Comfrey-- a different kind of fertilizer

Comfrey--Symphytum officinalis

Comfrey can be grown and it's leaves harvested several times a season from permanent plants in your bed; or, it can be grown, pulled-up and laid out to wilt and rot as a mulch.

It can be used in several ways:
1)- One way is to harvest the leaves and make a "tea".
The liquid is most often used as a tomato food, but can be used to feed a variety of plants including runner beans.
2)- It is an excellent compost starter and adds nutricious enrichment.
3)- If you are planting middle or late spuds put the leaves into the furrows before planting.
4)- Use the wilted leaves as a mulch around toms and potatoes.
5)- Another way is to pull-up the whole plant and use that directly on or in the earth. You may want to remove the roots to be sure that they do not take hold again.

Making Comfrey "Tea":
What you need is a barrel or some type of container, fill it with leaves (and stems if you want), top off with rain water or tap water that has stood for more than 24 hours and let it stand for 4 or 5 weeks.
* NOTE-this may smell like sewerage, so keep it at the furtherest corner of your property.

Making a Permanent Bed:
Comfrey does really well in a sunny or partially shady place. Choose an unimportant piece of land that is out of the way to make the bed.
Dig your soil and make it loose so that it's roots can easily grow downwards.
You can plant seeds or buy little plantlets to get started.
Sow them into individual pots at home or plant them directly into the bed that you have prepared. Planting times are March-May and September.
Plant them about 2 feet apart.
If your soil is chalky, correect this by adding some acidy components like compost for instance.
You will be able to harvest some the first year, but the second year is when it will really let you see what it can do.
You should easily get three harvests per year...and a fourth one if it's a good season.

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Sjoerd http://www.volkstuindersvereniginghoornenomstreken.nl/Page11.html

Wow I never thought of Comfrey as fertilizer. Cool

One is relaly never too old to learn something new.
Sjoerd this is rather exciting. I have new respect for Comfrey.

I do not know whether I am wandering off the topic here but when I think of Comfrey, I think herbs first and foremost. I use the leaves to treat skin irritations - Comfrey oil
First I pick clean dry leaves and cut them into 25 mm squares.
Then I pack them in a clean dark jar and cover it with a good oil. Incidently, I make use of a srewtop lid. It is best to leave the jar covered for a minimum of two years. This is then the oil that I use for any skin irritation.
There is a quicker method too - the Comfrey lotion method. one can also warm equal amounts of chopped Comfrey and aqueous cream for about 20 minutes and then strain it into sterilized jars.)
WHen I run out of oil or lotion then I simply make use if the juice of the fresh Comfrey leaves which I rub on the skin to sooth insect bits and stings. Working in the garden does expose one to bees and at night mozzies can be a pest and there is always some mozzy that makes it through the herb curtain (that is what I call my rosemary plants) into the room. I prefer using herbs and try to stay away from toxic insecticides.

And of course I chop the young leaves finely and use it in salads, soups and stews.
And the decadent choice - coating the young Comfrey leaves in batter, frying it in oil and eating it with salt and pepper. I sometimes even eat the stems in this way. HOWEVER I would not recommend eating Comfrey more than once a week.

Gosh to think that I think only eating and healing, the humble Comfrey also fertilizes. Thanks for the tip Sjoerd.

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