Where to plant comfrey

[Peggy Sue]

Our flowers are purple, and very hairy- quite prickly in fact and yes irritating when you're picking it!

[JulieSherris]

Right, that's it..... I'm off out to Comfrey hunt in the garden - wet & shady? I MUST have some out there somewhere!!

How come I have all the boring weeds, like dandelions & ground elder...... hmmm.... although I spotted some burdock & my youngest loves dandelion & burdock... I also got my big 'bin things' for wine making yesterday.... might make her some D & B & surprise her

[Millymollymandy]

I think what I have then is two comfreys (variety unknown ) which are growing quite fast now, and the other I have a feeling is a bog standard violet. Mum has a mostly gravel garden and things like that self seed all over the place, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was mixed in the with comfrey.

[Peggy Sue]

If it has hairy leaves it amy be comfrey, my little flowers look like violets but the stems and leaves are very hairy

[boboff]

This is funny, I bought comfrey from Ebay this year and plated it up in trays, I put it outside the greenhouse, and discovered by accident when I left it that the weed behind it with blue flowers was indeed a comfrey plant! Doh I could have saved myself a quid or two ( although I did buy the Russian stuff or what ever that doesn't seed itself!

Anyone for mock strawberries?

[Peggy Sue]

This is funny, I bought comfrey from Ebay this year and plated it up in trays, I put it outside the greenhouse, and discovered by accident when I left it that the weed behind it with blue flowers was indeed a comfrey plant! Doh I could have saved myself a quid or two ( although I did buy the Russian stuff or what ever that doesn't seed itself!

Anyone for mock strawberries?

I can't laugh, I spent 3 years trying to rid this hairy little plant from my borders but wishing I had some comfrey until a friend told me it WAS comfrey. Now its tended to and picked selectively- but got to say it grows just as well when ripped from the ground

[JulieSherris]

Oh, it's so not fair!
I went comfrey hunting the other day, but failed.... shall be looking further afield later when Gail moves to her new place - she might have some out there maybe?

As for mock strawberries... well, I saw a garden shop selling them yesterday in with the normal strawbs!!
I was going to tell the shop people.... but then saw that they were part-time kids & probably wouldn't have understood what I was saying anyway.....

[Annpan]

I got a comfrey root from a neighbour last year.... it grows vigorously. I am very harsh with it and it gets stronger and stronger - I think that's the trick.

It is purple flowers and very prickly leaves, a bit like the prickles on nettles, but not stinging, just scratchy.

[Odsox]

Oh, it's so not fair!
I went comfrey hunting the other day, but failed...

When I did my last cut of comfrey I accidentally broke a piece off the root, so I potted it up and it's growing away nicely.
If you want it Julie you are most welcomed to it ... it's Russian so no seedlings to worry about.

[Peggy Sue]

OK in answer to the original question by chance I was reading my Veg growing book this afternoon and stumbled on this:Comfrey will thrive in full sun, part shade or shade.It doesn't like thin chalky soils and note the roots will go down v deep. Ligth sandy soils will need organic matter. It likes plenty of water so a soggy patch is fine. tends to shade out most weeds but woth removing perenniels as dense growth makes it difficult to weed them. bennefits from manure, even poultry manure- soaks up nutirents, without buring plants. Preferable plant March, April, May or Sept.
Block plant 2-3 feet apart- stand back & watch them grow!
When flowers appear take 1st cut. Manure in winter. Should get 4-5 cuts next year. Propogate with root cuttings, beware rotivating!

This may ofcourse all be too late!

[JulieSherris]

Tony, I'd love it - but I also want some that seeds as well.... so it can do battle with the ground elder, nettles, mares tails, sticky weed & all the other greenery that abounds our banks

We'll get around to clearing the banks eventually, bit by bit... in the meantime, I guess it all adds colour

[Millymollymandy]

OK in answer to the original question by chance I was reading my Veg growing book this afternoon and stumbled on this:Comfrey will thrive in full sun, part shade or shade.It doesn't like thin chalky soils and note the roots will go down v deep. Ligth sandy soils will need organic matter. It likes plenty of water so a soggy patch is fine. tends to shade out most weeds but woth removing perenniels as dense growth makes it difficult to weed them. bennefits from manure, even poultry manure- soaks up nutirents, without buring plants. Preferable plant March, April, May or Sept.
Block plant 2-3 feet apart- stand back & watch them grow!
When flowers appear take 1st cut. Manure in winter. Should get 4-5 cuts next year. Propogate with root cuttings, beware rotivating!

This may ofcourse all be too late!

Not too late, thank you. Sounds like my boggy patch will be fine as it does get a bit more sun than I thought. I'll just have to do some digging out of the perennial weeds which are huge boggy ditch and stream type of plants.

[Odsox]

Tony, I'd love it - but I also want some that seeds as well.

PM me with your address then Julie and I will drop them in the post on Wednesday.
I say "them" as I see that 2 are growing.

[Millymollymandy]

Good grief it grows quickly doesn't it? In the last week they've doubled in size. When I think they were only brought over as tiny 1" tall plants with bare roots wrapped in damp kitchen paper in a suitcase, just over 3 weeks ago.... and now they have 4" long leaves and probably need repotting very soon....HELP!

[Peggy Sue]

As my book says....stand back and watch em grow! You wait til they are established, 4-5 cuts a year is no problem. Can you imagine why I failed to be able to get ride of it when I thought it was a garden weed