Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I believe, not
enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops sufficiently.

Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has suggested
comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some advice (ie can
comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives would you suggest?)

If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil at the
end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next spring?

TIA.

--
CM

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

In message ,
Computerman writes
I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I believe, not
enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops sufficiently.

Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has suggested
comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some advice (ie can
comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives would you suggest?)

If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil at the
end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next spring?


Each piece of Comfrey root would grow into a new plant - & it's
perennial.

For more information on Comfrey see
http://www.futurefoods.com/comfrey.html


See http://www.hdra.org.uk/grn_mans.htm for alternative green manures.

--
dave @ stejonda

?why do Americans chatter during London West End Theatre?

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

dave @ stejonda wrote:

In message ,
Computerman writes
I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I believe, not
enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops sufficiently.

Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has suggested
comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some advice (ie can
comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives would you suggest?)

If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil at the
end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next spring?


Each piece of Comfrey root would grow into a new plant - & it's
perennial.

For more information on Comfrey see
http://www.futurefoods.com/comfrey.html


See http://www.hdra.org.uk/grn_mans.htm for alternative green manures.


As you will read from above sources.. comfrey is not normally grown as a
cover crop (also known as 'green manure' aka your 'green fertilisr') It
is however used to make liquid feeds or can be cut and used as a mulch..
The main thing is not to allow it to seed.. Russian comfrey and the
hybrid 'Bocking 14' are much less prone to seeding than 'English'
comfrey.

FOr the purpose of harvesting it is normal to grow a number of plants in
[permanent positions, given their propensity to grow from pieces of root
I would NOT recommend rotovating across whole plants.. Though you could
rotovate cut foiliage into a piece of ground.

//
Jim

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

In message 1fuhtby.1naszblxtqt1mN%00senetnospam@macunlimited .net, Jim
W writes

Russian comfrey and the
hybrid 'Bocking 14' are much less prone to seeding than 'English'
comfrey.

Indeed my patch of Bocking 14, that began as some root sent from the
HDRA in the days of Lawrence Hills, is very self-contained.

--
dave @ stejonda

?why do Americans chatter during live theatre?

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

Don't grow comfrey-I had an allotment which was once an old comfrey
field-grown by my farmer friend as a treatment for psoriasis. It can be a
dominating weed and grows from fragments of root, leaf cuttings and seed.
Rotavating only spreads it.
Regards
David T
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Try http://www.greenchronicle.com/garden...frey_herb.htm.
Comfrey grows as a weed in our garden and is very difficult to erdicate
because of the deep tap roots.
Think of a thistle or dandelion but with much more attractive foliage.
So - sounds good, but be prepared for it to come back every year from deep
tap roots.

"Computerman" wrote in message
. 13.2...
I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I believe,
not
enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops sufficiently.

Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has suggested
comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some advice (ie
can
comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives would you suggest?)

If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil at
the
end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next spring?

TIA.

--
CM

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

Hi,

I recently bought Russian Comfrey (said to be non invasive) from Barwinock
Herbs. Online, but I don't have the address.

H Fear

"Computerman" wrote in message
. 13.2...
I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I believe,
not
enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops sufficiently.

------cut-------

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

Computerman wrote in
. 13.2:

I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through, I
believe, not enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate crops
sufficiently.

Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has
suggested comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some
advice (ie can comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives
would you suggest?)

If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil
at the end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next
spring?

TIA.


My sincere thanks to all who replied to this thread.

Something like Winter Tares looks like being a far better option.

--
CM

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

In article ,
Computerman writes:
| I have a small veg patch (48 sq ft) that is "tired" through,
| I believe, not enough variety of crop, plus failure to rotate
| crops sufficiently.

At that area, it is very likely. One year will not help much with
any build-up of pests, though.

| Someone has suggested a year under a green fertilizer and has suggested
| comfrey. I know nothing about this and would welcome some advice (ie can
| comfrey be used for this? If not, what alternatives would you suggest?)

Frankly, why not buy 4 bags of muck?

| If this is a workable solution, can I rotovate comfrey into the soil at the
| end of the season so that the garden is ready for veg next spring?

Hang on. This is 8'x6', right? And you ROTOVATE it?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

In article ,
Computerman wrote:

1. Size units should have been in sq yards, not sq feet. My apologies.

Ah. That makes more sense! It is still too small to get much benefit
against pests by crop rotation.

2. Have tried dung. Last twice it was too fresh and was more straw than
anything else. Because of that it also introduced weeds. I don't have
the room to store it and rot it down at the plot.

May I suggest getting hold of some plastic bags that are used to sell
sand, fertiliser etc. in? If you put manure in those, puncture them
for some drainage, and leave it for a bit, it will heat up enough to
destroy most seeds. And they stop it taking up much space, though
you would have to get help for stacking them.

3. Ever since I broke my back 7 years ago, digging the plot has become
something of a problem.

My sympathies. You can see why I was baffled about 6'x8', though!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Comfrey as a Green Fertilizer?
 

The message
from "pronoun" contains these words:

I recently bought Russian Comfrey (said to be non invasive) from Barwinock
Herbs. Online, but I don't have the address.

It's propagated from root cuttings. So it's not a good idea to
rotovate even the sterile, non-creeping kinds of comfrey into the soil
unless you're planning a really large plantation of it ;-)

Janet.