Belonging to the Boraginaceae family, comfrey is recognizable by its large, thick, hairy leaves and its bell-shaped purple, pink or blue flowers, which bloom between March and August.
It can reach up to 1 m in height depending on the variety.
Easy to grow, it is appreciated by gardeners for its multiple uses.
Comfrey, a perennial plant with multiple properties
Cultivated for over 2,000 years, comfrey has long been used as a medicinal plant for its healing properties.
In cooking, its large leaves were used to make soups and salads.
Its roots, on the other hand, have a significant concentration of pyrrolizidines, which can be toxic to the liver: this is the reason why the consumption of comfrey is
prohibited in some countries
.
What are the benefits of comfrey in the garden?
Although it is no longer really consumed, comfrey remains a very interesting plant for gardeners.
In addition to being a
honey plant that attracts pollinators to the vegetable garden, it is also an excellent
fertilizer plant
!
Rich in nitrogen, potash and boron, it helps to fertilize the soil and behaves like a real compost activator.
Its deep roots (up to 1.80 m!) finally allow the soil to be worked and aerated.
Fertilizer plant, compost activator: comfrey is very useful in the vegetable garden!
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Also read: 10 natural fertilizers to strengthen your plants
Where to find comfrey?
Comfrey grows naturally throughout Europe, in
humid environments
near watercourses and at the edges of forests.
It can also be purchased in a pot at a garden center, to be repotted or grown in the ground in the vegetable garden.
It is also possible to obtain comfrey seeds and sow your own.
How to use comfrey for the garden?
Do you want to use comfrey in your vegetable garden?
Find out how to use this natural fertilizer.
Where to put comfrey in the garden?
Rich in nitrogen, comfrey leaves can be used as such in several ways.
As a natural fertilizer, they can be placed on the surface after planting vegetable gardens.
Indeed, the stems and leaves of comfrey can constitute
an excellent natural mulch, which maintains soil humidity while providing the nutrients necessary for the proper development of vegetable plants.
They can also be used in the composition of leaf compost, ideal for repotting.
Finally, as a compost activator, comfrey leaves can simply be added to compost to encourage microbial activity.
Read alsoProtection of the vegetable garden against cold and frost: take inspiration from these 4 simple techniques to continue harvesting
How to make comfrey manure?
Comfrey leaves can be used to make a natural liquid fertilizer, called comfrey manure.
Rich in potassium, this fertilizer is ideal for growing flowers and small fruits, such as tomatoes.
Comfrey manure can also be used against aphids as a natural repellent.
Comfrey manure is obtained by macerating comfrey leaves in water.
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No use without permission.
To make comfrey manure, simply macerate comfrey leaves in water for several weeks:
Soak 1 kg of comfrey leaves in 10 l of water;
Leave to macerate for around twenty days;
Filter the preparation.
It will then need to be diluted depending on its use:
at 10%
for use as a liquid fertilizer;
at 5%
for use as a repellent.
How to grow comfrey?
Robust and long-lived, comfrey is very easy to grow.
It is enough to offer it
a sunny location
and rich, humus-rich soil to see it flourish!
Hardy up to -30°C, it disappears in winter to reappear in early spring but requires no protection in winter.
You just need to ensure good watering in summer in order to maintain permanently cool soil.
Very productive, a comfrey plant planted in the ground can be
pruned 3 to 4 times a year
to harvest its leaves.
Just be sure to choose its location carefully, as its significant root development makes it impossible to move once well established.