Comfrey
can be planted spring, summer or fall...anytime the soil can be worked.
Comfrey sales will begin again early Spring 2013 (next year).
If you would like to be notified when available again, please email us to be put on the list.
GROWING COMFREY
FOR GARDEN OR FARM When
to Plant ComfreyComfrey
can be planted anytime the soil can be worked. In most climates this means planting
is good spring, summer and fall. If you plant 1-year-old plants during those months,
you will have fresh leaves 3 weeks from when you plant.Plant
Location and CareThe
photo to the left is a very mature whole plant that has just been dug up.
Carefully choose where you plant your comfrey. Bocking #4 that we sell is
not invasive. However, if you want to change the location of your comfrey patch,
it is difficult to dig up every bit of root. So you would probably have more comfrey
coming up even when you thought you had dug up everything.
It grows best
in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9 but will grow almost anywhere. It prefers full sun
but will do OK in light shade. The mature size is 3-5 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide.
It prefers soil pH of 6-7 but it is not picky about this. It does well in most
soils but prefers a rich soil with a lot of nitrogen.
Shoots start coming
up in early spring. It blooms late spring through all of summer. It is very drought
tolerant. But it is better to water it if there is drought. Keep well fertilized
with manure and other types of nitrogen. It also can be fertilized with fresh
urine diluted 50:50 with water. It also likes a mulch of grass clippings.
Comfrey does not require much care. It is unusual for insects, viruses, fungi
or bacteria to bother it. However, weak or stressed plants may get rust or mildew
(fungal diseases). It does not seriously reduce plant growth so does not usually
require control. But infected plants should not be used for propagation.
Each year the plant gets wider with a more extensive root system. Little
plants grow closely next to it. Plants live several decades before they go into
decline. The better care given, the longer they live.
 
Comfrey
Roots and Crowns (Offsets)Root
cuttings are 2-4" lengths of root that are planted horizontally 2-4" deep. The
roots take a month to a month and a half to develop a sprout or an eye on one
end. Then it starts to be a little plant. It takes 3 years for a root to be as
strong as a 1 year old plant. (Photo on the left.)
A crown cutting or
offset includes several eyes and grows faster than root cuttings. Plant crown
cuttings 2-4" deep with the growing points just below the surface. The crown cuttings
are approximately 3 inches long with growing points or sprouts on one end. Once
planted, they take a year to a year and a half to grow to the same size as a 1-year-old
plant. Crown cuttings are much stronger (about 2 times) than root cuttings. (Photo
on the right. You can see the sprouts starting to grow at the top of the plant.)
  1-Year
Old Comfrey Plants
The 1-year-old plants are a complete plant. They grow much stronger and faster
than crowns.
They are about 2-3 times stronger than crown cuttings. It
takes about 2 years of good conditions before they reach full maturity.
Most
people are happier with 1-year-old plants rather than the roots or crowns. Roots,
crowns (offsets) and plants are shipped in a plastic bag with sawdust or similar
packing material.
(2 photos on left show typical 1-year-old plants. The
comfrey plants are 6-8" long. You can see the sprouts forming at the top of the
plants.)
Planting
Comfrey
Comfrey can be planted anytime the soil can be worked. However, the best time
to plant is in the spring or fall. It is best if some growth occurs in the fall
before the leaves (but not the roots) are killed by frost. Freezing temperatures
do not kill comfrey roots. The plants are very hardy. They regrow leaves in the
spring.
In clay soil plant somewhat shallow; in sandy soils plant deeper.
This is because sandy soils dry out faster than clay soils. Space plants 3 feet
apart in all directions. Keep soil moist after planting.
Fertile
Growing Holes If
you do not have good soil or you want to improve on already good soil, try digging
fertile holes. Dig a hole about 1-3 gallons in volume for each plant. Root cuttings
only need 1 gallon. Plants 1 year old do well with a 3 gallon hole.
Add
your soil or some good topsoil. Then add manure, compost, rock phosphate and dolomitic
limestone (dolomite lime). You can also add cut comfrey leaves. They decay and
create good compost for the growing plants.
Mix thoroughly, and water
well. It is best to plant extra strong one-year-old plants though crowns and roots
do well too. Comfrey roots go down 8 to 10 feet.
Comfrey will also grow
in pots or 5-gallon plastic buckets but they do better when not grown in a pot.
Comfrey can stand extreme cold, and as far as heat goes, the plant thrives in
Africa.
 Dividing
Mature Comfrey Plants Plants
are mature at 2 years or older and continue to expand every year. So once a plant
is large and well established you can divide it into more plants. It is a hardy
plant and almost all transplants will survive.
Drive a shovel horizontally
through the leaf clump about 3 inches below the soil surface. This removes the
crown. Divide it into pieces. The original plant will quickly recover. Plant each
piece with the growing points just below the soil.
Only divide plants
that are strong and healthy. Do not propagate plants with rust, mildew or other
problems.
When you divide them do not drop any pieces where you do not
want comfrey growing. Or else you may have it in places you do not want it. They
can even re-root in a compost pile. (The photo at the left is one comfrey plant
about 3 years old.)
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