NO MORE COMFREY IN THE PERMACULTURE ORCHARD
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- Comfrey is the plant most often associated with permaculture. This week we look at why I don't plant comfrey anymore. With tips on microsites, microclimate, choosing a mulch plant, growing weeds testing plants on your property and understanding soils.
Thanks to Rob Avis from vergepermaculture.com for teaching about mulching (chop and drop) with comfrey and cover crops.
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It's fine to say no to comfrey if conditions don't suit it, but it's great for me; I crop mine FOUR times a year for liquid feed. Its leaves are low in cellulose, so it decomposes very quickly, making it ideal for the purpose. I have the tastiest potatoes & tomatoes as a result.
Same here. No problem at all with Comfrey. I use the Bocking14 variety, which will not seed.
Once the fruits and veggies start to flower I cut the Comfrey down to the base so the bees go to the fruits/veggies instead of the comfrey flowers. I get 4 to 5 cuttings per season in Zone 6. Use it as a hedgerow too.
How to you liquify... just let it steep in water for a couple weeks? Do you only use comfrey? I would throw in biochar.
@@OfftoShambala takes at least 3 HOT weeks to decompose it.
It can take 3-4 months if the temperature is cold.
I agree on the biochar to a point.
Point being that too much biochar is not necessarily what plants like.
Locations and or grow zones that people are in would be helpful. Its not a popular plant in Florida is all I know. Trying to find out why. Heat? Poor soil?
@@NoNORADon911 I live in Georgia and it grows fine here. I ordered my Russian comfrey root cutting from ebay. They grow like crazy.
I put it near my compost pile to recapture leached nutrients. It loves its location.
That is one of the best ideas I've heard in such a long time! I know it's been a long time since you've commented,but thank you so very much. My eyes grew wide at the thought of saving my efforts as well as my land. :)
@@shpuply
It grows lank there. Glad it helps.
Genius. Thank you!
i did the same. 6 comfrey plants back my compost bins.
@@SidSneer1
Your post is timely. I need to harvest some leaves and feed some some plants.
I have Bocking 14 Comfrey that has sterile seed, meaning I can only propagate it by cutting a piece of the root and replanting. It’s amazingly healthy everywhere I’ve planted it. I plan on growing more this year for the chickens. Good video.
For me, I want the viable seeds.
Where I am there is very poor topsoil.
And it needs all the help it can get! LOL
where did you get the plant. I am near Miracle Farms but have the opposite problem. Two different locations (one being a friends CSA farm and the comfrey is so invasive it has become a big problem. I am now afraid to plant it in my new home.
great variety. ive been growing mine in three states for about 15 years.
@@lesleannhine6662 i can send you some
I have an acre do you know what other plants and herbs grow wild that you don't have to water thank you
Well, comfrey does GREAT where I live and I have tons of it. I'll stick with my comfrey, it works well for me.
Same
I think that's his point, if something doesn't work in a particular environment, then stop trying.
@ Diane Can you tell me how to get the Comfrey seeds ?
@@honeybadger8942 they grow best from a piece of the root. Buy one plant and start breaking off roots by the end of the summer and plant where you want them.
Yea, he's just trying to help people who junk on the Geoff Lawton and Paul Wheaton bandwagon and then feel like "Comfrey is the One True Way to Permaculture".
Confrey is also known in ancient times as 'knit bone'.
Romans for example, set a broken bone, and made a comfrey poultice to use over the break.
Bones healed very quickly.
The leaves are edible but in small quantities and for short periods of time (it is hard on the liver).
Comfrey can send down a tap root a whopping 12 FEET.
It takes a piece of root as little as 1/4" chunk to start another comfrey plant.
It's leaves contain a concentrated amount of minerals. Use it in the compost bin, side dressing for other plants, or to make a comfrey fertilizer tea.
Of course for medicinal value too but check with a Dr on using it.
Borage is in the same family but is an annual and the oil from the seeds is used for medicinal purposes.
Comfrey does need fertilization (soil amendments) to grow and regular watering.
Be forewarned that once established it is pretty hard to kill.
It can take a whole year to kill a plant.
Comfrey does not grow well in containers BUT if you use a clay pot with a hole in the bottom, plant a sprig of comfrey root, it will grow.
