Updated: November 17, 2020
I‘m always looking for ways to add helpful nutrients and organic matter to my soil without having to pay for it. So when I saw the article on comfrey and strawberries on the Oak House Permaculture blog, it immediately caught my attention.
I use a number of strategies for soil improvement including cover crop, top dressing with compost and crop rotation, but I’ve never tried growing comfrey. In fact, I wasn’t too familiar with it at all. I had to do some research to see what it was all about.
Testing Comfrey
What really got my attention was Oak House Permaculture’s garden test. He’s using a comfrey mulch on one side, and nothing on the other.
Anytime someone tests a gardening strategy, including a placebo, it’s a good thing.
Let’s take a sec to get the legal words out of the way. This article may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy from my partners, I will make a tiny amount of money at no cost to you. This in no way affects my recommendations.
Frequently, gardeners just try something on their whole crop. Unfortunately, when there’s no placebo, you don’t really know if it’s working. There’s just too many variables to know what’s really happening.
Related: My Review on Neptune’s Harvest Liquid Seaweed and Fish Fertilizer
Soil amendments
I’d really like a way to grow my own soil amendments for my strawberries. That’s because each year I spend my cash on at least one bag of crab meal compost on my bed.
Wouldn’t it be great if I could grow my own soil amendments instead? Or at least buy it every other year. More to the point, the crab meal compost is good stuff, but it’s kind of expensive.
You pretty much have to buy comfrey seeds online. I’ve never seen them in a garden store.
— Suburban Hobby Farmer
On the other hand, I’ve heard that some varieties of comfrey are invasive. It also can irritate the skin. You should wear gloves if you handle it.
You can get comfrey seeds here
If you’re looking for a way to add nutrients and organic matter to your soil, you can get seeds here. You pretty much have to buy seeds online. I’ve never seed it at a garden store. Plus, it’s sold out on many online seed stores that would normally carry it.
Another option is to buy live root cuttings. This would be easier to plant than seeds. Like seeds, cuttings are often sold out from many online sellers.
Related articles you might enjoy:
- Making Soil — Chop and Drop Soil Improvement
- My Plan for Fixing Mold on Strawberries
- Transplanting Strawberries How and When to Do It
- My Soil Improvement Plan
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