struggling?I have two comfrey plants going I purchased a couple weeks ago in an outdoor raised bed but they seem to really be struggling. I plan on mulching, composting and tea use.
What a cool thing to say man, I appreciate that, means a lot, especially from a veteran knowledgable grower such as yourself.What a great time I have reading greaseMM's posts!
struggling?
damn, the comfrey I have is, an insanely resilient plant.
They like water, they like to be dry (yeah I know, it's counterintuitive, sorta like how cannabis is) I amend a hole about a gallon sized or more and plop cutting in old recycled soil, muclh the top with compost and they go nuts, they like drainage, and they like a lot of sun, BUT they don't like a super hot day with full sun, can make them wilt a lil, they bounce back, but they look like they need water when they get too hot/sunny.
EASY as hell to clone..
I've used comfrey in a bunch of ways, and found that a shredded comfrey is best as a topdress, as a tea it works also, but not in a superior way over other typical teas, like alfalfa, kelp, and the like.
Shred it up as a topdress mixed with either compost or screened EWC, works awesome that way.
Also when you harvest your comfrey don't leave it in the sun or it bleaches the leaves, harvest them like cannabis, cool dry areas, with airflow..
Do the same with dandelion too, only dandelion takes MUCH longer to break down, I recommend that more for a compost though.
My pleasure to help man, I got the regular comfrey so I think that's why mine is so damn easy to clone, I swear my comfrey is crazy durable, I hack ALL the damn leaves off it, and it shoots up new stuff literally the next morning, I can see why this plant would be a friggin NIGHTMARE if you didn't want it on your property...It just didn't take off like my clones do. The original foliage looks like dammit, BUT I've got brand new, much greener growth at the bottom, so I'm golden. The switch from greenhouse to full 36 parallel sun didn't help either, but she's perservered through it. She's in a rich, loose raised bed and yes, just as my research indicated, I purchased Bocking 14. Thanks for taking the time to respond gmonkey, I appreciate your help always bro.
i hear ya there, only my comfrey gets yellow fast if i don't give it a lil comfrey to itself.I have comfrey in an area of my (home) job site that has been run over by bulldozers and is in shitty sand. The huge roots keep it alive and functioning as a nutrient elevator bring up minerals from the deep.
I personally don't fertilize them, because I'm looking for them to be providing fertilizer. They're on their own at my place. Lol
hah, and watch them blow up now.This thread made me feel guilty, so I just amended my comfrey with worm castings ...
here is some pics I thought you'd appreciate.This thread made me feel guilty, so I just amended my comfrey with worm castings ...
Make sure it's Bocking 14 variety otherwise it'll spread like crazy
The advantage of this plant is that it sends roots down 30 - 50 feet to get minerals and bring them to the surface. So these are best planted in your yard, not a container
Otherwise, add them as a top dressing, a simple tea, or add to the worm bin as I do.
I wind up adding most amendments to the worm bin and have the resulting compost fully amended