Why permaculture folks love comfrey. Garden Benefits of Comfrey Powder Plants: Organic Gardening. I have my own little organic fertilizer factory, cranking out free mulch, compost activator, and a potent plant food. The fuel for this factory is Russian comfrey (Symphytum X uplandicum). It has 6-foot-long roots that harvest nutrients from deep in the soil, making comfrey leaves a fantastic natural source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Researchers in British Columbia analyzed the NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) ratio of comfrey leaves by air-drying them and analyzing the powdered leaf tissues. They found that the leaves have an impressive proportion of 1.8-0.5-5.3. To compare, kelp meal has an NPK ratio of 1.0-0.5-2.5, and homemade compost ranges from 0.5-0.5-0.5 to 4-4-4 (depending on what ingredients you use). Harnessing the Power Mulch. Growing and Using Comfrey Leaves. Related Content 12 Rules of Raking Save time and avoid blisters and burnout by following these common-sense guidelines this leaf season...
Four years ago — mostly from curiosity, because we'd heard so much about the plant's virtues — we set aside a small rectangular spot on our acre for a bed of 30 comfrey cuttings. They grew like mad. We harvested comfrey leaves all summer, and found so many uses for comfrey that, at the end of the season, we ordered 150 additional roots and expanded our little patch to a plantation of 200. In case you're not familiar with comfrey (Symphytum officinale), it's a member of the borage family, a strong-growing perennial with somewhat hairy leaves 12 to 18 inches long, rising on short stems from a central crown.
The flower is a pretty blue bell, fading to pink. Comfrey leaves have a high moisture content and dry more slowly than some of the herbs you may be used to working with. Medicinal Uses for Comfrey Comfrey Can Activate Compost How to Grow Comfrey. Comfrey. Russian comfrey (Symphytum x uplandicum) Comfrey (also comphrey) is a common name for plants in the genus Symphytum. Comfrey species are important herbs in organic gardening. It is used as a fertilizer and as an herbal medicine. The most commonly used species is Russian comfrey Symphytum × uplandicum ,[1] which is a cross or hybrid of Symphytum officinale (Common Comfrey) and Symphytum asperum (Rough Comfrey). Description[edit] Cultivation[edit] 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.
The comfrey bed should be well prepared by weeding thoroughly, and dressing with manure if available. Comfrey is a fast growing plant, producing huge amounts of leaf during the growing season, and hence is very nitrogen hungry. Fertilizer uses[edit] There are various ways in which comfrey can be used as a fertilizer. Propagation[edit] Medicinal uses[edit] All About Growing Jerusalem Artichokes. (For details on growing many other vegetables and fruits, visit our Crop at a Glance collection page or check out our Food Gardening Guide app.) Potatoes aren’t the only terrific tuber out there. Native to central North America, Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) — often called by the more modern name “sunchokes” — are so prolific they can become invasive, but if handled properly, they will be a productive and rewarding crop. The edible parts of these plants are their knobby roots, which have a crisp texture like that of water chestnuts. When cooked, they become a soft, nutty alternative to potatoes.
Types to Try American and European gardeners have been selecting superior strains over the course of 300 years growing Jerusalem artichokes. Strains vary by skin color, root shape, and maturation time. Red-skinned strains include ‘Red Fuseau,’ which has red skin over topshaped roots with few attached round nodules, making the roots easy to clean. When to Plant Jerusalem Artichokes. Jerusalem artichoke. The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.[1] It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.[2] Description[edit] It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.5–3 m (4 ft 11 in–9 ft 10 in) tall with opposite leaves on the upper part of the stem but alternate below.[3] The leaves have a rough, hairy texture and the larger leaves on the lower stem are broad ovoid-acute and can be up to 30 cm (12 in) long, and the higher leaves smaller and narrower.
The flowers are yellow and produced in capitate flowerheads, which are 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in diameter, with 10–20 ray florets. The artichoke contains about 10% protein, no oil, and a surprising lack of starch. Etymology[edit] Jerusalem artichoke flowers Rossler. Jerusalem Artichoke. Table of Contents Introduction Most farmers in Ontario consider Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, to be a nuisance even though it is sold as a specialty vegetable. The popularity of the plant as a food source for both humans and animals has fluctuated throughout the years. The early settlers in North America, as well as the Indians, appreciated it as a readily available source of food, and their gardens became an important factor in the spread of the plant. In the past, it has been recommended as a forage plant, a feed for hogs, and as a leafy vegetable; at present it is also a potential source for sugar and alcohol production.
It has not however, been cultivated widely in North America. The name Jerusalem artichoke is somewhat misleading. Description Jerusalem artichoke (Figure 1) is a perennial plant that reproduces by seed and by fleshy rhizomes (underground stems) which bear small, potato-like tubers. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Domestic Potential Weed Potential Related Links.