Comfrey question

[Bal]

I have just taken delivery if my bocking14 comfrey roots. I want to plant them in the bottom of the garden that will be a sort of wild/natural garden. If I just put them in the soil will they spread like mad from the roots. I understand that this type is sterile so no worries about it seeding. Also the whole benefit of comfrey comes from the fact that it has deep roots so can pick up trace metals and minerals that are present deep in the soil, so no point in planting it in pots is there.

[Jay-ell]

Last year I started my cuttings off in pots then planted them out once they were growing.

Each cutting has now formed a clump larger than last year and throwing up shoots nicely.

If you were to grow them in pots you would have to feed then - those nutrients could easily be given to your plants instead

[Bal]

Thanks Jay-ell. I really want to put them in the ground but don't want them invading all over the place. Also do you let them flower. I believe the flowers are very pretty. Will they still attract the bees even though they are sterile?

[Baldy]

Bees like the them so yes I let them flower. I've not found blocking 14 invasive... It spreads a little I guess.. Think centimetres not metres. I divide them after a few years to manually spread them. The roots go down rather than out really...

Balders

[Jay-ell]

I didn't harvest mine last year as I gave it time to settle in and build it self up. It did flower and the bees still loved it. I'll be chopping it down when it gets to 2 foot or just as it starts to flower - whichever is soonest. i don't think its going to rum rnt around the plot - any spread looks to be gradual and manageable

[Bal]

Thanks guys. Ill pot it up tomorrow and the hopefully will be able to plant it out by the end of the year.

[Jay-ell]

You should be able to plant it out alot sooner than that. I grew mine in pots as I was transitioning between plots - you could just plant it into the bed now. Starting them off in pots does meen you can see what the leaves look like incase you're worried about weeding them out but you shouldn't keep them in there too long.

[Bal]

Thanks Jay-ell. OH is still working in that part of the garden and will be building my compost bins and constructing a fruit cage at some point. Unfortunately he his a garden landscaper that believes in "unavoidable collateral damage" when he is working. He will either 'not see them' or "accidentally" drive the digger over them. I have got 2 large pots (about 20 inch diameter I was going to put them in for now.

[Jay-ell]

That'll be fine (mine were in modules then moved to 9cm pots). Make sure that you're happy with the location before planting them as they're hard to remove once established. I have mine at the front of the plot next to the road so that I can mine all those unused nutrients

[snakeshack]

have had mine for about 6 years from root cuttings, It's quite well behaved and doesn't spread but the plants are quite large and can be split regularly (I've given lots away).the bees absolutely love it and I always leave some to flower.
I get 3-4 cuts a year for feed making

[bario1]

the plants are quite large and can be split regularly

What time of year do you split it? And how - just drive a spade down the middle and dig half out?

[snakeshack]

What time of year do you split it? And how - just drive a spade down the middle and dig half out?

anytime is possible if you just split with a spade, or at this time of year ,as its just coming up you can dig out one of the roots that's about pencil thickness cut it into one inch sections then just pot it up into 3 inch pots, one section per pot, water and stand back quickly, it grows that fast

[w33blegurl]

I popped mine out along the edge of a bed in the lottie - they really have not spread much at all, simply bushed up a bit!

[Cadalot]

Take a look at Alans Allotment: Comfrey and you will see my comfrey from the time they started life in loo rolls and the comfrey pipe I put up, plus the growth where they cover my naughty gnome up.