Wednesday 2 March 2016

:: symphytum ::

 Today the weather cheered finally in the afternoon and I'm quite looking forward to our promised little heatwave, after a 20 degree dip from the lofty highs of last weekend.  And then I think I might have slightly depressed myself thinking too much about how long the weather is cold and grey here in the Wintertime...
...so, like a dog, I shook all that doom off and headed out into the garden, where I ALWAYS feel a lot better really quickly!
 The comfrey needed cutting back - it is possible to harvest it multiple times from about October to May, climate depending - it is a phenomenal plant, really...
...activate compost with its large amount of fibre plus green nitrogen for extra heat in the heap, too...
...make a comfrey 'tea' - not a tea and scones type of tea - a slimy, dark, nutrient-rich compost tea for feeding the garden...
...use it as a mulch - huge leaves in great quantity that breakdown quickly...
...planted around the drip line of fruit trees is proven to improve the nutrient-quality of the soil as it has such deep roots that mine up not-usually-available nutrients from far below the surface such as potassium...
Also known as 'knitbone', comfrey has been used to help bone break wounds heal, skin to heal (contains allantoin which helps reduce inflammation), sprains, bruises, arthritis, rheumatism and ligament damage...
In our garden comfrey is utilised in all the ways above as well as feed for our hens,  bees and bumblebees...
...over and above all of that, the flowers really are very pretty!



No comments:

Post a Comment