Growing An Herb Called Comfrey

[bubbaba]

Has anyone on this forum seen or grown comfrey in Thailand? Does anyone know where to get seeds, cuttings, or plants of this herb in Thailand? Does anyone on here or their mate know the Thai name for comfrey?

Making liquid fertilizer from this herb is as good or better then using a liquid fertilizer made from fish. I first learned about it from Organic Gardening Magazine in USA, in the 70's. I have made it, used it, and it is great. Also cheap and not harmful to the soil.

[drtreelove]

I've grown it in Chiang Mai, it grows really well here, probably grows well anywhere. My first plants were given to me by a friend, so never had to purchase, and I've not seen it for sale at the plant markets. I don't know the Thai name, I'm not sure if there is one; every Thai gardener/farmer that saw my plants had never seen it before and didn't know what it was.

I'll look up my friend and ask him where he got it. I've moved and neglected to take some comfrey with me, so don't have any to offer you. Once you have a plant it grows fast and you can propagate easily from divided plants/root cuttings.

I don't know about comparing it to fish emulsion fertilizer, but it's a great herb, compost material and animal feed. Chickens love it and it enriches their eggs, but you have to grow under wire so they can only pick at the leaves and not scratch the plants out of the ground. As an herb it is well known for accelerating the healing of broken bones and wounds; one common name for the herb is "bone-knit". You can make a poltice for skin applications, or make an infusion from the dried leaves and roots.

[wagner54]

Has anyone on this forum seen or grown comfrey in Thailand? Does anyone know where to get seeds, cuttings, or plants of this herb in Thailand? Does anyone on here or their mate know the Thai name for comfrey?

Making liquid fertilizer from this herb is as good or better then using a liquid fertilizer made from fish. I first learned about it from Organic Gardening Magazine in USA, in the 70's. I have made it, used it, and it is great. Also cheap and not harmful to the soil.

Hi Bubbuba

I brought some comfrey roots to my place in Chiang Mai and planted them nov of 2007 with plans of moving them to my farm in Ubon this past Dec, unfortunately I ran out of time and couldn't make it back to Ubon but will get it moved this coming nov for sure. They appear healthy but the plants are not nearly as large in CM as they are here in Alaska where I brought the roots from but am sure it is because of soil fertility. I've never been able to find it in Thailand thats why I brought my own over. Beside being great for fertilizer it is also a good supplement to use in livestock and poultry feeds. Comfrey doesn't set seed at least I'm not aware if it does. I don't know of any sources in LOS for roots at the present time but in a couple of years I should have plenty. Or you might be able to order some roots online.

Cheers

Roger

[euca]

drtreelove: curiously, I know it the other way round - 'knitbone'. Apparently been in use for fractures for aeons. Had some in London, good ground cover plant and an attractive tight growth pattern. When I gripped a leaf I could feel a numbing effect in the finger and thumb for some time after. Did you notice the same? [Ajuga reptans, toadflax, does the same but less so]. Definitely has a medicinal, and probably a poison value depending on how it's administered. Didn't know it was good for fertiliser.

Wagner54: thanks for the extra info. Could be smaller 'cos of soil and possibly they like it cooler(???) Will ask you for a cutting some time in the future if I may. I'm always looking for organic fertilisers, mainly because I don't want to pay inflated prices for something that works for less than a month [chemical fertilisers] when I can use dung which does as well for three years. Thought, would guess it needs to be well composted before use else it would propogate all over the place when spread as fertiliser(???)

[wagner54]

drtreelove: curiously, I know it the other way round - 'knitbone'. Apparently been in use for fractures for aeons. Had some in London, good ground cover plant and an attractive tight growth pattern. When I gripped a leaf I could feel a numbing effect in the finger and thumb for some time after. Did you notice the same? [Ajuga reptans, toadflax, does the same but less so]. Definitely has a medicinal, and probably a poison value depending on how it's administered. Didn't know it was good for fertiliser.

Wagner54: thanks for the extra info. Could be smaller 'cos of soil and possibly they like it cooler(???) Will ask you for a cutting some time in the future if I may. I'm always looking for organic fertilisers, mainly because I don't want to pay inflated prices for something that works for less than a month [chemical fertilisers] when I can use dung which does as well for three years. Thought, would guess it needs to be well composted before use else it would propogate all over the place when spread as fertiliser(???)

