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Comfrey or Alternative ?

TerrysWorldTerrysWorld Posts: 174
in Plants
For liquid manure/feed, I have made and used Seaweed to make my manure/feed.

Wanting to try an alternative.

I have searched my 3 local garden centres who have the major suppliers of seeds.
But cannot find Comfrey/Symphytum either in plant or herb racks.

Could I look for another plant to use instead.

Thanks


South Monmouthshire stuck in the middle between George and the Dragon

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2019
    Comfrey can be very invasive. The comfrey usually used for such purposes is the Bocking 14 strain which does not produce seeds and can therefore be contained/controlledwithin a garden. You should be able to buy rooted cuttings online.

    I would make sure you’re buying from a reputable nursery ... you don’t want to plant cuttings of the non-sterile sort in your garden. 

    You can also also make a liquid manure from stinging nettles. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Nettle is rich in nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth.  Comfrey provides potassium, which plants need to produce flowers and fruit.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    You cant buy nettles either josusa, I use borridge, I bought  plant, it smells awful but is a great natural feed sauce
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    source NOT sauce, DONT drink i!!!!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    And did you mean to say Borage? not Borridge, or maybe your plants like Porridge  :D
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Unless you have acres, nettles and comfrey are easily gathered from the wild. Look on it as a free resource, as you would go blackberrying. I find the land alongside rivers and canals to be good for this. The occasional winter flood means that the edge of the river is pretty fertile.  Comfrey grows like crazy. I only pick leaves early in the season, leaving it to recover later in the year.
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