Comfrey....yes or no?

[Dawn419]

I have 3 small clumps of Comfrey. Planted it in the fall of 2009 and it hasn't spread much, if at all.

The guineas love picking at the leaves so I've put a bit of chicken wire around it to keep them from eating it to the ground on me. The chickens don't seem interested in it at all...they'd rather eat my regular and garlic chives.

I recently came across a recipe for Comfrey Ointment that I can't wait to try. I just need to find bees wax.

I also use the leaves in the compost pile and when I make weed tea fertilizer ( fill a 5 gallon bucket about 1/2 full of weeds, top off with water, cover with cloth "lid" to keep mosquitoes out and let it sit in the sun for a few days, until it goes to stinking. I usually use the tea without diluting it).

When I am finished with the liquid from the weed tea, I just add more weeds and comfrey to the old stuff and brew another bucket full. At the end of the season, I add the "tea leaves" to the compost pile or tumbler or just spread them on the garden and cover them with leaf mulch to compost right into the soil.


Dawn

 

[Wifezilla]

I've read up on it a bit and it seems to me the bad rap is a bit undeserved. No I don't have personal experience with it yet, but I am looking to get some. Even if I never use it myself, I think it's value as a high protein animal feed and compost aid make it worth growing.

 

[Kala]

i'm a yes!

harvey over at the modern homestead convinced me - for the flocks:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Growing-Poultry-Feeds-1.html

i dunno about as an herbal treatment. no help there - sorry!

great article/site! very informative.

 

[gettinaclue]

I did some reading up on comfrey and there are different kinds I've zeroed in on. Bockings 4 and 14 seem to be the ones I'd go for. One doesn't spread, the other does, one is best for poultry food, one is best for the compost pile (I can't remember off the top of my head which is which).

I keep trying to get my hands on it, but I'm usually out of money and can't pay for it when the opportunity arises LOL.

I saw some cut up, dehydrated roots in the health food store when I went last and thought about just picking some up and rehydrating it and seeing if I could get it to grow - but again - I was to broke to buy it LOL.

Also, there is something in it that will damage the liver and cause death....but that is if you over use it. It's just like Tylenol or anything else really...over use will hurt you - just like lwheelr said.

There's lots of good stuff in comfrey. I say get it if you can get your hands on it. Just be forewarned that it can be hard to get rid of so plant it where you will always want it. Don't plant it and plan to move it.

If you have the type that doesn't spread, you can dig up some roots and it will get larger that way - by root division.

Please remember - all of this is academic - I don't have any comfrey. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Lady Henevere]

There is lots of info about garden uses for comfrey here.

 

[dragonlaurel]

I used it in salves with great results. Wonderful stuff for occasional, external use.
Uncle Sam says no using it internally because of the risk to the liver. Using too much- or for an extended period is when you get trouble.

 

[Wifezilla]

Wasn't that advice based on testing isolated compounds rather than whole comfrey? Harley a fair test of the plant.

 

[gettinaclue]

Wasn't that advice based on testing isolated compounds rather than whole comfrey? Harley a fair test of the plant.

I believed I read that somewhere, but I have been unable to find the test.

 

[Sunny]

Comfrey is said to cause liver damage. But so is every chemical drug on the market. They all damage your liver. I dont know. I think I would rather use a natural source than a chemical one. Look at all the drug recalls..

And uncle sam says its bad.. But can that be trusted. Cause uncle sam says that lots of things are good for us that are not. And uncle sam doesnt want compatition, cause natural herbs are cheaper than drug companys chemical medicines.

Thats my view on it..

I just recently got me some comfrey. Im going to use it on my bad knee. It was injured years ago, they said it needed surgery, but the insurance company declined to pay for it. So Im going to see if this helps my knee. Maybe it will fix it enough to where it doesnt hurt constantly..

 

[Lesa]

I ran across a small plant, at our local flower show. I planted it under one of my new apple trees. They claim, since the comfrey root is so long- it bring nutrients to the surface, so that the apple tree can make use of them...Also, the as the leaves die- they make excellent compost under the tree. It has only been in the ground for about a week- but the plant looks healthy, so far.