Flowering Comfrey

[sweetiepea]

Last year I bought comfrey roots on the understanding that it was boking 14 (excuse any mis-spelling please). I planted it in a raised bed on its own and watched it grow and spread (it now fills approx 1/4 of the bed). I did nothing with it last year - just let it grow. Now I see flower heads developing and fear it may be the wild, self seeding variety. Are my fears justified? If so, should I dig it up before it develops any further???

Was sooo looking forward to making smelly tea this year.

[Jeanied]

We have self seeded so-called bocking 14 all over our allotment site! I have to say, on balance, it is an advantage - the bees love the flowers and the young seedlings are not too much of a pain to deal with. Plus which I have a ready supply of comfrey whenever I want it - I use the leaves as a mulch as well as for making comfrey tea.
What I have not worked out is - does a flowering comfrey necessarily mean a fertile comfrey - I'm not at all sure about this. All I know is that ours seeds!

[zazen999]

Hard to say - if it's spread through seed then it isn't Bocking 14 - my Bocking 14 only spreads through root cuttings so I still have the 8 plants I started with, plus a couple of extras where I moved the original plants.

Is it just bigger plants, or has it really self seeded and given you lots more plants? Mine are at the moment 3ft tall and need cutting - will probably do them tomorrow for the first feed prep of the year.

ETA: My comfrey does flower, lovely blue flowers but never sets seed......

[Snadger]

........................
ETA: My comfrey does flower, lovely blue flowers but never sets seed......

Mine also flowers, and doesn't set seed. It roots very easily from root cuttings though.

I think its best chopped before it flowers if possible though as the flowering slows down the leaf forming, which is usually what its grown for?
Watch you don't get a bee sting if its flowering as bees don't like you plundering there pollen source!

[zazen999]

I leave one to flower each year precisely for the bees

[Two_Sheds]

Mine is flowering too - well, the one plant is. The rest are being cut every fortnight for that lovely smelly tea

Bocking 14 does flower - it just doesn't set seed

[rustylady]

Last year I bought comfrey roots on the understanding that it was boking 14 (excuse any mis-spelling please). I planted it in a raised bed on its own and watched it grow and spread (it now fills approx 1/4 of the bed). I did nothing with it last year - just let it grow. Now I see flower heads developing and fear it may be the wild, self seeding variety. Are my fears justified? If so, should I dig it up before it develops any further???

Was sooo looking forward to making smelly tea this year.

If you don't want it to flower, then just cut them off. You can start making the smelly tea as soon as you have leaves, you don't need to wait.

[ronanm98]

Hi ZAZen999,

Would you know where I could get some of that variety of cuttings that don't self seed?

Thanks Ronan.

[chris]

ebay? A few seed merchants sell it too.

[zazen999]

Hi ZAZen999,

Would you know where I could get some of that variety of cuttings that don't self seed?

Thanks Ronan.

Bocking 14. Ebay as Chris said.

[eospete]

Bought mine from national herb centre at Warrington near Banbury.
They do mail order.
P


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[tumbling tom]

When is the best time to "plant" Comfrey.

Would it be worth me buying cuttings now or in the spring?