g'day kjs,

plant out of the road of where you want other plants, once planted they can be hard to get rid of, and get quiet large in clump size, i plant mine around the bases of fruit trees.

when comes time to harvest just cut all leaves off at near ground level they will spring back.

len

mail len

lens garden page

Comfrey will grow in full sun or partial shade. It prefers moist soil, and is not suitable for growing indoors. Soil should be rich in nitrogen and have a pH 7.1. If allowed to dry out, the leaves will die very quickly. Grows to about 1.5 metres tall, and about 1 metre wide, and the leaves get very large, about 60cm. Flower stems can reach a metre high. Best to remove them.

It has a very long tap root, a metre or more deep. Make sure you plant it exactly where you want it, because if you try to dig it up, and break off any pieces of root, you'll get new plants, and this way it can easily become invasive. Even the tiniest pieces will grow into new plants. If you plant it in full sun, it can dry out very quickly, and once the leaves begin to turn brown, that's it, they'll die. But not the plant itself, because it's as tough as old nails. I find it needs a LOT of water. The leaves make a great mulch, add nutrients to a compost heap and hasten the breakdown of the heap, and a tea made from the leaves is an excellent fertiliser when used as a spray. Use gloves when cutting the leaves - they are covered with 'hairs' which can get quite spiky and can penetrate the skin.

Hi :)
I know this is an old thread but I'm trying to get hold of some comfrey and wondered if anyone knew where I could find some in Perth? It's a hard one to get hold of!

Thanks :)