I'm thinking about using mostly if not all comfrey in making VC for top dresses. Anyone know about how many plants it would take to make 10 gallons of VC per 2 months? Will the plant still be able to accumulate nutrients over the years?
It's not so much the number of plants (6 to 10 would more than suffice), but the maturity of the plants and even more important, having enough worms and *bin* to produce that amount of VC. It's also not a question of acquiring comfrey and worms and 'poof' you're in business. Both need to be grown into production, so to speak. Especially the worm bins. The worms will self regulate their population, but it takes some time for the various bacteria, fungi and decomposer bugs to reach a perfect balance. Seems to need to do this on it's own without any help. At least that's been my experience. Realistically, figure about a year, IF, you get both the comfrey and the worms going soon. A few plants and a small 'starter' bin is fine. Both are very easy to expand once established. Think having an established mother plant vs a bunch of seeds. Sorta. Wet
I've got 2 russian bocking 14 roots and stuck them in the ground about 2 weeks ago. One popped out and the other is still taking its time. Its buried only about 6 inches deep so hopefully it will make it. I know its going to take awhile for things to get churning. I'll take some rootings this fall and plant them in next spring. What else is good to put in there? Maybe a little manure and some dandelions? I dont see much point in adding nettles or yarrow since comfrey is kind of the same thing if not better. I want to make some really good VC with lots of humic/fulvic acids so I won't need to use tm7 or fulpower and save some dinero. I'm starting off in 5 gallon buckets when my comfrey plants gets large enough to chop.
Starting what in 5 gal buckets, the worms? No need to wait on the comfrey. I had my bins going a year before the comfrey was started. They do take awhile to become established. I'd get them started. Wet
Yes I want to start the worms in 5 gal buckets first but I've been thinking maybe I can toss them into my no till and mulch/feed the worms in there so I won't have to have a worm bin.
Think again. LOL Worms in the no till is a good thing, but in no way is it going to replace a worm bin. The conditions you want for VC production are different than what is required for growing mj, or most plants for that matter. Wet
Those plants look really happy MM. Nice fleshy bright green leaves, they must be growing pretty fast! What are the plants in those black smarties to the left?
Thanks Anatman. The plants in the fabric bags are a couple of rhizomes I got from my wife's dad before he moved and I put them in these pots to get them to grow and see what they are. They are obviously an Iris of some sort from the looks of the leaves. A couple of other fabric bags and 5 gallon buckets are off to the left further and they just have cover crops growing to keep the soil viable in case I want to plant anything else.
The plants continue to grow larger in this summer weather but I do notice that every day they look wilted despite me watering the day before and it's only 80 degrees outside when I get home from work. Maybe because I replanted them? I would assume that is what is going on.
Mulch and top dress question Even watering early AM the comfrey is wilting by 3-4 PM. It's time anyway for another 'clear cut' of the entire bed, so I got prepared. Bought 2 bales of wheat straw and a 50# bag of Moo Nure for a top dress. Question for the dirt gardeners is, do you apply the manure to the soil with the mulch on top OR Mulch first and manure on top of the mulch OR manure top and bottom of mulch? I usually do this in the fall where you have 5 months or so for everything to break down and settle in. Don't think I've ever done it in the middle of summer when there is active growth. All my leaves this fall will go on the comfrey bed. Last years went on the other raised bed (tomatoes), and there has been zero wilting. ) So, what do you think? Or, does it even matter where the manure goes? Wet