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Where is the best place to buy comfry from?

amature

By Amature

United Kingdom

Thank you for the answer on my chilli's.I've heard i should grow comfrey for my compost and also to use for a liquid feed. Is it best grown from seed or plant and where should i get it from?


On plant Amature


Answers

 

I have a clump of Comfrey & often dig roots out for friends, it's very hard to get rid of once you have it! I think I got mine as a plant though. The sort of place you'd find it would be like a village plant sale etc. I love it, & cut it down to ground level about three times a year, putting the large leaves & stalks into the compost bin. I've never made it into a liqued as apparently it smells foul. The herbalists make it into a balm for the skin, it has great healing properties. PamD

5 Mar, 2009

 

Its latin name is Symphytum officinale, and Pam is SOOO right in saying that it's hard to get rid of! It spreads under ground, and also by seedlings. I had to remove 12 barrow-loads from one area of my garden when we came - then more later.

I am sure that if you found a neighbour with some, they'd did a root up for you - but BEWARE!!!

You might also find seeds from a specialist company - good luck!

5 Mar, 2009

 

To stop it spreading by seed make sure you get Comfrey Bocking 14. It is specially bred to be seed sterile. If you plant seed it is *so* invasive. You can get roots of Bocking 14 now. If you'd asked last week I could have sent you some but it is all gone now. It is a wonderful fertilizer and a better high pot. food than tomato food.

John

5 Mar, 2009

 

I think the Organic Catalogue (formerly HDRA) supply Bocking 14, maybe Tamar Organic as well. I've got comfrey, but I'm unsure what type as it was already here - tall and pink-flowered, bees love it. I always deadhead after flowering just in case. The liquid is stinky but I hold my nose and use it on my toms.

5 Mar, 2009

 

hmmmm i could do with some of this comfrey , getting a bit worried about letting it into my garden due to the bully boy tactics it seems to have, I could do with the liquid feed though . .. . .. .Is it really worth it? please help

5 Mar, 2009

 

Yes Mac. It is. Bocking 14 doesn't bully at all. It clumps and the only way to spread it over a large area is by division otherwise it spreads in a very gentile way. Elleme is right to take flowers off, it sounds like it is NOT Bocking 14. She's right about the pong when rotting it down but it doesn't last long and it is worth it. Great added to the compost heap too. Better than a commercial accelerator.

John.

5 Mar, 2009

 

I will need to try B14 if i see any i am going to get some dont like using tom feeds to much

5 Mar, 2009

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Comfrey-Bocking-14-x-5-Root-cuttings_W0QQitemZ220372807776QQihZ012QQcategoryZ20536QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

have it now on eBay. (Very long address make sure you get it all when cutting and pasting).

John.

6 Mar, 2009

 

Thanks everyone.. love this web site. Ordered my comfrey this afternoon on ebay, got the bocking 14 variety. I'll let you no how I get on.. Thanks again, you might make a gardener out of me yet..lol

6 Mar, 2009

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