It sends a root out the bottom hole.
A year later pick up the pot and cut off the root.
You made a clone.
And the one in the pot can still grow and make another clone by repeating the above.
Choose your location wisely!
Thank you!!!
Beware of its bone mending abilities. It can mend so fast the bones , they absolutely have to be realigned perfectly before you use it. Someone told me they had to have their bone re-broken by the doctor to control the healing. Ouch
@@TheEmbrio Romans needed bones to heal quickly and so long as they are close enough to render the soldier capable of fighting.
Also, much depends on how much comfrey you are using.
In a SHTF scenario where you are not able to get x-rays, mending a crooked bone is better than risking a compound fracture or internal injuries.
DO NOT CHECK WITH YOuR DOCTOR, GO TO A NATUROPATH who is trained in healing plants. Doctors are trained to comfort with chemical drugs and recieve no training on natrual healing through foods. I have asked doctors several times and always get a blank look and sometimes they answer that they do not know about plants, so it's up to us to go to naturopaths who actually know what naturally heals us. We have two options to try to heal, one is with mainstream doctors the other is with naturopaths who are not supported by the government and make us pay ourselves for this valuable information, you have to ask yourself why that is.
@Wolf Man You can chop then to 2-4 inches above the ground 3-4 times a year (but not last one before the fall season).
Chop up what you cut, place into a bucket, fill with water, and make comfrey tea.
You can also just chop the plant, strip the leaves, and use the leaves as a mulch.
If you let it flower too long, you get seeds. Those make more comfrey plants.
Digging up - if you leave so much as 1/4" of root in the ground, it will grow back again.
Our comfrey tripled its first year. We use it for medical balm and the chickens and bunnies love it. Cincinnati, Ohio USA
Ronyon this guy is a complete idiot.
I know someone in Cincy LOL
cincy represent. comfrey grows like a weed all over my backyard, use it for chop and drop green mulch around trees, tomatoes, and potatoes.
The comfrey in my garden grows about four feet high, and makes a potent liquid compost. Feed my runner beans with it the leaves are as big as plates and deep green in colour, and the beans are big and healthy to. The liquid compost has quite a fragrance with it and when I water with it, it seems to draw dung flies from miles around.
Do you know what other plants and herbs grow like weeds?
I have an acre and I'm not around much during the summer and fall .... Thank you
I plant my comfrey next to trees too! I figure it will help bust up the clay. But in very dry areas it dies quick. Now i know why.
Comfreys great, I have a market garden on a slope, one section of hillside has a vertical drop of like a foot and a half. The soils just clay, and a year ago I planted a whole row of comfrey on the side of the steep bank. It worked great, the deep knotted roots have completely stabilised the bank, no erosion. The plants have grown positively massive with no attention and once they get too big I simply use the leaves as fresh green mulch to break down around other food plants/fruit trees I grow.
It's a real useful plant to just take up space if you don't want weeds to colonise that bare space instead.
Ryan Duckering thank you
Lived in Missouri-comfrey grew like a weed in the clay soil. Maybe Stephan’s sandy soil is not conducive to rapid growth.
There was a row of comfrey plants next to the road where I grew up near Nelson in BC. Those plants grew 6 feet tall and their leaves were enormous. We used to pick the leaves and stick them to our clothes. You could completely camouflage yourself this way.
Wow, that’s impressive growth. Obviously a great site for them.
@@StefanSobkowiak It must have been, but still surprises me as it was right next to the gravel road in quite harsh conditions. I wonder what type of Comfrey it was as well? Very very dark green with very long spear shaped leaves. I tried growing it here in Calgary and it never got over 3 ft, even close to the gutter in good soil. I had better luck growing nettles and burdock to make compost tea.
Gardening was SO much easier in BC than in Calgary!
I've discovered I like big weeds. Little weeds are hard to get rid of. Big weeds are easily turned into great compost.
Gewgulkan Suhckitt yeah..
I feel that way about wild burdock. It's big, pretty, and when I need a layer of green in a lasagna garden, I look no further.
