Comfrey

[Tigerhair]

I want to grow this to add to my compost heap and make that lovely gooey liquid fertilizer. Is it rampant? Are there any other uses? Thanks

[ina]

Goats love it! Other grazing animals, too - it's supposed to be very healthy for them, and lots of people feed it to sickly animals. I also remember buying some comfrey oil, which was meant for horses with leg problems, and which I used on my own legs with success...

The plants I have come across were fairly large, but not exactly spreading wildly, rather compact. And the ones I planted last year died back completely and are just now showing the first bits of leaf. I had already feared they were gone altogether.

[Magpie]

They are only rampant if you try to remove them once established - every tiny bit of root will grow. Otherwise, they just spread very slowly, just like any flowering perrennial in the garden.

And yes, very good for stock to eat, chooks, sheep, the lot, especially when cut and wilted. It has a reputation for being carcinogenic, but was also widely used for human consumption too. Something to make your own mind up about, I guess.

[Mr. Trench]

Nettles work just as well for self-made liquid fertiliser. Just soak for two weeks or so in water & you get a very smelly solution that the plants love.

I'm trying comfry for the first time this year. For ages I have been intending to grow it, only to discover that I already have it (finally sa a picture of it on the internet... D'oh!

[kevin m.]

Comfrey grows like mad!!!
The liquid is EXTRAORDINARILY SMELLY,but is a great tonic for all sorts of plants-full of minerals,due to the deep taproots of the Comfrey plant.
Bees love the flowers.
Ina,your observation about Comfrey tonic for Horses reminded me that Comfrey Poultices were used to mend broken bones-it is supposed to be very powerful stuff,though don't ask me how it's supposed to work.

[Stew]

Nettles work just as well for self-made liquid fertiliser. Just soak for two weeks or so in water & you get a very smelly solution that the plants love.

That's good to know as Nettles are always easy to find!

You can make good strong cord out of the stems too - quite a multipurpose plant.

[Aberlemno]

Its country name is "knit-bone" isn't it? My late m-in-law always used to swear by a comfrey leaf poultice for a bad bruise and still had a bag of dried comfrey-leaves in the cupoard when she died, aged nearly 92.

According to this link, it can be taken internally for a variety of complaints too:

http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-M ... s/h222.htm

[hedgewizard]

If you don't want it to spread, get some Bocking strain slips from Garden Organic.

[Tigerhair]

Would it grow in a tub? Would it seed itself elsewhere?

[Shirley]

I remember that when we were kids my gran would smear this awful smelly brown ointment on any bruises etc..... smelly but blooming good!!

Apparently it grows like mad in the hedgerow - and according to one old and wise one in my neck of the woods it should be a good year for it this year!

[ina]

Would it grow in a tub? Would it seed itself elsewhere?

Tub's not a good idea - it's very deep rooting. It would probably grow, but not vigorously enough to produce the leaves that you are growing it for. And I don't think it would seed it itself massively, otherwise they'd be selling seeds rather than the roots.

[hedgewitch]

Mine's in a pot
And Comfrey lotion on sprains and bruises really is fab.

[Wombat]

Hedgewitch,

how do you make a lotion out of it?

Nev

[hedgewitch]

I make an oil based rub.
Place Olive oil in a double boiler, add some beeswax ( not too much ) and steep Comfrey root in the whole lot for a good hour ( stirring all the time ).
Strain into a clean jar ( I use a coffee filter ).
The more beeswax you use the more solid the product. You can use different oil as well - sweet almond, jojoba, avocado etc etc.

[Wombat]

Thanks mate!

Nev