Can comfrey be grown from seed?
How to Grow Comfrey. Comfrey benefits from stratification prior to sowing. To do this, mix seeds with peat moss in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for 20-60 days. If starting indoors for a jump on the growing season, sow seeds into trays or small pots filled with a seed starter mix. Germination and Transplanting: Comfrey seeds typically take up to 30 days to germinate, depending on temperature and stratification success. Once the seedlings have developed a few sets of true leaves and are large enough to handle, they can be transplanted into the garden.In the wild, common comfrey thrives in moist, fertile, deep soil in a sunny position or in partial shade. It grows best in neutral to slightly acid soils.Comfrey can also be grown indoors, in pots (1 to 5 gallon size) for a continuous harvest of fresh, small leaves. For this purpose best results are obtained by planting two-year or 3-to-4-year plants in the larger pots or 5- gallon buckets.Another interesting trait of comfrey is that in addition to producing vitamin C and all of the other plant based vitamins, it is the only land-based plant that produces vitamin B-12.
Is it hard to grow comfrey?
Comfrey is highly adaptive to a variety of growing conditions and requires very little maintenance. Here are the main care requirements for growing comfrey: Plant it in a location with full sun or partial shade with good drainage. Comfrey is very easy to grow and harvest, producing large quantities of leaves that are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – all nutrients needed by growing plants.Common comfrey is a hairy plant of damp ground and is found beside rivers, in fens and ditches, and on roadside verges and waste ground. It often grows in clumps and displays clusters of bell-shaped, pinky-purple flowers from May to July.Comfrey grows best in partial to full sun in moist, fertile soil. Comfrey is propagated by root cuttings or crown divisions. Comfrey can be planted throughout the growing season but establishes best when planted in the spring. Maintain moderate soil moisture, especially when plants are young.How to harvest comfrey. Use secateurs or hand shears to cut stems close to the base of the plant – a height of about 2 inches above the soil level is usually safe, making sure you do not damage new shoots.
What is comfrey best for?
Comfrey has long been used as an herbal remedy and is often referred to as “knit bone” It has been used to treat a variety of ailments including acne, bone breaks, sprains, burns, and bronchial problems. Part of what makes comfrey so helpful is its high content of vitamin A and calcium. Considerable concern is mounting over the use of comfrey leaves (Symphytum officinale) in the United States, and they have been banned in Canada and Germany. The leaves have been used in teas, salads, and poultices. The use of comfrey has been associated with venoocclusive disease and hepatotoxicity.Comfrey is not recommended for internal use because of the liver damage caused by its pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Patients with hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to the plant should also avoid external use. Definitely do not use during pregnancy or nursing, with infants, and if you have liver or kidney disease.Comfrey has been consumed by humans as a vegetable and a tea and used as an herbal medicine for more than 2000 years. Comfrey, however, produces hepatotoxicity in livestock and humans and carcinogenicity in experimental animals.Symphytum officinale L. Boraginaceae), commonly known as Comfrey, is a medicinal plant and has been reported to have properties to heal blunt injuries, bruises, fractures, dislocated joints, damaged muscles and tendons, heal ulcers, etc.
Can humans eat comfrey?
Comfrey contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids some of which can harm the liver so some foragers no longer consider this a safe plant to eat but we still eat Comfrey fritters from time to time as have many people with no obvious ill effects. Quantity is the key, a little every now and again is not likely to cause any harm. It’s typically only used in small amounts for a very short period. Experts suggest not using comfrey cream for longer than 10 days in a row. Using it no more than four to six weeks a year as a general guideline would be best.Topical creams containing comfrey root extract have most often been applied to the skin by adults for up to 3 weeks. Don’t apply comfrey products to broken skin or use large amounts on the skin, long-term. The poisonous chemicals in comfrey can be absorbed through the skin.Broken or damaged skin: Don’t apply comfrey to broken or damaged skin. Doing so might expose you to large amounts of the chemicals in comfrey that can cause liver damage and other serious health effects. Liver disease: Comfrey might make liver disease worse. Don’t use comfrey if you have any liver problems.
Does comfrey spread easily?
It can propagate itself through it’s roots (which spread by clumping) and also by seed. The uplandicum species also has a variety that doesn’t spread by seed, called Russian comfrey. Image from here. Russian comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) is the most popular type of comfrey for the grower, it’s a hybrid of Symphytum officinale (common comfrey) and Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey).
What are the benefits of comfrey seeds?
Comfrey will put nutrients into the soil, mulch trees, and shrubs, prevent weeds, feed livestock, attract beneficial pollinators, and make quick compost tea. Comfrey seed is by nature a low germination seed. On average expect 25% germination. Comfrey is a perennial herb of wonderful herbal properties… healing not only humans, animals but also mother earth.Comfrey has been cultivated as a green vegetable and has been used as an herbal medicine for more than 2,000 years. Comfrey’s original name, knitbone, derives from the external use of poultices of its leaves and roots to heal burns, sprains, swelling, and bruises.Also, make sure to remove the spent blooms so the plant won’t reseed itself, or select a sterile cultivar such as ‘Bocking 14’ to prevent reseeding. How fast does comfrey grow? Comfrey is a fast grower. Within a few weeks in the spring, it reaches over 12 inches in height.