What is the fuss about Comfrey?

Why is comfrey so good?

By now, you probably heard about comfrey and its use in the garden. We love growing this hardy perennial. It grows quickly and easily, has beautiful flowers, and, best of all, it provides us with a completely free, nutrient-rich source of fertilizer that can be used all season long.

Comfrey has a deep taproot and a large root system, which allows it to pull nutrients from the subsoil that most other plants can’t reach.

The plant has three major nutrients and high levels of calcium.

1. Nitrogen – Needed for green leaf growth.
2. Phosphorus – Plants require this to remain vigorous and fight disease and pests.
3. Potassium – This nutrient is instrumental in flower and fruit production.

Comfrey uses

• Medicinal

Since Greek and Roman times, comfrey has been used to stop heavy bleeding, treat bronchial problems, and heal wounds.

Take the fresh comfrey leaves and brush them together to remove the hairs. Wrap them around the wound and apply light pressure.

This will stop the bleeding, reduce the pain, and assist with wound healing.

Comfrey is also known as knit bone, a reference to its capacity to aid in bone healing.

There is a lot of contradicting info about taking comfrey internally, so I stay clear and only use it tropically.

• Biomass

The plant is excellent for producing mulch and can be cut back 2 – 5 times per year.

The plant will grow better after every harvest.

With its deep tap root, comfrey can reach 2 m into the deep subsoil, collecting nutrients that would otherwise be washed away.

When we harvest the leaves and apply them to the soil, the mined minerals are returned and made accessible to shallower-rooted crops.

Comfrey can be used in the compost heap. The leaves help break down compost very quickly, and its high mineral content enters the compost as the plant decomposes.

ARE PLANTS NOT JUST AWESOME!

• Beneficial insects

The flowers provide nectar and pollen to

many species of bees and other insects. Lacewings like to lay their eggs on comfrey.

Wasps and spiders will hunt on and around comfrey.

• Fertilizer

Comfrey makes a fantastic liquid fertilizer that can enhance plant growth, bloom, fruiting, and resistance to parasites and diseases.

When harvesting the leaves, add them to a 25L air-tight container.

Fill the container with water.

Place a brick on the leaves to keep the leaves covered.

Close the container.

Let it stand for 4 – 6 weeks until the leaves have broken down and the tea is dark brown. The longer, the better because you want to extract all the nutrients from the leaves.

This fertilizing tea can be used as a soil drench or a foliar spray.

When you use the tea, dilute it at one part tea to 10 parts water. Diluting is very important. If you do not dilute the tea, you may burn your plants.

For a more balanced feed, you can combine comfrey and nettles to make a liquid tea, which is an excellent option for many more plants.

Watch this video to see how we make comfrey fertilizer.

Growing comfrey

Comfrey grows prolifically from spring. In early summer, you can expect the first show of flowers.

We do not get frost in Cape Town, so we are blessed with leaves year-round. In cooler areas, the comfrey will die back, but the plant will return in spring.

Comfrey grows best in full sun for good leaf production, but it is just fine in shade.

Comfrey is not very fussy about the soil they grow in but prefers moist and fertile soil.

This plant easily propagates by root or crown division. Comfrey needs to be divided every couple of years. Doing so keeps the plant healthy and gives the roots plenty of space. Plant divisions in another location or share it with a friend.

This plant has so many benefits that growing comfrey makes complete sense.

Happy gardening, friends, and stay warm.

Tash and Family