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My #1 comfrey patch, month by month

 
Gary Numan
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Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
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I have close to 100 comfrey plants (4 and 14 mixed) scattered about, here's the patch with the highest density.

What the patch looked like, on 20 February, 20 March, and 20 April 2022:








20-Feb-copy.jpg
Feb 2022
Feb 2022
20-Mar-copy.jpg
Mar 2022
Mar 2022
20-Apr.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20-Apr.jpg]

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
Gary Numan
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Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
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This is the plants' 3rd Spring.  Their current height is between 20 and 26 inches tall.  I'm going to chop the leaves off ... soon, probably within a couple weeks, and use as mulch around some fruit trees and my tomato starts.

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
Gary Numan
pollinator
Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
81
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12 May, lotsa growth, stems are falling over.  Time for a haircut.






12-May.jpg
[Thumbnail for 12-May.jpg]

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
Trace Oswald
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1452
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The bees love them so much, I do one of two things.  I only chop every other plant so that the bees still have some with flowers, or I step on the big ones and break them off at the ground.  The flowers stay in bloom, but new comfrey starts back from the ground when you break the others.

A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
Redhawk's excellent soil-building series

 
Joshua LeDuc
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I like the method that I learned from Edible Acres, where he stomps over the flowering comfrey, which has 2 benefits.  The extra area of comfrey on the ground increases the rhizome barrier capabilities, and this act also promotes new growth from the middle of the plant.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8EZAw2F2i0

You have to be tough or dumb - and if you're dumb enough, you don't have to be so tough...

 
Trace Oswald
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Joshua LeDuc wrote:I like the method that I learned from Edible Acres, where he stomps over the flowering comfrey, which has 2 benefits.  The extra area of comfrey on the ground increases the rhizome barrier capabilities, and this act also promotes new growth from the middle of the plant.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8EZAw2F2i0



I couldn't remember the name of the channel, but that is  where I learned it as well.

A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
Redhawk's excellent soil-building series

 
Aaron Pate
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Location: Spartanburg, SC USA
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Gary, that's an awesome comfrey patch!

+1 to the Edible Acres recommendation.

Y'all, in ~4 years growing comfrey and letting it flower, I swear I've never seen bees sampling mine. Does anyone else have this observation? We have great bee activity everywhere else. Mostly carpenter bees. I just wonder if a variety can lack the nectar, or scent, to attract or feed pollinators. As far as I know, mine are Bocking 14.
 
Joshua LeDuc
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Aaron Pate wrote:Gary, that's an awesome comfrey patch!

+1 to the Edible Acres recommendation.

Y'all, in ~4 years growing comfrey and letting it flower, I swear I've never seen bees sampling mine. Does anyone else have this observation? We have great bee activity everywhere else. Mostly carpenter bees. I just wonder if a variety can lack the nectar, or scent, to attract or feed pollinators. As far as I know, mine are Bocking 14.



Gary, my Bocking 14 (which I bought from Coe's Comfry btw) is flowering right now, and I have seen a lot of bumblebee activity here in central VA.  Not sure what's going on where you are at.

You have to be tough or dumb - and if you're dumb enough, you don't have to be so tough...

 
Trace Oswald
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posted 3 years ago
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Aaron Pate wrote:Gary, that's an awesome comfrey patch!

+1 to the Edible Acres recommendation.

Y'all, in ~4 years growing comfrey and letting it flower, I swear I've never seen bees sampling mine. Does anyone else have this observation? We have great bee activity everywhere else. Mostly carpenter bees. I just wonder if a variety can lack the nectar, or scent, to attract or feed pollinators. As far as I know, mine are Bocking 14.



I have Bocking 14 and the bumblebees can't stay away from it.  I have big patches that I never chop just for the bees.

A build too cool to miss:Mike's GreenhouseA great example:Joseph's Garden
All the soil info you'll ever need:
Redhawk's excellent soil-building series

 
Gary Numan
pollinator
Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
81
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posted 3 years ago
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The bumblebees here (central VA between Charlottesville and Richmond) definitely like the comfrey flowers.


In other news, 15 May.  Thwack!  The Nejiri Gama doesn't disappoint:

15-May.jpg
[Thumbnail for 15-May.jpg]

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
Gary Numan
pollinator
Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
81
I like...
trees chicken food preservation bee solar composting
posted 3 years ago
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Six days after I hacked away at four comfreys, they're coming back.  4-6 inches of new growth.


21-May.jpg
[Thumbnail for 21-May.jpg]

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
Gary Numan
pollinator
Posts: 263
Location: Central Virginia, Zone 7.
81
I like...
trees chicken food preservation bee solar composting
posted 3 years ago
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11 June.  Less than a month since I cut the front four comfreys.  They're all over 2 feet tall now.  The three I didn't cut, the upper left ones, are >4 feet tall but flopping and falling all about.


11-June.jpg
[Thumbnail for 11-June.jpg]

Determining the difference between Bockings 4 and 14 is done by consensus. It's like trying to identify the difference between twins.

"There are other spots on the web to get my fix proving someone is an idiot but no other place for what I get here." -- former permie Brice Moss, 2012.

 
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