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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] What to do when the mulch runs out?
  • Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 23:18:06 -0600


I dug in a layer of manure for three small comfrey plants last fall. Now
they're bushy and passing two feet tall. That's in a permanent bed on the
ground. They'll attract bees as well.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 5/31/2007 at 9:59 PM yarrow@sfo.com wrote:

>In my climate, where it doesn't rain from May to November, more or
>less, comfrey wilts easily in the afternoon sun and needs regular
>water. But it is very easy to propagate -- I potted up some leftover
>tiny rootlets last year, and they have all produced small plants,
>which are waiting for a spot in the garden. I've found comfrey can
>survive in containers for a long time, but it needs a lot more water
>and doesn't get very large unless it can mine the soil. So if your
>comfrey plants get a foot high and stop growing, or never send out
>the taller flowering stalks, then they may not be breaking through
>the rock.
>
>One of my herb books (Bremness) said, "For a higher nutritional
>yield, give each plant a bucketful of crude manure in spring and late
>summer." I had some horse manure handy (not fresh, but not yet
>composted), so I added a bucketful earlier this year, and the
>flowering stalks seem double their normal size. Or it could be that
>the root systems have grown a lot more since last year.
>
>Another good reason to grow comfrey: Hummingbirds have been visiting
>the flowers the past month.
>
>
>
>At 9:12 PM -0600 5/31/07, TradingPostPaul wrote:
>>If weeds grow there, so will comfrey.>
>>
>>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********
>>
>>On 5/31/2007 at 7:09 PM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:
>>
>>>Comfrey is often recommended for the reasons you mention. However, I've
>>>been wondering whether it will perform as desired on my 6" of clay over
>>>500' of limestone. Will Comfrey roots find the cracks in the rock like
>>>natives do? I don't know where you go to learn this kind of stuff.
>
>>>
>>>
>>> > When you don't bring organic matter in, but produce it on site, how
>do
>>>you assure that all the minerals are present and being replenished in
>>>sufficient quantity? Periodic soil tests?
>>> >
>>> > E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Harvey Ussery
>>>
>>> Grow lots of comfrey (and other dynamic accumulators--but comfrey is
>one
>>
>>> of the best). Comfrey's roots grow 8-10 feet into the soil, tapping
>into
>>
>>> reserves of minerals that may not even be present in the top of the
>soil
>>
>>> profile, and making those minerals available to more shallow-rooted
>>>plants.
>>>
>>> I am propagating comfrey to the maximum I have the time to do so
(it's
>>> extremely easy to propagate)--I have far more of it now than a couple
>of
>>
>>> years ago, when I started the big push to fit it in along the
borders,
>>> under fruit and nut trees, out on the poultry pasture (where the
birds
>>> can self-harvest it), in every nook and cranny. A couple of days ago
I
>>> harvested a dozen wheelbarrow loads or more to mulch my potatoes.
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