[langdon]

what livestock are able to eat this plant?
we have pigs and goats
langdon

[Roxy]

Comfrey is a herb - has some great uses.  My uncle had some in the garden, but I have never found it yet, and wish I could!!

I assume you have some, Langdon, and know its definitely comfrey .....of course you do, you have a degree in gardening didn't you say?  So thats ok.  Anyway, pigs love comfrey, and its safe to feed to other animals too, and hens.  Not sure if the goats will have it, but try them and see.  Never given it mine, cos as I said, cannot find any here.

[RUSTYME]

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=comfrey&search_in_description=0

they sell comfrey root at the above link , although they seem to be out of stock at the moment .
Only buy Bocking 14 though . Normal comfrey will spread by seed EVERYWHERE !!! be warned !!! , but Bocking 14 is sterile and can only be propagated by root cuttings.
 Most animals will eat comfrey without any problems , but some may want it wilted for a while first , as it has itchy hairs on the stem etc which can irritate . Once wilted though the hairs lose the itch . It is an excellent , high protein feed , that produces huge amounts . 

cheers

Russ

[Rosemary]

Our hens love it. We have a bed ostensibly for fertilizer but we have to net it or the hens eat t as itcomes through the ground. The bees also love the flowers. Marvellous stuff - going to have a BIG bed at Dalmore.

[Wizard]

I don't know what happened to it Langdon There used to be several fields of it round about but it was replaced by Borage but that seems to have gone now the only purple fields here were Linseed last season There may have been some in the valleys where I couldn't see it from the road.We are looking forward to having a visit to some of our farming friends.If I go to Wold Newton and see Eddie Dale I will ask him whats become of it They grew several fields of Borage 3 or 4 seasons ago It may well be one doesn't want to grow it to often We will see Ed is sure to tell me if I ask.

[Hellybee]

Otherwise  known as knitbone this grat herb is brill also for helping with injury, we have used it with the ponies to make tea, poltices and it can also go in the food, brill stuff i used tofind it on the railway cutting by our old field, RUsty I will be looking at that webby by the way , been wanting to get some planted up down here

Hello Langdon by the way 

[little blue]

our goats LOVE comfrey,  as do the chickens and pigs.
I always think it must be full of vitamins as its so green.... just remember to wear gloves when you pick it!

[langdon]

dont have any any myself!
but am going to try to get me hands on seeds or something.
wont they sell seeds in a garden center?

[Roxy]

I  can't say I have seen any comfrey in our local garden centres - I would have had some, either plant or seeds!!  Places which sell herbs are probably a good bet........we will all be out looking for comfrey now in the shops, and cause a shortage!!

[Wizard]

Thompson and Morgan do sell comfrey seed at £2:19p a packet +p&p I don't know if it is Russian or not.Remember it can spread like Twitch and takes a lot of getting rid of

[langdon]

where the heck have you been lately!!!!

[ballingall]

Our goats like comfrey, and I can't get rid of the stuff I have here. I may just give up and let the veggie garden over to it because I have tried digging it out to no avail.

The goats do like to eat it though, and I have a recipe for Comfrey ointment, which I will try soon.


Beth

[doganjo]

If you want to grow comfret why not do teh same as other invasive plants like mint and put them in a pot?

[RUSTYME]

if you want comfrey , but don't want it to invade every inch of your plot ....grow the variety bocking 14 ....it is sterile and can not spread by seed as it's seeds aren't viable  . It can only spread or be propagated by root cutting .
If you grow most of the other varieties then they can sow your plot with thousands of seeds , nearly all of which seem to germinate.
Bocking 14 can be grown without any fear of spread , in a bed of it's own . If you want to move it at any time in the future , when you dig it up , you will almost certainly leave small sections of root in the soil . These WILL grow into plants and will have to be dug up . Do NOT  just lift with a fork and pull  !!!! loads of little bits may get broken off . Dig up carefully and remove to where you want them .
A bed like this can be cleared over a few weeks , as any new plants pop up just dig them up . 'Normal' comfrey can take years to clear from an area. However if you have pigs and can allow them onto the area , they will clear just about all of it in a season.
 So remember , if you don't want comfrey everywhere  , plant BOCKING 14 !!! not ANY OTHER VARIETY !!!

cheers

Russ

[langdon]

good thinking