@@auntiedoodles6898 Wiki It's a powerhouse of antioxidants. Research from 2010 has shown that burdock root contains multiple types of powerful antioxidants, including quercetin, luteolin, and phenolic acids. ... It removes toxins from the blood. ... It may inhibit some types of cancer. ... It may be an aphrodisiac. ...
It can help treat skin issues.
I ate burdock and other fresh greens from the garden for one summer and regained my health. I also gave up drinking soda!!
@@Horse237 i get lots of it in my yard. I'd like to know more.
@@auntiedoodles6898 Burdock tastes nasty. But for several months I ate huge amounts of green salads and fruit smoothies.I was working in the garden and and lots lots of weight and detoxified my body.
I have my comfery up near my house on a southern exposure where it gets plenty of sun and it is huge onky planted two plants and it is growing in clay
I chop comfrey leaves into a bucket of water, let it steep and then use it for watering plants. Works for me :)
What does it do for the plants ?
I appreciate the soil I have very much. I planted small comfrey starts last year--they are now blooming and as tall as I am at 5'4". I never watered or fed it. Its helping me reclaim a spot that was growing toxic black walnut trees. thanks for the video.
My comfrey is gigantic, even when there is no good soil, it grows like crazy, attracts pollinators and makes a great compost tea...
Aloel Cristal same here in poor clay hardpan. Fortunate I guess.
I’m going to plant some this spring, see what I get...
Picked a single leaf yesterday to compare the length -- it was as long as my arm from wrist to lower shoulder (and I'm very tall).
Not sure what's happening with Stefan's comfrey, but mine is growing like alien weeds from outer space. Bocking 14, btw.
Maybe your’s actually see the sun, unlike these plants🤔
It works better in clay soil than sandy soil BECAUSE the clay layer retains nutrients much better allowing the comfrey to do its job of accumulating, whereas in sandy soil those nutrients have drained too far.
Comfrey is the best! My orchard is doing fabulously with my Comfrey "weeds." South Africa here.
I have a comfrey cultivar that does not reseed. It is on a hillside with poor dry soil and I never water it. It sends up a large clump of plants that get nearly 4 feet high and covered with beautiful flowers. After a rain it fell in all directions and sent up a new flush even fuller than the first. This massive plant grows in an ever expanding clump that again, never reseeds.
I grow Bocking 14, it has never set seed. Love it!
I am speechless and thrilled at the information coming from these videos. I have a memory disorder but I think your use of principles will help me follow your methods. Many thanks.
depends of your soil and climate!! Comfrey does really well where I live...
FYI the volume is way too low, can you fix this? I want to hear everything you say, its very valuable, experienced expert info. You are a true Gem!
Love comfrey for mulch/fertilizer. I been propagating to make my life easier. Plant it in spots I can't get with a riding mower like a fence line or culvert ends. I've cut my weedeater time down a good bit so far.
I don't understand how that comfrey isn't growing more vigorously. It grows in every possible condition for me. I have it in shade, sun, dry, wet, barron, and fertile areas. It all grows like a weed everywhere.
The good (agreeable to comfrey) mineral content of the soil probably...
He's joking, he got you,hahaha, he's a comedian, think about it 7 years wilts in rain, nothing wilts in the rain for a lack of moisture, he s a dickhead hardyhaha,his comfrey wilts in rain and drys up hahaha, I like him
I agree it grows like a weed everywhere on my property as well, you cant get rid of it if you try. I eradicated all my grass though so maybe the grass is out competing it.
Same!
@@evangamble3718 I have an acre what other plants/herbs grow like weeds? Thank you
well said- the best plant to use is usually the one already growing and thriving in place. Their role is to build and correct the soil deficit for some botanist and ecologist; many other plants have deep root system indeed- But nature as its own way to build soil and make soil life richer and set conditions for further species to germinated and establish.
I said the same thing about my common mallow 'infestation '. They too have long tap roots, so I thought it should be good to leave them on the ground. I just chop and drop, I don't pull anymore.
I find the naturally growing curly dock in my fields and dandelion work very well so have not introduced comfrey, yet. Curly dock grows 5 ft tall!
Just Asking
Do you chop and drop the curly dock or let it keep growing?
Great video!! I was like... "wwwhhhaaattt????" and then I watched the video... Lol. I have figured out how to get my comfrey large enough to get 2 harvests from it but before that I could NOT get it to grow. It would die back every summer and every winter while just struggling to peep out during spring and fall. I'm happy with it now but totally get your point!