Euca

Not a problem to get a few cuttings, like I said before in a couple a years I will have plenty of them. And your spot on about composting it first because in the the fresh form you would have comfrey plants coming up everywhere that you tilled it in.

[ForestGardener]

drtreelove: curiously, I know it the other way round - 'knitbone'. Apparently been in use for fractures for aeons. Had some in London, good ground cover plant and an attractive tight growth pattern. When I gripped a leaf I could feel a numbing effect in the finger and thumb for some time after. Did you notice the same? [Ajuga reptans, toadflax, does the same but less so]. Definitely has a medicinal, and probably a poison value depending on how it's administered. Didn't know it was good for fertiliser.

Wagner54: thanks for the extra info. Could be smaller 'cos of soil and possibly they like it cooler(???) Will ask you for a cutting some time in the future if I may. I'm always looking for organic fertilisers, mainly because I don't want to pay inflated prices for something that works for less than a month [chemical fertilisers] when I can use dung which does as well for three years. Thought, would guess it needs to be well composted before use else it would propogate all over the place when spread as fertiliser(???)

Euca

Not a problem to get a few cuttings, like I said before in a couple a years I will have plenty of them. And your spot on about composting it first because in the the fresh form you would have comfrey plants coming up everywhere that you tilled it in.

Hi Wagner54

Can i ask what kind of Comfrey you have? What i understand it is extremely invasive. I read that most of people that are into permaculture use

Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum)"bocking 14" because it´s sterile.

Edited January 13, 2009 by ForestGardener

[loong]

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/seeds1/product/214/1.html

Seeds can be ordered online, if this is what you are looking for. I have ordered seeds from this company a few times and never had a problem.

Thanks for reminding me about Comfrey, I'd been intending to get some and will put an order in soon.

[bubbaba]

drtreelove: curiously, I know it the other way round - 'knitbone'. Apparently been in use for fractures for aeons. Had some in London, good ground cover plant and an attractive tight growth pattern. When I gripped a leaf I could feel a numbing effect in the finger and thumb for some time after. Did you notice the same? [Ajuga reptans, toadflax, does the same but less so]. Definitely has a medicinal, and probably a poison value depending on how it's administered. Didn't know it was good for fertiliser.

Wagner54: thanks for the extra info. Could be smaller 'cos of soil and possibly they like it cooler(???) Will ask you for a cutting some time in the future if I may. I'm always looking for organic fertilisers, mainly because I don't want to pay inflated prices for something that works for less than a month [chemical fertilisers] when I can use dung which does as well for three years. Thought, would guess it needs to be well composted before use else it would propogate all over the place when spread as fertiliser(???)

Using comfrey for fertiliser: Pack a 5 gallon bucket with green leaves about 1/3 full. Then fill with water and cover. Stir it every day for a week to ten days. Now mix the concentrate with water and apply to plants. Mix 1 part of concentrate to approximately 10 parts water for mild. I used one part concentrate to 3-5 parts water. I have only used it outside, not on house plants in the house. The reason I said that is, when you are making the concentrate during the one week to ten day period it stinks STINKS STINKS. If you have ever cleaned a septic tank then you know what I mean. You keep it covered to prevent evaporation and I am sure partly because of the smell. That's the only downside of comfrey other then the medical cautions that if you eat/consume much it may cause cancer. Not proven but suspect. I have never eaten any. Used on wounds it is the best for healing. Ground cover is new to me but I will for sure try it. I like the dark green shade of leaves. I also raised a pig by the organic method once. Comfrey greens was the main food and the pig was nice and lean and tasted great. Other part of the pigs food was all garden scrapes and soy milk. I like trying new ways, especially organic. And, but, animal pooh is still the best all around organic fertiliser, period.

[loong]

That link I gave earlier will take you to the UK catalogue of Thomson and Morgan - this one wuill take you to the worldwide one.....

http://www.tandmworldwide.com/seeds1/product/214/2

I've just ordered some seeds and then found that I was in the wrong area, so had to reorder.

