How many comfrey plants does one allotment need?

[alldigging]

How many comfrey plants would you recommend an allotment had?

[Two_Sheds]

How big's the allotment?


Mine's 10 rods and I have comfrey plants lining 3 sides of it

I use a lot

[alldigging]

About 185m2 I think. Ish.

Would 20 plants be too many?

[Kleftiwallah]

I don't have any, I take a stroll down the sheep drover's track when I need some. Cheers, Tony.

[alldigging]

I don't have any, I take a stroll down the sheep drover's track when I need some. Cheers, Tony.

We're a bit short of sheep drover's tracks round here...

[rustylady]

We're a bit short of sheep drover's tracks round here...

Then if you use a lot of comfrey plant it round the edges of your plot like TwoSheds

[Two_Sheds]

Would 20 plants be too many?

I don't know how many you'll use ... I can't really say.

I can only speak for myself: I make all my own plant food from it, plus I use the leaves as a mulch on certain beds.
If I had 200 plants, I'd probably use them all.

Why don't you start off with as many as you can afford, then take your own cuttings if you decide you need more

[alldigging]

I have quite a few plants currently in pots
Will have to look at plot edges again

[Two_Sheds]

I have quite a few plants currently in pots

They need to get in the ground, pronto. The comfrey takes nutrients from deep down in the soil and "puts" them in the leaves (which you crop to make into tea).

It can't do that if it's in pots

[alldigging]

They need to get in the ground, pronto. The comfrey takes nutrients from deep down in the soil and "puts" them in the leaves (which you crop to make into tea).

It can't do that if it's in pots

I know! I wanted it big enough to fight off the slugs first though.
I'm going to find room in my garden for some too though.

[Two_Sheds]

OK, just checking. I didn't know that you knew

[alldigging]

I think we have king size slugs this year. They have been eating enough anyway to be huge now.

[Two_Sheds]

I've never known slugs or snails to eat comfrey (it's fairly prickly/bristly) but you never know

Edit: I was wrong. They've completely stripped the ones at home (but still no damage to the lotty ones). I guess they ran out of Morning Glory seedlings (they've eaten the lot)

[alldigging]

I've never known slugs or snails to eat comfrey (it's fairly prickly/bristly) but you never know

I think they had been eating it in my garden - but they were tiny things so softer leaves.
Hadn't thought of the pricklyness keeping them away

[hamsterhead]

Can cuttings be taken from existing Comfrey plants or is it easier just to plant seed?