BTW, I did buy your film after Justin Rhodes visited you. I rate it 5 stars and love my orchard like never before! I just wish I had it BEFORE I planted the trees. 😄
I wish I had the film before I planted, that's for sure. I'm sure you have learned from starting before viewing it anyway.
Stefan Sobkowiak, 😂😂😂
The commercial sale or supply of Comfrey, or Comfrey products, was made illegal in Australia some time back because it has been deemed to be toxic. In some council areas it is on the noxious/toxic weed list and where it is illegal to have it growing.
Wow
I've grown comfrey in every garden I've ever planted. It grew like a weed in MI and OH but it pooped out every time in Houston, TX. I don't necessarily grow it for it's dynamic accumulator properties, but for it's medicinal properties and so I am very happy to have it in the garden. I've not had a problem with it spreading except when I lived in OH - it went EVERYWHERE. But when I lived there you could plop anything in the ground and it would thrive :)
Do you grow it in Houston? I have had reumatoide arthritis and was told it can help me. If you are in Houston can you share a plant?
@@dulceamanecer4096 As I said in my comment it didn't grow for me in Houston, not sure if anyone else can grow it there or not. I don't live there anymore, but you can try some of the plant nursery's in the city to see if they carry it.
Kinda interesting to see all the negative comments. I thought the message is fairly clear... if a plant doesn't grow well in your area (or in your soil), grow something else. I live in a dry, arid area and can't be bothered to plant comfrey (or mullein which might grow substantially better). Why not grow a native plant in its place? They grow like weeds.
New subscriber here. Thanks for teaching me how to 'listen' to what my plants are telling me.
I will try an experiment with my comfrey seedlings by giving them different soil types.
Great advice and great explanations. Shade also reduces sunlight. This forces understory plants to produce larger leaves. That explains why the comfrey under the locust has such large leaves. I like your explanation of the plants growth response to the interrelationship between the amount of sunlight and the amount of water. Like you we plant our accumulators around the drip line. Then I just chop and drop right there close to the feeder roots. Easy peasy! I tend to use mineral rich stone mulch close to the base of the tree. This favors a low ground cover, promotes air circulation that prevents unwanted mold, mildew and vines from being established and makes hand weeding easier and mechanical weeding safer near the vulnerable trunk.
I enjoy hearing different perspectives, I’ve just started dividing some of my comfrey up to create more . I find Pigeon peas and QLD arrowroot unbelievable for growth and nutrient extraction from the soil.
Thank you for the reply, your videos are very interesting I can watch it all day. I am so interested to permaculture now, I want to convert my organic farm to a permaculture farm, yours are very informative and easy to understand, most of all I can’t stop watching them. Thank you
What an incredible plant. I've only ever known it to be used medicinally. This plant is amazeballs.
Rob Avis referred to the 'rice knife' I think he said, as an awesome tool. A link to that tool would be much appreciated as I cannot seem to find the same one searching.
Also sold as permaculture knife or permaculture scythe. Look in gardening catalogs. I think Daniel Lawton sells them.
I’m looking for the same
You are brilliant, Stefan! Thank you for sharing the abundance & health!
Sending you gratitude from Virginia
I planted comfrey in pots, all same size root pieces, same soil, same size pots, all in same part of the garden. Some plants are one foot tall after a year, some are more than 3. I think maybe it's like seeds, some are stronger than others? Yes, I will be planting them in the ground this year. ;)
Someone above in the comments said to use a pot with a hole in it and the root will go through the hole. Did that happen to yours ? I want to use a pot as I don’t want it to multiply all over my yard.
You can't expect of water lilies to grow in the sandy desert - comfrey is a plant of moist environment - plant it around the pond and you'll have your weeds.
We grow comfrey in the high desert of southern Idaho without any issues at all.
I would consider if the neighboring plants are hostile to the Comfrey. Nature is pretty competitive. Grass is a water hog.