[drtreelove]

euca; you're probably right about knitbone, I may have it turned around; sounds better anyway. I know of no poisonous properties in comfrey; I've used it quite a bit; came off my mt-bike last year and got busted up a little and used comfrey to help the healing; ate it, juiced it, infused it, decocted it, took capsules from the root powder, crushed the fresh leaves and made poltices. It does have a fuzzy, irritating leaf surface. I've noticed a numbing effect, but I thought that was from the vicodin.

The cut leaves will not propogate, composted or not, only pieces of the roots or the seeds.

[wagner54]

drtreelove: curiously, I know it the other way round - 'knitbone'. Apparently been in use for fractures for aeons. Had some in London, good ground cover plant and an attractive tight growth pattern. When I gripped a leaf I could feel a numbing effect in the finger and thumb for some time after. Did you notice the same? [Ajuga reptans, toadflax, does the same but less so]. Definitely has a medicinal, and probably a poison value depending on how it's administered. Didn't know it was good for fertiliser.

Wagner54: thanks for the extra info. Could be smaller 'cos of soil and possibly they like it cooler(???) Will ask you for a cutting some time in the future if I may. I'm always looking for organic fertilisers, mainly because I don't want to pay inflated prices for something that works for less than a month [chemical fertilisers] when I can use dung which does as well for three years. Thought, would guess it needs to be well composted before use else it would propogate all over the place when spread as fertiliser(???)

Euca

Not a problem to get a few cuttings, like I said before in a couple a years I will have plenty of them. And your spot on about composting it first because in the the fresh form you would have comfrey plants coming up everywhere that you tilled it in.

Hi Wagner54

Can i ask what kind of Comfrey you have? What i understand it is extremely invasive. I read that most of people that are into permaculture use

Russian Comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum)"bocking 14" because it´s sterile.

FG

I have had this strain of comfrey for about 10 years now and if I remember right they are symphytum uplandicum bocking 14, it has been so long since I purchased them that I could be wrong. My plants always have loads of flowers but have never set seed so I assume they are sterile. As far as being invasive they definately are, new plants will spring up from the smallest section of root so I wouldn't want them as a row in my garden where you are tillling the soil or they would surely take over in a matter of time. I have mine in a bed by themselves and they have stayed right where I planted them.

[steve28]

Has anyone on this forum seen or grown comfrey in Thailand? Does anyone know where to get seeds, cuttings, or plants of this herb in Thailand? Does anyone on here or their mate know the Thai name for comfrey?

Making liquid fertilizer from this herb is as good or better then using a liquid fertilizer made from fish. I first learned about it from Organic Gardening Magazine in USA, in the 70's. I have made it, used it, and it is great. Also cheap and not harmful to the soil.

[steve28]

I brought some roots over (bocking 14) unfortunately living in the south (Phuket) they never rooted properly, i think the soil temperture to hot.

Comfrey, if you want any info contact the "Henry Doubleday Assosiation" the organic growing club in the UK. Named Henry Doubleday after an 18th century Quaker who devoted his life to growing and experimenting with different strains of Comfrey, Unfortunately when he died the family dumped most of his work, only when someone found what was left and realized the extent of the information lost, the Henry double day assosiation was formed so work done on the miracle plant would never again be lost.

[jandtaa]

great plant !! good to know people are trying it in thailand anyone thougt of bringing nettle roots ?? check out the newly pinned organic farming topic, input most welcome !!

CHEERS jandtaa

[jay-uk]

I read with interest everyone's comments on comfrey and remember this herb from my parents farm during the 80's. they would feed chickens and horses back then. My in-laws are in Ubon and i want to introduce them to this herb for the few cows and chicken they have as a fodder to help reduce feeding costs and maybe grow later on a larger scale. If anyone is kind enough to give some roots to start this off as a trial it would be much appreciated. Also has anyone thought of commercially growing for animal or fish pellets?

Thank you

[jay-uk]

the Russian comfrey blocked type would be great if anyone has it. Thanks.

[loong]

I brought some seeds from the UK a few years back, but they failed to germinate.

I'm in the UK now, so maybe will get some more seed and try again in the cooler season