Comfrey's glory!

It's the end of February here in Oregon and Comfrey's green points have emerged from the ground. I started these plants from seed two years ago and dug them up today to divide and share why they are so dear.

• Chop & drop
• Tap root
• Hardy

I am digging these crowns up today to re locate them around our fruit trees, knowing the roots I leave behind will grow into another plant because wherever you plant your comfrey there it will stay! They are very difficult to completely remove once they're established because any root fragment left behind will turn into a new plant. 

Comfrey's tap root grows deep so is the perfect companion for the garden and orchard, drawing nutrients from the soil up that shallow roots of neighboring plants otherwise would not be able to "tap" into :) Fruit trees have shallow roots so are often competing with surrounding grass for nutrients. Planting comfrey in a guild will act as a barrier between the tree and while also drawing up nutrients with those deep roots. But that's not all!

Once comfrey's leafed out you can continually chop the entire plant and drop them around your orchard trees or garden beds as a mulch, nourishing the plants around them. Comfrey's leaves contain vital nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus & potassium. You can chop and drop a couple times a year with how big and quickly the leaves of comfrey grow. One other way comfrey can return back to the soil is by making a tea from the leaves in a bucket, letting them brew for several weeks until the water is dark, then diluting it as you water it back into the garden. 

Not only is comfrey beautiful and a generous garden companion, she also has many medicinal benefits or the leaves can be fed to certain farm animals if you're looking to grow your own feed.

So today, on this sunny winter afternoon, we are growing from the roots of our garden, comfrey to share. May it bring abundance to you and your gardens. 

with love, Laura