I planted one little root I dug up in the woods and after a few years it was HUGE
in sand, in upstate NY
goes CRAZY in north Georgia mountains. we cut them down from waist high globes every 2 maybe 3 weeks during the entire growing season (roughly march-november there)
Stefan, I agree with you. Comfrey is not the plant to plant in a poor soil. Weeds are! But comfrey planted in a fairly fertile soil that has moisture and isn't compacted will grow well . Then you can use it for compost tea or to start your compost heap to fix your poorer soils.
Comfrey will thrive in compacted dry clay in a desert
@@jack9463 seems it does better!
Summer here tends to turn my soil into cement!
Thanks!! I was wondering because I have sandy soil.
I have a Bocking 14 plant in a semi-shaded spot. It is growing very well. Drying some right now. Using it on my container fruit trees. I was surprised because my climate isn’t the best for comfrey. Will say the borage loves it until July. Mulch with its leaves as well. Unfortunately, it’s way too hot for rhubarb (and raspberries) here. Lucky you. ☺️
Every climate has its group of plants that qualify as lucky you. I suspect you can grow fig. Lucky you.
Hey Stefan! This is a different type of Comfrey that doesn't get as tall or lush like Bocking 14 which is sterile, which does not spread and gets HUGE! Here in Washington this type of Comfrey is wonderful for mulch and so much more. It gets 3 to 5 feet around and its very tall. That looks like Russian Comfrey and they seed all over. I prefer the Bocking 14 for its huge size, height and the fact it doesn't seed. Beautiful purple blooms. Bocking 14 has a very deep root as well. Far superior to Russian Comfrey!
Na bocking14 is Russian, listenen to the permaculture expert, forget comfrey
You are obviously unfamiliar with true comfrey or he is comedian
Don't worry there's stupid and deadly stupid
Some people think covid exists and has killed millions
Debt and slavery will be the consequence, but atleast we get a dangerous vaccine for harmless virus, FOR FREE!!!???
Free medical for all thanks Pamela
Freedoms gone, thanks America Hong Kong loves you and we heed whatever the ex_spert speed out of his mouth
I noticed that I used to be able to put a shovel in the lawn, anywhere, when I was a kid, I could just fold some of the lawn back, and find some worms. Now the soil is that sandy soil like you'd shown below the darker top soi, but not almost to the top. Whole wheel barrel loads have no life in them. The worms are no longer present in the puddles after rain. They used to always be in the bottom of a pond near me, too, with the soil around it all having changed. There are no longer fish in the pond. It's all filled in. It killed the endangered New England snapping turtles. It's all tall grasses and shallow now. I think some of the last ones are eating birds instead of fish. They used to have the worms as a constant supply of food walking into the ponds and brooks. And they had craw fish, types of fish, et cetera. We have to understand how the land was tactically denatured since before our founding parents were even born, and them part Native. Humanity has been using abridged systems since semi-ancient times. Too long we've been taking the chopped grass and such away from the land that needs it also with the stuff smaller we had/have the small worms no longer walking into the puddles and waters to discern. People all agree we want/need other. The only way the species body can move as one is the only way we can afford to fix how everything got/is maintained even justified tactically denatured. We need to have our states give us something to give the worms. Also the birds are dying. They have to eat other things, et cetera.
MAAAANNN T'es Qubébecois dude!! So awesome to find your channel!!! We're from the Eastern Townships and we're thinking of moving to the Gaspésie in the zone 3 and permaculturing! They have have so most cheap land there! :D Thanks for the video!!
Interesting, thanks for sharing Stefan! Your videos are getting better and better!
Thanks Pete
Pete Kanaris GreenDreamsFL this guy is a complete moron.
Fascinating video! I love the editing, it's hilarious
Russell Strauss thanks appreciate all the positive feedback 👍
I believe Canada is above Zone 3 for growing abundant amounts of comfrey. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Oh it can grow well here just not on our farm soil. We have some warmer zones, it’s not all arctic.
Great video Stefan! Thanks so much! Trying to catch up on all your videos.
Lots to catch up on.
You are lucky. Comfrey is taking over my garden here in MA and I can’t get rid of it.
I have heard covering it with cardboard will kill it. Trying to dig it out will just leave pieces of roots in the soil and make it multiply.
I planted my comfrey in a sunny spot and even though it is growing, it struggles on hot days. The next one I plant I will put in a shadier area.
