Comfrey to me was always ‘boneset’; that’s the name I knew it by – it has been well known as a remedy for broken bones since the Middle Ages.
I also knew it as being carried for protection on a journey.
These days it is better known for its excellence as a fertilizer.
I would not ... Read review
Advantages: Stuffed with natural goodness Disadvantages: Hairy and rampant
Comfrey to me was always ‘boneset’; that’s the name I knew it by – it has been well known as a remedy for broken bones since the Middle Ages.
I also knew it as being carried for protection on a journey.
These days it is better known for its excellence as a fertilizer.
I would not have it in my garden. Happily, there is tons of the stuff rampaging around a corner of my mother’s garden, which is much bigger ... ...in with the fact that Comfrey is a good slug trap, I am not sure. How closely are slugs and snails related, or are they simply thrown together, along with puppy dogs tails to make little boys?
But I digress, if you have comfrey in your garden, the slugs will all go there for the evening and leave the rest of your plants alone – unless of course, you have laid beer on for them in which case, they will all drown.
Comfrey to me was always ‘boneset’; that’s the name I knew it by – it has been well known as a remedy for broken bones since the Middle Ages.
I also knew it as being carried for protection on a journey.
These days it is better known for its excellence as a fertilizer.
I would not have it in my garden. Happily, there is tons of the stuff rampaging around a corner of my mother’s garden, which is much bigger than mine.
Basically, Comfrey is a hairy beast and the common variety is rampant. It will grow almost anywhere, but flourishes in moist soil and in shady areas. The roots are very brittle, and a small broken piece of root will quite happily grow wherever it happens to land in your garden.
As a plant, it puts on quite a show that can start as early as April, the blooms coming in white, mauve, and rose, although purple is by far the most prevalent colour.
There are ornamental varieties available, which are often introduced as ground cover in a garden. Personally, I would not take the risk, tigers do not change their spots, but then again, I haven’t tried any of them. Another variety which claims to stay pretty much where you put it is the Russian variety Bocking 14. Russian varieties are favoured at the moment because they have high levels of protein and allantoin – so what? I hear you ask.
Allantoin aids cell regeneration. It is used in quite a lot of cosmetic applications but, interestingly, it is usually obtained from the natural secretions of snails who use the stuff to regenerate their shells. Nice.
How this little gem of information ties in with the fact that Comfrey is a good slug trap, I am not sure. How closely are slugs and snails related, or are they simply thrown together, along with puppy dogs tails to make little boys?
But I digress, if you have comfrey in your garden, the slugs will all go there for the evening and leave the rest of your plants alone – unless of course, you have laid beer on for them in which case, they will all drown.
The proteins are important for the fertilizer issues. Comfrey leaves are stuffed full of proteins, vitamins A, C and B-12, and potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.
The composted leaves will return all their goodness to your soil, or you can make a liquid fertilizer by covering the leaves with water and leaving it to, essentially stagnate, for 2-4 weeks. The result, after squeezing all the goodness out of the leaves, should be diluted with water before being used as a soil drench. Roughly a third of a cup to a gallon of water does the trick.
So, useful plant as it is for the gardener, I would be hesitant to grow it myself unless I had a large garden.
Advantages: nature's best free fertiliser Disadvantages: it smeels foul
Comfrey is one of nature's jewells . Besides having edible uses this herb is the organic gardeners greatest ally .
The leaves of the Russian kind of Comfrey make some of the best liqiud manure available and the best bit of all ? It is free.
Simply gather the leaves in big quantaties and squash them so that eventually the juice contained in the leaves comes out . This can then be diluted seven parts to one as it is pretty strong and used to feed ... ...with anything in nature there is a downside . This is the liquid don't half pong . But hey it becomes an aquired smell !
Drain pipes and buckets or containers with a tap at the bottom are often used to store the leaves until they rot down .
The plants themselves can get rampant and take up a fair bit of space but I for one would not want to be without this plant . ...
Gardenex 18.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Comfrey
Advantages: helpful for arthritic conditions Disadvantages: can grow all over if not kept in check
COMFREY Symphytum Officinale Also known as: knitbone, boneset, blackwort, bruisewort and slippery root.
Can be used as a poultice to ease psoriasis on the skin, is also good for treating wounds and easing mild sprains. And is excellent as a poultice to ease arthritic conditions. There are several ways to take it. As a poultice made from fresh leaves. As a decoction, in essential oils and as an extract in lotions and creams. Comfrey is a pretty flower, ... ...Pots if you want to grow it yourself, as it can go a little wild. It’s a perennial and prefers to grow in damp areas. It’s rough leaves are covered in short hairs, and grow in a rosette on the ground. Its pink and blue leaves will show from May to July.You can use the leaves to make compost and they will grow to around 30cm Plants are available online for £1.30 from www.buyherbs.co.uk ...
stezatois1 25.07.2007
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Advantages: delicious organic tomatoes picked fresh from the garden Disadvantages: plants are a bit smelly
just what you can get away with. I didn’t use special compost – I just used the compost from grow bags but put into pots. Later when I finally perfected the art of compost making I used my own garden compost to grow tomatoes.
In fact tomatoes are the one crop that doesn’t cost me a penny. My neighbour gives me the plants, I grow them in my own compost and I feed them with home grown comfrey but not everyone will be lucky enough to be in this position.
I have now got a greenhouse and grow most of the tomatoes in it. But a green house is not necessary – I grew them outside for years and still do if other plants need the greenhouse more. I only grow them in the greenhouse because they need more support outside because the wind blows the pots over.
Growing tomatoes is simple. Plant them in a pot and insert ...
Freespirit 12.02.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomatoes
Advantages: Don't need much space to grow some. Disadvantages: Need lots of watering.
problems yet.
I dig a lot of compost in during winter and mulch with worm compost when I plant.
I feed comfrey liquid and seaweed liquid in an automatic watering system, run from a water butt. (Oh! See how posh she is now!) This makes growing them so simple that I won't change anything unless problems do appear.
I still grow "Moneymaker" every year. I like "Gardeners Delight" and striped "Tigrella" too. Outside I grow "Roma", plum tomatoes for freezing and cooking as they have that Italian flavour that goes so well in soups and sauces.
Next year I want to try "sungold" as I keep hearing about the flavour being extra good.
Those of you who recognise these names will have realised that I embrace change rather slowly, but I've promised myself that I will try something more modern next year. Maybe I'll be impressed, maybe not. Whatever ...
Marans 30.11.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Tomatoes
