious perennials or tap root biennials should be dug out . When you ’re done earn the arena , use string to make the shape of the beds and dig 50 atomic number 96 wide way of life around them . Spread stain over the planting arena to make the bed ’s first wage hike . Fork over the bed well . If a hardpan is present take the meter and feat to extinguish it before planting .
Depending on how good your dirt is , you might require to add more compost to the bed before you implant . With the supernumerary land from the paths , all you take to do is add up a 20 cm layer of straw mulch ( or another mulch ) if you have already sheet mulched the area . Then it ’s quick to plant . A good mulch to set out with will help keep the weeds down while your healing herb gets going .
you may alter the deepness and gradient of the paths to help the required counsel of water movement .
Plant textile : you could plant crown division or rootage cuttings outdoors . It ’s good to do this in the spring , when the soil is warm . Putting a spade through the middle of a ripe comfrey plant and transplanting the split section will give you a pate division . I cut two - year - one-time plants into quarters or sometimes sixths for our bed , and they did really well in their first year . This is the first class that you should n’t glean the leaf biomass because you want the roots to grow deep . However if you apply prominent air division you could bulge out harvesting in July .
ancestor cuttings are a cracking way to institute out big areas of comfrey . The cutting should be grown in small pots with a mix of compost and river backbone that is maintain moist . They should be planted outdoors in the spring as soon as the first parting come out and the soil has warm up . you could found a lot of root cut directly into the bed by make “ nests ” in the straw and adding two cups ’ Charles Frederick Worth of the potting mix above . Then , plant the clipping in these “ nest . ” Keep them moist like a wrung out poriferan and the success rate will be very close to 100 % .
Spacing – The plants should be spaced 60 curium apart in rowing and 60 atomic number 96 aside at diagonals between row . imbed the rows 15 cm from the edge of the beds .
cut — rent the plants get established the first class so that the roots can develop well and go late into the territory . polish off any weeds around the plants go forth them on the surface . The following year the cutting can begin . For a quick harvest , you may scythe the bed , or you may use secateurs or shear to cut each industrial plant off at the base , about 5 cm from the ground .
The leaves are prickly so if you have sensitive hands wear gloves . Cut the comfrey as the florescence stalks emerge up to four time a year . Native bee and honey bees will find solid food on the plant if you countenance them bloom at least once during the time of year . Do not trim down off the last few leaves before winter . This will allow insects to find protection in the underwood . Every once in a while , you may need to pull mourning band between cuts , but the comfrey will quickly report the ground .
When you ’re done cut the comfrey , mow the paths between the beds and floor the supergrass clippings at the bag of the comfrey plant . Any trimming from lawns and hedges in the surrounding area can also be used .
We are trying grow nitrogen - fixing hedges and ground cover plant next to the plot of land to see how they work for feeding our comfrey .
Undiluted water , apply at a rate of about 500 cubic centimetre per plant twice a year , is a great nutrient for comfrey .
Irrigation – Comfrey will make more biomass if irrigated and in dry climates it ’s essential to water . Comfrey plant wilt very fast in hot conditions and will finish photosynthesising at this pointedness . Twenty litres per m2 per week of drouth should be more than equal . If you take care of biological systems the right elbow room , the soil gets better every yr , and over time it will be in effect at sustain water .
We apply peaceful irrigation diverting water from a raft stream into the paths around the beds . The paths fill with water , and we raise the horizontal surface by set chemise of sawdust over low spots to block them . The water is then drawn through the territory by hairlike natural process .
Passive irrigation in our market place garden . The paths fill with water and the water permeates throughout the soil via hairlike action mechanism .
Turn Comfrey Leaves into a FREE High Potassium Plant Food | How to make Comfrey Tea to feed Plants
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