Comfrey #4 and #14 plants grow to the same size. Comfrey – Russian Bocking 14 is one of the most useful plants for your garden and property. See more ideas about comfrey, plants, comfrey plant. Even though this plant contains poisonous chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), some people use the leaf, root, and root-like stem (rhizome) to make medicine. 4 – 9 ht. The beauty of it is that Bocking 14 Russian Comfrey is sterile. Blocking 14 is sterile and does not produce seeds. A member of the Borage family, Comfrey – Symphytum spp. Sterile varieties are often preferred as they do not go to seed and thus spread. 'Bocking 14' will flower and provide nectar and pollen but will not produce viable seed. About Comfrey. 1: Grow True Comfrey for Medicine. Comfrey is a plant. The Bocking 14 cultivar of Russian Comfrey is a variety that can only be propagated from root, not from seed. Twenty litres per m2 per week of drought should be more than adequate. Comfrey is a dynamic accumulator of nutrients, most notably iron, silicon, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and many trace minerals. $15 for one root cutting of Russian Comfrey Bocking #14. It is my favorite plant in the garden. These roots bring nutrients from the subsoil up into the plant, improving the surrounding soil. To propagate it root cuttings, and crowns are taken. The point being it won't take over your pasture/farm/fields over time all on it's own as common comfrey will. 3′ ‘Bocking 14’ strain. This is the perfect permaculture plant – improving the soil dramatically where it grows. If you don’t want your patch to spread too quickly, try the aforementioned “Bocking 14” variety. Comfrey enriches soil, is a staple of any active compost bin and makes a powerful liquid feed. For compost/tea production, the B-14 … This removes the crown, which can then be split into pieces. Comfrey, Symphytum, is a perennial herb that grows leaves two to three feet tall and has bell shaped flowers. In the 1950s the organic pioneer Lawrence Hills (founder of the organization now known as Garden Organic) developed a strain of Russian comfrey named Blocking 14 which is sterile and will therefore not seed itself all around the garden. Propagating Comfrey. Bocking-14 comfrey is the most desirable cultivar for making a tea to fertilize your garden with an NPK ratio 1.8 / 0.5 /5.3. We do not sell the Bocking #14 strain of Comfrey as “it is shallow rooted and subject to drought,” and “it is disliked by rabbits and chickens — as being too bitter” according to Lawrence D. Hills, the world’s foremost expert on Comfrey. Comfrey also has great medicinal purposes as well. Part 1. This variety has high levels of allantoin (for healing) and high levels of Potassium which makes it less palatable. I’m propagating Bocking 4 and 14, which are the kinds that do not propagate via seen and have to be propagated via root cuttings. Our bocking 14 comfrey plants are organically grown from root cuttings on our own small farm. The gardener can produce "offsets" from mature, strongly growing plants by driving a spade horizontally through the leaf clumps about 7 cm (2.8 in) below the soil surface. Variety: Bocking 14. . The nutrients are then brought up to the top and stored in the leaves. It’s a true wonder-plant, a great attractor for pollinators including bumble bees, and has many uses for improving soil fertility and structure, and as a feed for plants. Comfrey is a dynamic accumulator meaning that it mines and collects a number of nutrients that other plants can’t get to. An alternative is to just purchase a comfrey plant from a nursery. Plant Comfrey in “fertile holes” to get established and it will thrive and live even through the hottest Summer or coldest Winter. Comfrey has a wide range of uses including being a natural healer through to being a marvelous fertilizer. Introduction to Comfrey . COMFREY BOCKING 14: Symphytum x uplandicum: Member $7.95 Non-Member $9.95. You will find comfrey a very fun, useful, extremely easy-to-grow, long-lived and hardy plant for your orchard and garden. The Bocking 14 strain has the highest concentration of allatoins and proteins of all the comfreys. Comfrey does this with a very long tap root by mining nutrients from very deep down that are out of reach for other plants. Fertilise the bottom of your potato and and runner bean trenches with a layer of comfrey leaves. How to grow comfrey Garden comfrey has a higher nutrient content than the common wild comfrey, and its leaves can be cut several times in a season. Comfrey,Bocking 14 (Symphytum uplandicum). Size at Maturity: 4′ x 2′ USDA Zone: Zone 4. This beautiful vibrant-looking plant makes a … (That will become huge over time.) Comfrey is known as the wonder plant and it really is one of the most useful plants you can grow in the garden. They’re fairly common and shouldn’t be much trouble to find. It has the highest allantoin content of any variety tested. It gives and gives, and asks very little in return. This is Comfrey #14. Bocking 14 is a sterile hybrid, however seeds may still be. Let’s take a minute to talk about the properties and uses for each. It is therefore advisable to split it up every few years. In 1954, Britain’s