I usually trim 2 comfrey plants at once and split them between my worm bins. This time though, I need to do some cultivating/weeding and stuff, so I trimmed all eight down to ground level. The worm bins are full and I still have two tightly packed 5gal pails of comfrey leaves. What I'm going to do is split this into 4 (?) plastic grocery bags and toss in the freezer for winter worm food. I will double or triple them, but I'm not going to waste $$$ on large ziplocks, not for worm food. Any flaw with this that I'm missing? I mean in the freezing of fresh leaves? Thanks. Wet
I still might end up drying it. LOL Haven't told the wife of my *good idea* just yet and after 37 years of marriage I've learned not all surprises are welcome. Wet
Hey wet FWIW, freezing fresh greenery does nothing to the quality of the interal elements it contains. Thawing frozen, leafy, green, will look like hell but your worms aren't gonna care. It's gonna look like shit when they're through with it anyway Worse that will happen besides you're gal putting her foot on yer neck and telling ya something harsh is that all of the water in the cellular structures will freeze, explode, and wilt the leaf. Probably slimy as well. Plus you can thaw, dry, and then no slime. No problemo. Sounds like a smart plan to me.
I'm sure you have your reasons, and I'm sure they are good, which is why I'm curious. Why not dry and then freeze? Just curious Boro
Yeh right! Duh! <that's probably what he really meant and I just shoulda kept my digital gator jaws shut!>
[quote name='"Possuum38North"'] Yeh right! Duh! <that's probably what he really meant and I just shoulda kept my digital gator jaws shut!>[/quote] I haven't a worm bin, and no experience with them,but I thought *maybe* that it had to do with worms preferring fresh to dry materials? I'm sure WET will enlighten me. Boro
It's a good idea IMO.....in fact, any produce that's frozen first will break down a lot quicker. I imagine it will expedite the breakdown of the lignin in comfrey for one. I've got a grip of beets/beet tops in the freezer that are earmarked for the bin. Chunk
in fact, any produce that's frozen first will break down a lot quicker. Damn straight! Freezing seems to "explode" the cells that hold it all together. Comfrey does seem to break down quick on its own, too. Any leaves that seem to drag on the ground immediately turn black and shrivel up. I'd need a big chest freezer to fit all mine in it though *lol* those plants produce a lot of mass! I need to start thinking about storing a mess for the winter as well - not only is it used in the garden at my house, but the horse gets it daily in small doses as well. J
So based on the above posts, if one were to want to make a "comfrey syrup" would it expedite the process to freeze the leaves first, and then put them into your bucket? I plan on making a syrup with fresh leaves soon. Boro
Wet, I've been making a mess of syrup lately - without freezing, it's taking me 3 weeks per batch - haven't tried freezing it. Make sure you cover it well this time of year so that it doesn't dry up - you know how to do it, right? 2 buckets, top one holds leaf mass and has holes drilled to let the syrup drip through? Stuff bucket chock full and wait...*lol* I just watered with a syrup today - then I sprayed it all over vegging gals too. J
[quote name='"jerry111165"']Wet, I've been making a mess of syrup lately - without freezing, it's taking me 3 weeks per batch - haven't tried freezing it. Make sure you cover it well this time of year so that it doesn't dry up - you know how to do it, right? 2 buckets, top one holds leaf mass and has holes drilled to let the syrup drip through? Stuff bucket chock full and wait...*lol* I just watered with a syrup today - then I sprayed it all over vegging gals too. J[/quote] I believe Wet was using his for his worm bin, I was the one asking about freezing in the preparation of making syrup. But thanks for the run down! Boro
B, I'm such a stonefish - that was you who mentioned the syrup - not Wet...duh! I didn't even burn today...it's gotta be years of accumulation. J
I don't see why anyone would dry it unless to mail it. I wonder why dry at all, unless you will be sending in the mail? Hey, It's too much trouble to dry the leaves except for giving as gifts or mailing. Freezing seems to make for a faster tea for drinking myself. The stock piling has been to vacume seal a stuffed tight bag or 8 then freezing. I also find best to first freeze then blending the fresh leaves in water letting soak no more than a day then squeezing out the juice for humans and dogs consumption and letting the rest go to soak for plants. I killed most of my worms with heat in June so ... My idea of syrup seems to let the container of the room temp leaves crammed into 16 oz container and not be drained so the mass actually does become some of the freakishly nasty smelling stuff ever. This is where denial seems to be effective. Though at some point the process is deemed over. I still don't measure pH and simply use the stuff everywhere something is growing or not yet. I will probably experiment with freezing these syrup containers as they are already the most compact way to concentrate the stuff. That will stop the fermenting as long as the freezer stays on; but I should see if citric acid will preserve the syrup well enough to prevent alcohol. I can't keep food long enough to fill all the freezer space I have. My freezer is mostly of comfrey, borage, dill, basil and teas made for the dogs and me. The dogs will eat fresh leaf if its ground up in their fish or liver. Lucky dogs. I can't seem to eat enough without gagging. I trim the stems from the leaves for drying leaf seems easier that way to get a even dry. I put the cut out stems to dry in a separate bin; but don't see the point unless I want to mail the leaves. I am not real keen on trying to dry for long term storage as the leaves simply have so much water in them and tend to rot on the drying hangers. Anybody have a best way to dry to share? I know LD stored his in glass jars; but I am living in a different class here on the po side of town. Its ok as for some reason its as beautiful here as anywhere if my eyes are open. Mine are Urlove
I don't see why anyone would dry it unless to mail it. I wonder why dry at all, unless you will be sending in the mail? Storage for future use. I'll give you a dollar if you can cram another thing into my freezer. I am not real keen on trying to dry for long term storage as the leaves simply have so much water in them and tend to rot on the drying hangers. Anybody have a best way to dry to share? Just cut the bulk of the top half of the plant and hang it on a string. Mine are on my porch right now - same as when drying mmj. No rot. Picture here - http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-...errys-organic-obsession-328.html#post15611922 J
I cut and hang mine in the basement where it remains dark and 60 degrees. Two weeks later they are dry and yet still green. No molding problems yet, as I try to keep the leaves from touching. I think that helps. Sam
Ok I have to apologize for being the village idiot but I found this post on Jerrys organic obcession page 179 where he and CQ discuss comfrey syrup as one would use Protekt and CQ equated Protetk to comfrey syrup as the same ratio of Potassium silicate. Use. Either comfrey or borage and Jerry found the recipe of 3 TBS comfrey syrup to 1 TB S Neem to be perfectly emulsified. it seems worthy to note. Thanks for the wonderful posts,all Makes me want to build a greenhouse over my comfrey. The ref to bamboo leaf matter is also a good reminder about free silica. The sprouts next year. A good reasn to know have uber silica. I can't remember the link to the article about bamboo silca content etc and how comfrey is second in Silica. Is this correct? And Does the addition of comfrey syrup to any watering to get it. Any body want to offer the best amount of Comfrey syrup per ga of water to match protekt levels. And if one uses horsetail how much tea per ga. By the way what is possible to get the best horsetail syrup? It seems Jerry put hot water 200 c on comfrey fresh leaves and it didn't work. Isnt that because it takes cold water to keep the good comfrey goodq? Ok go haead and make fun of me. Yes I am feeling good. And simply am delighted to have found Jerrys organic obcession. And this thead. So If one uses comfry syrup and horsetail the ratios would be nice to hear about. Yes. I need a new identity. Can't hide my ignorance no mo Is 3 weeks the standard max time to get syrup "right" ? What is the difference between what runs off the first 2 weeks from that which runs off the third? Silly questions not ? Thanks