Comfrey mulch

[Dorothy rouse]

I now have comfrey growing well, does anyone use it just as a mulch? Was thinking of just laying it around the bean wigwam, and also dwarf beans?

Thanks

[PyreneesPlot]

I do - around just about anything in the veg plot. I have no idea if it does any good but doesn't seem to do any harm!

[WPG]

Yes, I do too. I chop the leaves with shears (not too finely) and use it to mulch just about everything. It decomposes so quickly that it's more of less disappeared within a fortnight.

I don't know how much it helps the plants, but like PP says, it doesn't seem to harm them either. For brassicas there's also the added bonus of the comfrey mulch keeping their roots cooler, so less chance of bolting.

[Dorothy rouse]

Well, I've done it now, chopped it down and put around the wigwams and also the broad beans, so we'll see!

[KevinM67]

Comfrey for compost: The superfood for plants | Daily Mail Online

The nation (and our site's) favourite gardener thinks it's a great idea - and supposedly deters slugs and snails also.

[Dorothy rouse]

Thanks for that link Kevin, interesting!

[ancee]

I'm waiting for the flowers to finish before I chop mine. Last year I cut it back three times! The bees inside the flowers crack me up! They go in quite politely, then seem to rev up inside there! buz, buzz, buzzz, buzzzz, BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZ!!! Or perhaps, inside comfrey flowers is where bees keep their motorbikes? You never know!

[kris1960]

I mulched my beans and gourd patch with comfrey and they were great last year. Have done it again this year- it certainly did no harm.