PERENNIAL COMFREY
PLANTS
Helps Fruit Trees and Berries
Important in Permaculture
Comfrey
Prices & How to Order
 |
"The
Holistic Orchard" by Michael Phillips
Tree Fruits and Berries the
Biological Way
This
book helps the small-scale farmer successfully grow fruit trees and berry bushes.
It is about the ecosystem of an orchard to create balance and health.
"A natural community of plants achieves a balance among recycling nutrients,
resisting disease, and keeping pests in check while conserving water and
attracting beneficial insects and other animals into the fold. Such an ecosystem
hums with an inner graciousness." -p. 27
"I am using
the comfrey as an orchard companion plant to block weeds and pull up deep
nutrients as well as putting it in my compost. And it is an essential medicinal herb." -Liz, Sandy, Utah
|
 |
Trees
and Bushes Love Comfrey
"One
medicinal herb serves as an understory superstar in my orchard around freestanding
apple and pear trees."
"The marvel of comfrey from a fruit tree perspective
begins with its deep-reaching root system, which effectively mines postassium,
calcium, and other untapped minerals. Its leaves and stalks are flush with nutrient
wealth, producing a lush plant that blossoms just after petal fall on apple trees
in a cascading series of delightful pale purple-pink umbel florets. Bumblebees
delight in this subsequent nectar source."
The photo to the left are some old apple trees
with comfrey plants.
|
 |
Comfrey
and Biodiversity
This photo is from Mark in Sanbornton, New Hampshire.
"We are so glad to have the comfrey that we have ordered from you in the past. We planted it around our fruit trees and have a new orchard that needs more comfrey!" -Lisa, Bishop, Georgia
|
 |
Comfrey
Plants are Nutrient Rich
"As comfrey starts to set seed,
it becomes carbon-heavy- and thus top-heavy- and soon falls in every random direction
as living mulch, thereby suppressing grass growth and preventing it from becoming
the dominant ground cover. A new round of herbal shoots from comfrey's insistent
roots responds to this sunlight opportunity, repeating the same cycle at least
two times more in a given year."
"The circumference of a comfrey circle
grows as the mother plant expands outward. The soil here becomes deep brown, even
black, brimming with life force. Fruit tree feeder roots find this an irresistable
invitation, totally unlike the reception provided by a dense sod where high carbon
dioxide levels produced by fine grasses proves disagreeable. Comfrey leaves room
in the humus for trees to find full mycorrhizal connection."
"And to think-
all you had to do was plant comfrey starts (root crowns) around the anticipated
dripline of the tree to launch this self-renewing orchard plan." -p. 31-32
The
photo to the left is a small Asian Pear tree with comfrey around it.
Michael Phillips also recommends Kelp and Azomite for trees, bushes and gardens.
|
 |
Comfrey
#14 in Young Orchard
"Here is
a picture of one of the 6 comfrey plants I bought from you. They are all
equally lush. The second photo is scything down long grass which I will
use for mulch." -Sukey, Whidbey Island, Washington
A scythe is a hand tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. You can use it to harvest comfrey by cutting it about 2 inches from the ground.
|
 |
Guild
Plants for Trees
"That comfrey is great stuff. I loved learning about the guild plants for the fruit trees and was scattering the 'foiled by frost' leaves under troubled trees and over the garden plot near the house." -Mark, Keene, New Hampshire
|
 |
Guilds
and Permaculture
"Happy
to support a small farm. Looking forward to the order! Using the comfrey
as a composting material around a plum tree in a plum 'guild.' My wife and
I are trying to institute some permaculture principles on our little half
acre lot and wanted some good composting material and kept hearing comfrey."
-Matt, Huntsville, Alabama
|
 |
Biodynamics
and Comfrey
"I got the comfrey roots a few days ago and planted them today on a 'leaf day' by the Biodynamic calendar. They look great." -Dan, Dale Texas
This photo is comfrey in very early spring.
|
|
 |
"The
Permaculture Project"
www.permacultureproject.com
"When
I think about the penultimate plant for Permaculture sites I go immediately to
comfrey (symphytum officinale). Simply by cutting a button sized piece of tap
root and planting it, within two weeks a new plant emerges. In Southern Illinois
I take four cuttings of the above ground portions a season and use them in countless
ways."
"At the moment I have a five gallon bucket stuffed with comfrey
where it will ferment for two weeks in water, bubbled (with an aquarium bubbler,
as is done for compost tea), for 24 hours, and then used as a spray on the food
forest and annual crops."
"As the prime dynamic accumulator in the plant matrix this dark liquid
feeds the plants with a mineral-, and enzyme-rich soup. It also makes for
a superior mulch!" -Featured Plant: Comfrey
The
photo to the left is Russian Comfrey Bocking #4 with perennial Stinging Nettle.
The comfrey will grow much larger. I sell Stinging Nettle seed.
|
 |
Perennial
Plants
The
goat (3 months old) in this photo is enjoying permaculture. All the plants
are perennials including Russian Comfrey that was planted in an already
existing pasture. The other plants include yarrow,
clover, fescue, chicory, dandelion, feverfew, violets, hairy vetch and more.
Comfrey is a versatile, wonderful plant.
|
 |
Deer
and Comfrey
According
to eHow, deer-proof herbs include Angelica, Basil, Chamomile, Chives, Comfrey,
Dill, Fennel, Lamb's Ears, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano, Parsley,
Rosemary, and Sage.
According to the University of Minnesota Agricultural Extension Service,
Comfrey is a deer resistant plant. Others are Anise, Borage, Feverfew, Hyssop,
Mullein, and Winter Savory.
If you have problems with deer eating your garden, you may want to try comfrey (any variety). They may eat it some but it is very unlikely they would kill it since it is a perennial. Let me know your experiences.
"The deer in my Central Maryland community like comfrey a lot. Comfrey joins hydrangea and hosta as a sought after snack by deer in my area. Twice they ate it down to the soil, and I put fence caging around it and they figured a way to move the caging to get at it. Next season I'll put up a more robust barrier. This was the first growing season for my two comfrey plants." -Mike, Olney, Maryland
|
|
Buy Live
Comfrey Roots for Planting
Grow
your own Comfrey: True/Common Comfrey, Russian Bocking #4, Russian Bocking
#14, Symphytum Hidcote Blue. Your order includes a flyer about how to take care of your plants.
Comfrey
Easy Order Page
|
| |
|