Comfrey Plant Question?

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by LionInTheJungle, Aug 7, 2011.

  1. Could I grow a Comfrey Plant in a 20 gallon Smart Pot? Im trying to save space and I dont want it to grow wild.:smoke:
     
  2. From LD's writings, he says that comfrey plants have long assed roots that pull up minerals from down deep, and it needs a lot of water until those roots are established, so comfrey does not seem like it would do well in a container.......MIW
     
  3. #3 jakrustle, Aug 7, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 7, 2011
    Lion, MI is correct. If you look up Horizon Herbs, they have a good narrative on growing comfrey. Their roots grow DEEP. On Horizon they state that your plant will find a way out of a pot to get into the soil if it can. If your pot has a drain hole in the bottom, for instance.

    You can always try it, but the benefit of these plants is the fact they grow so deep and are capable of mining so many beneficial nutrients. I was thinking of doing the same thing, but for $2/root cutting, it is worth seeing if this concrete like soil of mine can will allow a few of them to flourish. For the potential benefits it is worth a try.

    Lion, as far as growing wild, LD says you can cut this plant back liberally. Also, the Bocking 14 Cultivar will not go to seed, so you do not have to worry about it spreading around the yard.

    JaK
     
  4. I have 6 Bocking 14 cultivars in the ground, and 1 Symphytum officinale in a pot. I planted the common comfrey in a pot last fall and let it get established before I cut it back to make a tea.

    It came back big time this spring and I've been dead heading the flowers off of it all summer. It drinks 2 gallons of water every 2 days. I've used the leaves off of it to wrap around the rhizomes of the bocking 14's I ordered before I planted them so it came in handy there.

    So.......to answer your question, it will grow in a pot but is a PITA and it totally defeats the purpose of growing a dynamic accumulator plant.

    chunk
     
  5. I also tried to grow a Comfrey plant last year in a #15 SmartPot and it was a complete and total disaster.

    Chunk's post says all that needs to be said. I should have listened.

    LD
     
  6. Since I know some of us "love" the smell of a good comfrey FPE, I thought I would share something I recently read and am in the process of trying. Making the FPE without the water. From what i read, it's the addition of the water that causes such a foul smell when the comfrey ferments, and that if you just mash down the plant material and let if ferment, it will still break down into mush, but without the smell. Or so the say! We'll see, I think it might take a little longer to break down, but if it doesn't smell the extra time might be worth it.
     
  7. GoneRooty

    That method makes what some call 'Comfrey Syrup' and like you said it is claimed that you do not have to deal with the sewer smells.

    One YouTube video from Australia showed the gentleman bottling the syrup and stating that because no fermentation is involved then you can store this for several months - he claimed up to 2 years.

    The amount of the syrup that he added to 1 gallon of water was 1 oz. which gave him a tea about the color of light iced tea.

    I'm going to harvest my 4 plants sometime in September and should have about 40 gallons of biomass to work with and I plan to use about 1/3 of that to make this syrup. If it works as it was shown on the video a person with a some amount of open land could have a viable business of bottling and selling Comfrey syrup concentrate to the organic terrorists perhaps?

    LD
     
  8. I like the "syrup" idea. I've been adding the whole dried plants to a 150 gallon stock tank and letting it ferment/breakdown in the res. and then pump directly to plants. Nothing else added takes about a week to turn the water into a decent tea.

    Thought about incorporating it as a dried amendment like alfalfa...why not?
     
  9. #9 LumperDawgz2, Aug 9, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 13, 2011
    There are several pelletized Comfrey meal products sold in England, New Zealand and Australia.

    I was offered a chance last week to test 3 products made in the USA - pelletized Comfrey, Nettle and Yarrow. It will be interesting and if nothing else these products would be a viable addition to worm bins and thermal compost piles.

    LD
     
  10. Suppose there was a way to pre-partially compost comfrey and then dry. So it doesn't go into the soil to hot like alfalfa.
     
  11. #11 jakrustle, Aug 9, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 9, 2011
  12. Yeah LD, I knew it would make a "concentrate" didn't know it was called "comfrey syrup" but I can see why. I've got some breaking down now, not a lot since my plant is still small.
    Crap man, maybe we should quit growing cannabis and just start growing beneficial plants and making nutrients. LOL Put a half naked woman on the label, and market it right and even the chemi kids would be buying it!
     
  13. Gone- put a half-naked woman on dang near anything and the boys will buy it! lol
     
  14. I have put my last 2 leaf harvests towards making syrup. Have a nice little amount building up. It doesn't stink at all. I even have mine sealed fairly tightly and it doesn't stink.
     
  15. GoneRooty

    If the information that I've looked at is correct, the time required to turn Comfrey leaves into syrup is less than 10 days or so with ambient temperatures being 'a factor' which is far less than it takes when chopping the leaves and adding water to the tank.

    The videos that I've watched showed that the 'syrup' is exactly that - about the viscosity of molasses or honey - it's really that thick.

    I like the fact that it can be stored long-term. If for no other reason than that it's worth the effort to make the syrup.

    I have a name for a bottled Comfrey syrup borrowing naming conventions from my good friend, Fat Boy Mike up at Advanced Nutrients - I've come up with 'Sloppy Suzie' for the name.

    It's got panache, zip and invokes a warm and sensual feeling, eh? Slutty Susan also crossed my mine - or the lack thereof.

    LD
     

  16. This oldie but a goodie from 1978 should get you up and running.

    LD
     
  17. just an FYI , from me , I have a batch of "comfrey FPe" and also a batch of Comfrey Syrup going...

    They both stink...:rolleyes:

    The FPE has more of a rotten puke smell, not pleasant , But I actually dont need my respirator to stir it or mess with it, I can Barely handle it without gagging, unlike other FPE's Ive used. Where a mask is a must...

    The Comfrey syrup is by no means, pleasant smelling... It will also make the hair on your arm stand up....

    So at least in my personal experience in the 2 different ways of processing comfrey i know of, both stink pretty bad..







    As always , I thank LD and CD and others for all the info, I am having fun playing around with this stuff...





    I recently started a very large batch of Mullein FPE.. including roots leaves and flowers....seems to be a good silicone and K accumulator I believe...

    :wave:
     
  18. I like the idea for sure. Seems like a great soil amendment for indoor recycled soil re-amends if it can be utilized in an indoor potted type mix.without too much of a hassle.
     
  19. ^^^^
    That was f*ckin hilarious!!! Thanks LD, I needed a good laugh today.
     
  20. LD, great Oldie. I leave shit like that in my yard all the time. Wish I didn't throw it out every couple weeks. Have to hang onto the next batch of clippings, leaves and trimmings that I plan on giving to the garbage men next month.

    JaK
     

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