So i started a garden recently in my backyard, and right next to where i started my garden, i noticed a comfrey plant! (sry shitty pic it was dark out) My main question is besides composting it, what other options do i have with it, and whats the best way to harvest/process it? There is alot of dead leaves around the bottom of the plant, i assume i could use them as they are already in the processing of composting themselves. Or would it be better to use the green leaves? I also read somewhere that i can cut the plant multiple times a year to produce more. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks to all who reply!
What are the chances we have the same sig pic and both organic gardeners just edited haha, but not really sure I have never used comfrey before; In the process of brewing up a Dandelion Fermented Plant Extract right now and with the comfrey as far as cutting to get more year round are you talking about topping/trimming up kind of deal or more of a tissue culture/grafting? But depending on if you are trying to save some for next year take what comfrey you want to use and this is for FPEs assuming you don't know how to make this already. Take total weight of comfrey and use some type of glucose( crude brown sugar) and add half total weight of comfrey in sugar. Mix till you get a nice moisturized product o comfrey Stuff in some type of container, place rock on top if you want for added weight Let ferment for 5-7 days, collect liquid. Cut with i think it said 10 or 20 parts water and your good to go good buddy. Happy growing Sip+Cup=Destruction GK
hmm im assuming thats what this FPE is ive been see'n mention on here is. Im gonna have to read up on that! Now, for making it, would i take the green leaves from the plant? or the brown dead matter laying at the base? Once it is made with the brown sugar, how is it used? just to water with? Is it add'd to tea's? I always started a worm bin recently and believe i read about people adding the leaves to it. Again would this be green leaves or brown? I've heard all kinds of benefits of using it and that its suppose to be a great addition!
Not to sure on the brown leaves, but all around I would say using any and all of them are fine, most if not all of them contain photosynthetic bacteria.. But as far as processing the FPEs if you just store the collected extract you use it at a rate of 4 tbs per/gal. You can also use them in AACTs, foliars, drenches, the possibilities are endless my friend. Happy growing GK
wow thats kind of exciting to know that the ugly plant i havent been able to kill is such a good thing! lol@ avatar pics! urs is just missing a doobie!
I plan to dry mine out and bag them up to save for teas that Ill make as needed. I know that Jerry was telling me not long ago that he also puts his in soil and allows it to break down and release as it does so. Im going to try that also...using it as a green manure. Im pretty sure that using it as an FPE or tea will provide a quicker path to the plant. Sent from my SPH-D710 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I believe you can just take comfrey leaves, throw them into a bucket then macerate them well with a weedwhip or w/e to produce a syrup that stores well. No added water, or apparent smell (compared to fermenting the material in water). This is what I plan on doing with mine shortly.
Comfrey can be cut to a height of 2-4 inches above the crown 3-5 times per year. The material that is harvested can be used fresh as mulch in the garden. When used in the compost heap it is beneficial as a starter and as a supplier of minerals, not the least of which is silica. It can be chopped and put into the worm bin ( go easy at first if your bin is not established). It can hung and dried for later use. It can be chopped and mixed with vermicompost as a top dressing. Chop it before it goes to flower for optimal performance and you don't want it going to seed as it can be somewhat invasive. If you know that you have the Bocking 4 or 14 cultivar then no worries if it goes to seed as they are sterile. Some further reading on comfrey may be found here http://gentleworld.org/the-wonders-of-comfrey/
First off, listen to Sam. Second, if you only have one plant, I would leave the brown leaves on the ground to fertilize the comfrey itself. Cut the entire plant a couple inches above the crown like Sam suggested. The crown is pretty much at ground level. Lay the leaves on top of your worm bed, best to trim off the stalk and stems and add them to the top of the brown leaves. Do not bury the leaves in your worm bin, just leave on the top. They'll break down quick enough, especially if you mist them every few days. The brown leaves are ok to use in the bin, but I would wait till you do it a few times and not worry about adding soil borne nasties for the moment. One plant is really not enough for FPE's and all that, but plenty for a worm bin. The smell is enough to knock a buzzard off a shit wagon and now, either through the worms, or used as a green mulch works well for me without the stink. Wet
LOL it smells that bad? my worm bin is currently inside, should i wait to add it in til i make my perm. outside bin? Anyway for me to tell? Im assuming that is the type that doesn't spread at all? I would be lead to believe that is what it is, because i have lived in my current place for about 4-5 years, and it has never spread, and there has never been anymore than 1 plant. It already has flowers on it, how much of a difference will the end result be because of it? Should i only be using the leaves from it?
Sorry, it's the FPE's that stink so bad. My worm bins have been inside for over 3 years and no smell at all. Wet
Always so much info to keep me up after long days of work. Thanks everyone for the info. Now I need to find me some comfrey!
almost 3am still reading about it. Actually just went outside about an hour ago and chopped the plant down and seperated the leaves! Had the wifey help me and she actually didnt complain the whole time! <3 comfrey for keeping my marriage happy!
I find it interesting in the application of Comfrey + Neem Oil. Anybody have a formula for this? Im not much into foliar feeding, but i do treat with neem oil every 2 weeks. With the addition of comfrey, it should introduce some nutes also while im treating for bugs/insects.
Can't help you on the comfrey-neem thing. Also, what Wetdog stated above you can bank on. I would like to ask you about the art on your profile. Did you do that and if not can you tell me who did? Thanks, I like that a lot.
LMAO!! and so true. I have some soaking in a covered pail for about 3 weeks now. I give it a stir every other day and it's all I can do to hold my breath long enough. I will dilute that 3 to 1 with water and give my roses a drench. The rest goes on the compost heap.
Two 5 gallon buckets, a lid and a couple of bricks. Drill some holes in the bottom of one pail. Fill this pail with as much fresh comfrey as you can cram into it. Put the two bricks on top of the comfrey for weight and put the lid on it. Slide this bucket into the bucket that has no holes and stick the whole thing out behind your shed for a couple of weeks. As the comfrey breaks down the bricks will squeeze all of the juice out, which will then drop trough the holes in the bottom of the first pail into the second pail. When it's all broken down in several weeks your bottom bucket will have a bunch of "comfrey syrup concentrate", which does not smell and will store in a glass jar for many months. Use this at a ratio of 15:1 water to syrup for very effective, readily available nutrient teas. J
I thought it was around 20:1, but yeah....jerry brought up the syrup....much more appropriate for me.