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Mulching with comfrey

 
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lorrayne



Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Posts: 239
Location: Hampshire
PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 15 10:56 am    Post subject: Mulching with comfrey Reply with quote
    

Does anyone use comfrey this way ? I add it to the compost bin and make feed but I had thought about mulching the asparagus bed with it, probably watering it and adding a layer of compost - any ideas suggestions whether this would be useful or a waste of time?

L

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 15 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've mulched with comfrey! It breaks down fairly quickly, so you'll want a big hedge of it for enough material to lay it down thick. Luckily the seeds are very rarely viable, so you don't have to worry about spent flower heads being mixed in.

lorrayne



Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Posts: 239
Location: Hampshire
PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 15 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you Slim.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Oct 04, 15 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

all three ways work for gardening

it is also a great wound herb for breaks and sprains as a poultice(root is best) but as it heals and seals fast is not suitable for punctures as the surface seals which can allow abscesses to develop

take care handling the stuff as the hairs are quite irritant

lorrayne



Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Posts: 239
Location: Hampshire
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Oh dpack wish I'd known that 2 weeks ago - I broke my toe !!
L

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

lorrayne wrote:
Oh dpack wish I'd known that 2 weeks ago - I broke my toe !!
L


ouch

the comfrey poultice thing is very ancient but my grannie who was a first world war nurse and physio to a fa cup winning footy team really rated the stuff.from personal experience it works .

Pilsbury



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Another name for comfery is knitbone, as for it not growing from seed thst is if you hsvevthd bocking 14 variety I believe cos my garden is full ofvthe stuff thsts selfseeded from somewhere....
still I much prefer the Comfery to the alkinet I had before.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 4:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

a boiled pulp of the root and a bandage will actually set into a cast but for most purposes a poultice will do the job.

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Pilsbury wrote:
Another name for comfery is knitbone, as for it not growing from seed thst is if you hsvevthd bocking 14 variety I believe cos my garden is full ofvthe stuff thsts selfseeded from somewhere....
still I much prefer the Comfery to the alkinet I had before.


I only see it pop up where the plants has been pulled up root piece and all. Those roots appear to be everlasting, and can return in new places via spread compost!

(I'm not certain about cultivar differences though, so do take my experience in this regard as just that, only anecdotal!)

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 15 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

root division is the usual way to propagate the plant but as it seems to grow in new places with no soil disturbance i recon some strains can grow from seed

NorthernMonkeyGirl



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4584
Location: Peeping over your shoulder
PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 15 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
root division is the usual way to propagate the plant but as it seems to grow in new places with no soil disturbance i recon some strains can grow from seed


IIRC all comfreys regrow from root chunks, and all except Bocking 14 have fertile seeds too.

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Wed Oct 07, 15 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's funny, around my father's house we'll never see the end of the comfrey because they always pop up from bits of root, but I've never seen a seedling!

Maybe we've just got the sterile line?


Edit: I guess we've only used a russian variety! https://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/everything-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-comfrey-but-were-afraid-to-ask/

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