[jaykay]

Quite hairy leaves. The flowers on mine are a bit bluer than this.

[Bionic]

Thanks Jaykay. It doesn't even look familiar to me but it is pretty.  When I get my herb patch sorted out I might try to grow some.

Sally

[Mel Rice]

I used to have it back in Yorkshire and it grows well here too....all round my pond. The sheep mow it when in that spot, horse is not that bothered, and of course the bees love it (I dont bother making liquid feed as everything ((well almost)) is planted in 50% muck)

[little blue]

I grow it, and my dad digs up any that spreads at home for us ... the goats love it, the pigs & chickens love it, the bees love it (and I love them) so everyone's a winner!

It also grows "wild" around here, theres a brook quite close that has loads

[Rosemary]

Anyone grow it as an animal feed ie to substitute for other feeds?

[colliewoman]

It dries nicely, so I feed comfrey and nettle hay to the goats and rabbits. Not instead of anything per se but while they are eating that, they aren't eating the bought in stuff

[deepinthewoods]

Anyone grow it as an animal feed ie to substitute for other feeds?

not personally. but i think its covered here iirc


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comfrey-Present-Lawrence-D-Hills/dp/0571246710/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1337198349&sr=1-4

[Rosemary]

I started to read the Lawrence Hills book today - that was what prompted the question 

[deepinthewoods]

its a good book, i think one of my first ever tas posts was the nutrient analysis of comfrey. its amazing stuff, ive had a comfrey addiction for many years.


here.
just for reference:

In his book “Comfrey, Past Present and Future” Hills listed the results of analysis of Comfrey grown at Bocking.

Comparative Nutritional Analysis of comfrey, compost and manure

Material Water % N%  P % K % C:N 
Farm Yard Manure 76.0 0.64 0.23 0.32 14:1
Wilted Russian Comfrey 75.0 0.74 0.24 1.19 9.8:1
Indoor Compost 76.0 0.50 0.27 0.81 10:1

He also made Comfrey juice by using 14lbs of comfrey leaves in a 20 gallon drum. Again the results of the analysis are shown below.

Material DM N P K
Tomorite 0.1410 0.0130 0.0139 0.0093
Comfrey 0.4090 0.0140 0.0340 0.0059

DM – dry matter, N – Nitrogen, P – Potash, K – Phosphorous

[pikilily]

there are numerous studies that demonstrate the negative effects of comfrey - these have been known for decades. for example -

this is an abstract 2010. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews
Volume 13, Issue 7-8, 2010
Special Issue:

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. Comfrey contains as many as 14 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), including 7-acetylintermedine, 7-acetyllycopsamine, echimidine, intermedine, lasiocarpine, lycopsamine, myoscorpine, symlandine, symphytine, and symviridine. The mechanisms underlying comfrey-induced genotoxicity and carcinogenicity are still not fully understood. The available evidence suggests that the active metabolites of PA in comfrey interact with DNA in liver endothelial cells and hepatocytes, resulting in DNA damage, mutation induction, and cancer development. Genotoxicities attributed to comfrey and riddelliine (a representative genotoxic PA and a proven rodent mutagen and carcinogen) are discussed in this review. Both of these compounds induced similar profiles of 6,7-dihydro-7-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-5H-pyrrolizine (DHP)-derived DNA adducts and similar mutation spectra. Further, the two agents share common mechanisms of drug metabolism and carcinogenesis. Overall, comfrey is mutagenic in liver, and PA contained in comfrey appear to be responsible for comfrey-induced toxicity and tumor induction.


However, I think this article gives a balanced - non hysterical overview!!
Emma t x

[Lesley Silvester]

Don't like the sound of that, Emma, but I would still like to grow it.  Not sure if I have enough space though especially if it's going to take over the garden.  I wonder how it would do in pots.  Anyone know?  If anyone near me has some to spare, I would be grateful.  I'm in shropshire.

[Fleecewife]

There is more than one type of comfrey.  The one recommended for garden use is Russian Comfrey, which was trialed by Lawrence Hills at Bocking way back when, and the 14th cultivar in the trial was found to be the highest in nutrients, hence Bocking 14.  The wild British version is much smaller and has light yellow flowers.
I use Bocking 14 here as a liquid feed; a mulch for certain plants; dug in to the planting holes of tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies and potatoes; a dyestuff (I keep trying but without too much success); in compost; I allow sheep to graze it, supposedly in moderation but some Soays have demolished 100 plants and grazed them right out, without any apparent ill effects, but I don't dry it to add to hay yet;  it attracts bees and other beneficial insects in droves; I use hand cream made from it but I don't make that myself.   I am aware of its medicinal properties but have not had cause to use it yet. 
Brilliant stuff 

[Possum]

Hi Pikililli

In experiments about toxicity it is quite common to feed nothing but the substance in question. That way, a sufficent amount is ingested to show up in blood tests. The trouble is, it doesn't replicate the amounts that you would feed an animal in real life. Does the experiment that you have found state how much comfrey was given and what type it  was?

[bigchicken]

I dont know about comfrey but I do like to be comfy   

[pikilily]

I think it was common comfrey, fed to 8% of diet....

It is interesting that comfrey is from the same family as ragwort....and we all *NOW* know to wear gloves when pulling ragwrot.....

at the end of my last post i meant to put a link to this .....

http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/comfrey.html

it makes quite an interesting read and I think a balanced overview of comfrey research.....both scitentific and anecdotal !!!  Make your own minds up :-) 

My horse fractured her skull two and a half weeks ago...we have masses of comfrey round here, I didnt give her any.

Emma T x