Observations on comfrey roots vs crowns

Last year I planted out 15-20 plants / roots. I think 3 were large crowns, 3 small crowns and the rest roots. The large crowns grew fairly big as I was expecting based on seller information. This year the roots are the same size as crowns. Actually the small crowns are the smallest by half at current growth. Roots got no fertile hole just dug in and planted.

Texas summer hit the crowns hard and I had to make a little shade structure over the crown plantings. The root ones were fine though they were smaller so that could be why. Time will tell if that’s the same this year as it’s not hot yet.

All are irrigated by drip at the same time. Mulched equally etc.

Have you had better performance out of roots vs crowns?

Hi Joe,

I have 6 comfrey plants, all of them were technically crowns, but really they were just slightly larger than average pieces of roots.  During the first summer, mine did not exactly grow like gangbusters as has been mentioned by many.  In fact, mine barely grew at all.  I had a couple die as that summer we got something like 8" of rain in 3 days during an already wet spring.  Basically, the initial root sections rotted before they could get established.

But once they got established, they did indeed grow like gangbusters--until last summer.

Last summer was something of a drought summer for us.  It was not the worst drought we have had, but it was definitely very hot and dry.  My comfrey did not do well at all and this is after being very well established.  Two plants failed to show any visible growth at all, though I was so busy last summer that I barely had the chance to look.  I assume that the roots are doing just fine underground and that they will show their heads again later this spring/early summer.

As per your question, my opinion is that the larger the piece of root/crown you plant, the easier the new plant will get established.  Once established, it loves nitrogen (mine love urine) and after a couple of seasons, I doubt that you will be able to tell which plants grew from large crown sections and which ones grew from little pieces of root cuttings.

Does any of this help?

Eric

All experiences of others I always appreciate. Even if climates are different I am able to better understand xyz… so I’m always grateful when others post how things go for them.

Joe, a few of us in hotter/dryer places have had a dickens of a time growing comfrey. It's hard to find here and I haven't tried to divide it (every time I try to divide something rare here like asparagus or rhubarb, everything dies, so I haven't tried with the comfrey), but even coming from starts it took me YEARS to get comfrey going. I know another one of our staff here in my same zone (9b) has had similar challenges.
Keep on trying, I'm sure drip irrigation and shade will help!

I have a small comfrey crown in container over the winter, along with my other indoor plants by a sunny sliding glass door. And comfrey is always the first one to wilt despite the moist soil and cachepot.  I am wondering if comfrey can't tolerate warm soil temperature in the root zone. Young crown has mostly shallow fibrous roots and thus more sensitive. Maybe when the roots get warm they lose the ability to absorb water too? And that the established plants or those grown from root cuttings fair better because the deep roots stay cooler to be functional?