comfrey

[catjac1975]

i do have to say that the deer keep eating it here so the patch i've grown has not gotten very far from the initial few plants and so this past year i took it apart and spread it out so the individual plants have more room to spread out. the deer ate it again this winter/spring, but it is now growing surrounded by daffodils so it has a chance of getting some leaves on it again. it is still alive. i give it credit for being a survivor so far. i'm hoping it will keep going as where i've put it is on a slope of clay so it will need to be tough.

There are different kinds of Confrey. The kind I have I would not wish upon my worst enemy. I started with 1 purchased plant. It is recommended for feeding to animals to keep them healthy.. I have long forgotten what it is good for. It spreads by seed, and by underground roots.At first I thought "Yay, free plants!" The roots grow to the size of baseball bats. In my sandy soil they are growing straight down beyond the total reach of a shovel. We though tiling it up would be a great idea. Each bit of root turns into a new plant. We have dug out tens of thousands of plants in the last 20 or so years. We have it under control but, only by tenacious removal and never let it go. There are comfrey cultivars that are not so invasive. Research it before you get any..

 

[lnsoaps]

You want Comfrey?

Yes. I lost all of mine through Hurricane Florence. I lost quite a bit of things in fact, my greenhouse, home, business, etc. elderberry, comfrey,

 

[lnsoaps]

There are different kinds of Confrey. The kind I have I would not wish upon my worst enemy. I started with 1 purchased plant. It is recommended for feeding to animals to keep them healthy.. I have long forgotten what it is good for. It spreads by seed, and by underground roots.At first I thought "Yay, free plants!" The roots grow to the size of baseball bats. In my sandy soil they are growing straight down beyond the total reach of a shovel. We though tiling it up would be a great idea. Each bit of root turns into a new plant. We have dug out tens of thousands of plants in the last 20 or so years. We have it under control but, only by tenacious removal and never let it go. There are comfrey cultivars that are not so invasive. Research it before you get any..

Thank you! The one I had did multiply but it was contained in a small area surrounded with lava rock. So it couldn't go far...lol

 

[Just-Moxie]

I had forgotten about comfrey. Maybe time to grow a new one in a new Zone.

 

[flowerbug]

There are different kinds of Confrey. The kind I have I would not wish upon my worst enemy. I started with 1 purchased plant. It is recommended for feeding to animals to keep them healthy.. I have long forgotten what it is good for. It spreads by seed, and by underground roots.At first I thought "Yay, free plants!" The roots grow to the size of baseball bats. In my sandy soil they are growing straight down beyond the total reach of a shovel. We though tiling it up would be a great idea. Each bit of root turns into a new plant. We have dug out tens of thousands of plants in the last 20 or so years. We have it under control but, only by tenacious removal and never let it go. There are comfrey cultivars that are not so invasive. Research it before you get any..

right, the kind i have does not spread by seed. still if you are worried about a plant spreading it is a good idea to put in a root barrier and to keep an eye out for how the seeds work too. like for butterfly bush here, that stuff drops a lot of seeds and will start up quite easily in other places.

 

[jbosmith]

right, the kind i have does not spread by seed. still if you are worried about a plant spreading it is a good idea to put in a root barrier and to keep an eye out for how the seeds work too. like for butterfly bush here, that stuff drops a lot of seeds and will start up quite easily in other places.

I know this thread is 5 years old but it is exactly what I was looking for. For those of you who are still around - are the non-seeding kinds still doing well for you without getting out of control? I got 6 'Bocking 14' root cuttings recently and so far I'm eying them skeptically and trying to decide what to do with them.

 

[flowerbug]

I know this thread is 5 years old but it is exactly what I was looking for. For those of you who are still around - are the non-seeding kinds still doing well for you without getting out of control? I got 6 'Bocking 14' root cuttings recently and so far I'm eying them skeptically and trying to decide what to do with them.

yes, it is doing well. the plants do spread and get big, i would not put them near other plants you are worried about being crowded out. i think they're a lovely plant and the deer manage to find and eat them and they don't care. it hasn't killed them yet. i just walked by ours today and didn't look too closely as i was looking at the other plants there that are coming up (daffodils). the crocuses are out already. i'm surprised by that.

 

[jbosmith]

yes, it is doing well. the plants do spread and get big, i would not put them near other plants you are worried about being crowded out. i htink they're a lovely plant and the deer manage to find and eat them and they don't care. it hasn't killed them yet. i just walked by ours today and didn't look too closely as i was looking at the other plants there that are coming up (daffodils). the crocuses are out already. i'm surprised by that.

Wow, this is the second day that our ground is bare. After a lot of rain it's also thawed about 6 inches down. Still hard as a rock below that though. I did see one little iris that's tucked up against the house foundation sprouting though!

 

[flowerbug]

in more normal years the first flowers are usually some miniature bulb irises. bright colors and very nice plants.

 

[Alasgun]

@jbosmith , what do,you intend to do with the Comfrey!
I have a big clump of the Boking 14 and 3 separate patches of the regular Comfrey. Both do well here in Alaska, returning each year and none of them have gotten out of control. I clear cut it (all but a couple leaves) at least 3 times a year and dry it for use in my compost tea and as a soil amendment.
Also known as “knit bone”; i once used a strong poltice of Comfrey on my broken wrist and was very happy with the results.