My comfrey in Va is doing wonderful
I keep a little comfort because it's pretty but I do use my broad leaf burdock more. My comfrey grows in heavy shade under my apple tree too💗 but it doesnt spread there.
Someone gave me a root of comfrey a few years back and honestly I really didn't pay attention to the soil conditions when I stuck it in the ground. I have one spot that is rocky and in my garden and I decided to plant it there because of how deep those roots can go. Figured if a dandelion can grow there so can the comfrey. It must really love where it's planted cause that plant is always lush and I've never had to water or fertilize it since I got it. My soil is clay and it gets only the morning sun and it also sits right next to my wood pile where it gets all the wood bark and splinters that falls all around it. Perhaps the wood bark every year fertilizes it. All I know is it's happy and singing.
It tends to grow near rivers in the UK, and it is a bit rainier in the summer here. I guess it would struggle in placers with drier hotter summers and sandy soil. It's job seems to be to suck up nutrients washed deeper into the soil by the rain, so I wonder if it prefers damp soil with less minerals.
When I first saw this I thought this guy is crazy, but what you said makes sense. Some weeds grow with no care and the gardener should focus on what requires no care in the location where it is. I have comfrey and have to water the new starts.
Comfrey has so many pluses i will always keep it around...i dont need ALL my plants to grow like weeds...i appreciate slow growers as they demand less maintenance....also, planting those plants which cost $0 (easy to propagate), is a higher priority for me than "perfect " plants
at 12:10 that is a Hosta, not a plantain. I swear it is! My comfrey is 6ft. tall when it blooms, then it keels over and I have to cut it down or the plants under it will die. Beautiful flowers. Clay soil but very dry under a massive locust tree.
Hosta's other name is plantain lily...
Hi Stefan! So, what do you plant instead of comfry in your poorer soils? Do you plant mullein? Where we are, it grows wild. I didn't know you could purchase seeds! Of course, it could provide a secondary income. In WA; dried mullein leaves go for as least $65/lb.! II like seeing the higher grasses in your orchard, and I love the idea of using daikon radish, and especially the idea of not needing to mow our orchard!
I don’t plant anything, whatever grows well with the available nutrients prospers. Black locust, sumac, wild grape and alfalfa seem to be increasing there, all pioneers.
I just planted comfrey this summer. I'll have to see how it goes. Just subbed to your channel!
I planted a row next to my goat bedding compost pile, I immagine it picks up whatever seeps off that, my comfrey gets to waist height, I'm 5'8 - 5'9. I'm happy with my comfrey, splitting to double the length of the row this coming season.
They are great at accumulating when there’s something to accumulate.
My comfrey dies back every winter and emerges again after it warms up. So in terms of size it starts anew each spring. Maybe my climate is colder in Missouri.
My experience has been the of this opposite of this video. In shade in sun, in dry soil in wet, in rich and poor soil I have happy health HUGE comfrey plants all over my property starting from 2 plants 7 years ago.
I’ve been using my mulberry trees (the ones that don’t make berries but used for feeding silk worms)... I just cut them down to about ground level every time they get 3-6’ tall 😂 probably 2-3 times a year.
It seems to me the science of permaculture seems to get ahead of itself. I guess its the label to use for the way I garden, but I always figured the best soil fixers, cover crops, and bug feeders is native wildflowers. just sprinkle the seeds and your work is done.
also depends on the variety of comfrey, try B14 or russian comfrey
Thank you for adding this one to your list.
Glad you liked it. One more pruning video coming up (raspberries).
Me. Trying to grow horsetail plant. Tried in different areas in my land and didn't work. But I dont give up. Someday I will find a perfect spot for it.
Horsetail as in equisetum needs a perched water table, a layer of clay that prevents good drainage and sours the soil. It’s actually the best indicator plant for such a condition. Look for sedges they are often associated with them.
@@StefanSobkowiak thank you for the tip. I will try that.
I guess comfrey does not like a sandy soil, as dry or wet, sun or shade my comfrey does well in heavy clay or nice loam soil and loves being planted in a deep woodchip mulch. Good advice on choice of plants. Thank you from New Zealand.
We’re planning a couple of courses in New Zealand March 2020. See you there?
The common Comfrey we get in the UK looks different to this one.
