Organic topdress!!
- Thread starter kkt3
- Start date
Joomby
Well-Known Member
I need to get hold of a comfrey plant. I'd much rather grow and harvest my own instead of buying it. I'm using compost and sugar cane mulch with a little rotted manure and it seems to be working but i would much rather get some e.w.c .I guess if the micro heard is happy my current mix should be fine but how would I know haha.
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
what your looking for is the bocking 14 sterile clone of comfrey.
theres a few different kinds , its invasive so they make it sterile so it wont seed.
BUT theres a catch , wherever you plant it, expect it to be there forever weather you like it or not
their roots go super deep and any time a root is cut it will make a whole new plant ,
s when you try to remove it , your only making babies.
carefully plan where you plant that comfrey ... im looking for some in canada , but its hard in winter.
OzCocoLoco
Well-Known Member
I got some Comfrey from Bunnings might have some up your way.
I top dress weekly with Kelp Meal,Gypsum,Fish Meal,5 in 1and Activ8 compost
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Weekly?
Is your soil over flowing from you pot?
Got pictures?
Why gypsum every week ?
Sincearly interested thanks pal
OzCocoLoco
Well-Known Member
I only add 2 handfulls at a time and I purposely leave a lot of space at the top of the bags so I can build up a nice rich top layer gradually. I also run drip irrigation so the bag can be totally full of soil and it's not an issue when watering.
Gypsum is one of if not the best Calcium sources and it doesn't fuck with your P.H.
Calcium is the king of minerals but it's not very mobile so I like to make sure there's always plenty of it.
Mulch is about an inch thick so you can see it will take some time to fill.
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Nice, im leaving a few inches as well
17gal tote per plant only filled to about 15 gals.
Leaves lots of room for mulching
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Comfrey is something that I am defiantly going to start before spring. Plus, this time of year I would like to have a Ferment Plant Juice made from it to make it through the winter. The FPJ that I made from a tomato plant seems to work just fine, but comfrey might have more minerals in it.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I was using a mix of rabbit and chicken manure and it never really seemed to work out. I was getting discouraged by it and recently I came across Alan Adkisson(Founder of Grokashi) and he explained how ferments helped detoxify manure. Here is the podcast that I heard it on.
https://www.shapingfire.com/podcast-feed/episode-15-open-source-probiotic-cannabis-with-guest-alan-adkisson
Joomby
Well-Known Member
Cheers coco.
yeah I've heard its invasive and my country doesn't blink twice at stopping invasive plants so I wasn't sure I could get it..hey coco is the bunnings cut the sterile version because it will be going in a feed padock so the farmer will kill me if it spreads..also can live stock eat it?
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Joomby
Well-Known Member
Copy that. I'll put it in a fenced off area..sure round up or fire will do the job . my farmer will end up using it for compost to. I've noticed there is a few types of comfrey plants but one of them is the beneficial type for composts and soils. I hope its the one we can get in australia
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Search out the bocking 14 sterile cut. If you look online , small seed saving farms, forums You should find one in your area
OzCocoLoco
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing it is the sterile one but I can't say for sure.
Won't cause any issues with livestock,ive actually heard of it being trialed as a forage crop for them.
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Just ask around locally. People use it for more than just growing cannabis lol
The Bocking cultivars were developed in the UK (Bocking is the name of the farm/facility), so it's more than likely already there. It is also known as "knitbone" since it has been used for healing for centuries. Animals will naturally eat it if they have stomach ailments or such, but usually avoid it as a nosh because it taste nasty.
Worms love it and it makes up at least 1/2 of my worms diet, the rest being used coffee grounds and chicken 'laying mash'.
Some shade is nice, but most important is plenty of water. If you have a spot that stays fairly moist like near a stock tank drainage, dripping irrigation line, or any wet/low spot on the property, plant some there. It is next to impossible to overwater this plant.
Wet
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
If you grow comfrey in a fabric pot and let the roots grow into the ground, it would make an easy way to clone the plant. I plan on doing it this summer.