best known organic gardener, Lawrence D. Hills, established a research association in the town of Bocking, north-east of London. Plant the root cuttings any time in the spring when the ground can be worked. There are reports that Bocking 14 will be shunned by various animals (but that could also be based on what else is available to eat). Includes a flyer about growing comfrey. It is advisable to wear gloves when handling comfrey. Trials have shown it has a high level of potash which makes it great as a mulch for tomatoes or a compost addition. It's not "invasive". Comfrey is used worldwide as an animal fodder. It's a member of the borage family and boasts a higher nutrient content than common comfrey. Despite being sterile, Bocking 14 Russian Comfrey will steadily increase in size. root and crown cutting. 'Bocking 14' is a type of Russian comfrey and is a truly magical plant in the garden. There are several varieties of Comfrey as developed by the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA). Comfrey is an essential plant in any garden. Shipping is $7 no matter how many comfrey roots you order. Comfrey Plants (1 items) This really is a truly remarkable plant – with many tricks up its leaves! Bocking 14 is high in allantoin, the cell proliferating agent that helps with healing. Symphytum x uplandicum ‘bocking 14’ This is the sterile (meaning that it is not invasive!) Its rotted leaves can be used as a mulch or forked into the soil to improve its structure. Comfrey has long been recognized by both organic gardeners and herbalists for its great usefulness and versatility; of particular interest is the "Bocking 14" cultivar of Russian Comfrey. Interestingly enough, there is a decent amount of debate regarding the safety of using comfrey, as some of the volatile chemical components can be potentially dangerous … I grow it for use as an activator and nitrogen source in compost bins, foliar fertilizer, and as an ever-ready mulch whenever needed. We started growing Bocking 14 a few years ago and have been amazed at this remarkable herb and its many benefits. Comfrey ‘Bocking 14’ in the under story of a Walnut – Juglans regia in our Forest Garden. in zones 8 or 9, you can plant comfrey year-round. First, a little information about comfrey. For a strictly medicinal use, the true comfrey S. officinal seems to be more in favor. Jan 23, 2019 - Comfrey is perhaps the number one most useful plant for any gardener using organic and sustainable techniques. Comfrey – The Most Beneficial Plant. However, you can dig up a plant after a year, separate it into many individual roots, plant those roots and each will grow a new plant. z. It will not spread by seed. About comfrey Bocking 14. We’ve been growing comfrey since 1999, and only supply genuine Bocking 14. Chickens, goats, horses and cows love wilted Comfrey leaves, some farm animals are less finicky and will ingest it right from the plant. The most commonly available variety (in UK) is Bocking 14. ... Comfrey plants wilt very fast in hot conditions and will stop photosynthesising at this point. I bought a small box of Bocking 14 Comfrey root cuttings from a fellow permaculturist a few years ago, and have never looked back. We propagate our own comfrey from our non-seed producing Bocking 14 plants in our Certified Organic orchards. You can also save money on animal feed! The only way to propagate it is through divisions and root crowns. The flowers can range in color from white to purple and the plant is mainly found in northern Europe. Description: Bocking 14 is a vigorous and robust sterile hybrid of comfrey. Russian strain of comfrey. Growing Tips: Comfrey is hardy from zones 3 to 9. Shipped Monday. It is also a great source of fertilizer for your property. This is the original ancient herb, nicknamed ‘knitbone’, that is grown for medicinal purposes. As they break down, the plant roots will access the potassium-rich fertiliser. Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Bocking 14’ Family: Boraginaceae. Native Habitat: Not known in a truly wild situation. Russian comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) also called the Bocking 14 cultivar. It is an attractive ornamental crop when regularly pruned and folks who see it for the first time always inquire about it. DESCRIPTION. Comfrey is a versatile plant helper in your organic perennial garden: Use it for. Rust resistant. is native to Europe and Asia and there are 40 recorded species of Comfrey throughout that region. This is my useful and beautiful patch of comfrey, Symphytum x uplandicum ‘Bocking 14’ . Which Comfrey Plant to Choose “Bocking 14”, a variety of comfrey that is less invasive ( it is a sterile cultivar and doesn’t produce seeds), and is specially selected for medicinal potency without the alkaloids which have given comfrey a bad rap in the past. Blocking 4 has deep roots – up to ten feet long. For fodder, the B-4 seems most popular. In addition, the Russian (Bocking #4 or #14) varieties of comfrey are larger and the blooms are said to be more brightly colored than the “true” or “common” variety, which is known for smaller plants with more richly colored darker blooms. 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