The old English name is Bone Knit as it helps to mend broken bones.
Smaller leaves? In the Netherlands I see a lot of comfrey that stays really low and small. Although the one with the bigger leaves can also be found.
The leaf size is about the same, can grow to about 18” usually blue flowers though some can be pink
I’ve been looking for a plant at our nurseries and can’t find it anywhere. I have chickens and would love to have some growing for them.
My comfrey is amazingly beautiful here in subtropical Australia...
Really! I'm on the central NSW coast and I'm struggling to get even one growing...it's alive but it's definitely not thriving
editing is next level
Classic, wilting in the rain, that should tell us something about it
Loved it all, extremely entertaining, definitely no.1 in my favorites.
Once I get my computer I'll actually ''BUY'' your videos
Comfrey grows very well everywhere around here, 14 inches of topsoil and 6 feet of clay under that.
I guess. You’re blessed to have such soil, take good care of it.
So true. You can't accumulate what isn't there... I bring in organic manner and minerals from a variety of sources because I don't want to perpetuate my soil's deficiencies by just composting locally. Of course I compost everything from my property. Just outside sources too.
Everything is growing really well near the Comfrey because Comfrey is the best fertilizer compost in the world
I don't know why i find it so funny when you say weed 😂
Then clip that part and loop it. Laugh all day.
Stefan Sobkowiak i might just do that, great content keep it up 💪🏾
GAW!!! All you people, he says it doesn't grow well THERE. If it grows well over at yours, great. It's all about your context, remember?
people want to share their experience
@@wiezyczkowata I think you're missing my sarcasm; "gaw!!" was an expression the South park character randy marsh used before making some lame ass excuse after having been caught doing something silly.
@@TheKlink last time I saw South Park was like 15 years ago and well, sometimes sarcasm is hard to convey,
@@wiezyczkowata tone is very difficult in a medium such as this.
@@TheKlink totally agree with that
is symphytum officinale a sterile plant like Symphytum uplandicum bocking 14 ? What are the differences ?
Goodness! Your plantain looks amazing! My plantain leaves are lucky to be the size of a lemon!
My mistake it’s hosta not plantain.
Whew! Although I was excited at the possibility!!
ive planted comfrey in my yard and it grows like crazy every 4 weeks they are atleast half a meter tall. it grows in my lawn to and i mow it every week and it grows faster than anything else .
im in australia
Good one, keep using it.
i would love to hear your (this channel and youtube comments section) thoughts on scotch broom and thistle.
i live in coastal BC and the broom takes over. everyone hates it. they go to great lengths to get rid of it and it is not easy to get rid of. people say it ruins the soil. i take it out because i can't grow anything else while it is around. my place was covered when i bought it. it does not "seem" to reach any kind of equilibrium.
the other plant i have "trouble" with is thistle. it is a newer arrival and a bit less wide spread than the broom. not the native BC thistle i grew up with but much more prolific and much more spiky thistle that has gown so thick in the last few years that i can barely walk around. it is easy enough to pull out but a little bit of root is always left behind and grows back even when i pull it before it goes to seed 3 times in a summer. if i don't pull, it leaves huge amounts of seeds and spread faster than anything else i have seen. like the broom, it does not "seem" to reach any kind of equilibrium. it grows 5' and higher.
both of these grow like weeds but....
Both can be good indicators, I heard Nicole Masters talk about thisle as an indicator of heavy metal, I forget what element specifically. She has had great experience changing soil for most of the western ‘weeds’. Soil life is often lacking and can be returned with simple worm compost extracts. Look up her interview by John Kempf.
@@StefanSobkowiak will do, thanks!!
I can't even count how many 1.5ft deep postholes I have dug for comfrey over the years in sand and sandstone. By second year they leaf out over three feet wide and 4+ feet high!
I’m curious what is beyond the 1.5’
@@StefanSobkowiak sand and or sandstone... Basically "old beach".
@@StefanSobkowiak BUT... There are free range chickens that help complete the natural cycle of life. Perhaps that is what you are missing? 🤔
Grow some stinging nettle as well. You can eat it and use it as well for mulch and prolific food supply full of iron
For me it's an amazing free mulch.
Don't have a lot of green waste so harvested and transplanted some comfrey in a nearby hedgerow.
Now I get 3 or 4 batches of mulch from each plant.
Where is the chase and how do you cut to it?
Great info...the comfrey here grows different in all areas...so now I can see that this is a good indicator of the soil in each of the areas. What do you think of Borage? Is it much the same as comfrey? Thankyou
Not much experience with borage, sorry.
Try tithonia diversifolia. You can start by seeds, but in some places can invade. If you have that time of climate, use sterile cuttings.
Well...I just planted bother the Russian, Bock 14 as well as the common comfrey. I plan to use them in compost making with chicken, sheep and cow manure. From 6 root cuttings there are 2 extra that have sprouted nearby. My soil is primarily heavy clay. As it puts out more shoots, I’ll transplant cuttings along the forest edges too. Eventually, I’ll have it all over the 39 acres. I’ll find out where it grows best and plant more cuttings there. Also started mullein seeds and have them sprouting now, same deal. Fortunately, lots of narrow leaf plantains are already growing in the pastures. Have Daikon radish seeds waiting to be planted later.
Comfrey is worth the effort since it is hard to get as a medicinal product ("banned"). It's "people glue" which makes it great to help heal breaks. Yes, it has toxicity and you have to know how to use it properly.
Beware of its bone mending abilities. It can mend so fast the bones , they absolutely have to be realigned perfectly before you use it. Someone told me they had to have their bone re-broken by the doctor to control the healing. Ouch
@@TheEmbrio Yes, of course! Thanks for posting that; I tend to forget that 'common sense' is not so common nowadays.
What grows well here? Ferns and Dogwood and Mullein. We planted two Macintosh apple trees 5 years ago. The first spring they were both in full blossom and then we had a frost the first week of June. It killed all the blossoms except on the one tree 5 apples grew, 3 of which the birds got. These two trees have never blossomed again. I don't know what to make of it. They seem healthy otherwise.
The basics: poor drainage, low spot, frost pocket are all places to avoid putting a fruit tree. Certainly ferns and dogwood are indicative of such problems. Either these situations or you bought a tree on a standard rootstock which can take up to 8 years to fruit. They may have fruited because they were stressed being pot bound. Can be something else.
@@StefanSobkowiak Thanks. I think I will give them more time. A few years at least.
Please look into the difference between Comfrey Symphytum Officinale and Russian comfrey. Only use comfrey with cream or white flowers, never the Russian comfrey with pink or purple flowers.
My comfrey grows too, too well and I can't get rid of it. Do you have any suggestions as to how to remove it from deep clay.
Its favourite soil type is clay. You can always just dig it up with a good gardening fork to get the deeper roots.
What plants grow like weeds I have an acre and a half and I'm trying to get some nice plants going thank you
Look in the ditches and in people's yards or ask around what grows like weeds, gardeners usually know.
Yup, mullein definitely grows better than comfrey in our sandy soil in SW Michigan (very similar climate and soil type, maybe a zone warmer here). And, yes, mullein grows well. We don't even plant it, it is wild here.
That is the largest Plantain I have ever seen! Is it a special variety or just what happens when they're allowed to live undisturbed for years? Usually I see them the size of dandelions sneaking into people's yards.
Error I meant to say hostas
How can you test what's in your soil? Is there an equipment?
Soil sample sent to a soil testing lab. Some farm stores and garden centres offer to send them for you. Look up how to take a soil sample.
Both examples you gave were buried by perennials and fast growing grasses. Was this considered?
Sure we use other plants which scoff at the grasses like hosta and Jerusalem artichoke. Comfrey would need too much codling in our very sandy soils.
Stefan, here in Spain there's NO WAY to find comfrey plants. It's much on a hype. But hey, perhaps there's a good chance for me to start a comfrey business!
I enjoy watching your video, I just find out about your video few days ago, July 22, 3018 and I’m curious about permaculture, I am an organic farmer, I also got an orchard that’s why it interest me to watch your video. Tell me what does comprey do to all the fruit trees, I see you have them each tree. I’m so interested to learn. Pls advice.
Comfrey can be used as mulch around the trees, alive or chopped and put under the trees. They can be used to outcompete grass. Thanks for watching.