5 Amazing Reasons to Plant Comfrey in Your Garden

Comfrey is a popular plant that is mainly known for its medicinal properties. But there is more to this plant than meets the eye. Comfrey has a range of uses for both you and the garden, making it one of the most potent and versatile herbs to include if you’re planting a herb garden. Here’s a list of five reasons you should plant Comfrey in your garden.

Comfrey Can Be Used as Mulch

The first reason you should plant Comfrey in your garden is that it can be used as a mulch. The leaves from this plant make for excellent green manure or mulch. There are two ways you can go about using Comfrey for this reason.

The first way is to simply grow the Comfrey plant in the ground near your fruit trees or whatever else you want to nourish. The other way to go about it is to grow your Comfrey in a different location and harvest its leaves for mulch as you need.

There are also two ways in which Comfrey leaves can be used for mulch. For those who like to get things done with as little effort as possible, you can simply scatter the Comfrey leaves on the soil around your plants. The other way to do it is to chop the leaves before spreading them around your plants.

As the Comfrey leaves decompose, they will also become a natural fertilizer.

Comfrey Acts as Free Fertilizer

You will need a couple of Comfrey leaves, a bucket with a lid, and some water to create your free fertilizer. The only downside to creating this homemade fertilizer is that the brew has a strong smell and is not all that great. But it is well worth the stench.

Start by collecting a couple of leaves from your Comfrey plant. Chop the leaves up into pieces as small as you can get them. Place the chopped leaves in the bucket and fill it with some water. Once this is done, close the bucket as well as the smell by securing the bucket’s lid.

After the prep work is done, all you need to do is wait. You will need to leave the water and leaves to brew for between four and six weeks. When the brewing time is up, open up the bucket and strain the leaves. What you have left is your liquid gold.

Now that your liquid fertilizer is fully brewed, all that is left to do is use it! This fertilizer should be diluted in a ratio of ten parts water to one part of your Comfrey fertilizer. Water your plants with the dilution whenever you need to fertilize them.

Comfrey Has Medicinal Values

This plant’s popularity is due to its numerous medicinal values. The first of its benefits is that it can be used to create a healing poultice. Comfrey can also be used to create a healing cream or salve and be turned into an infused Comfrey oil.

Some of these Comfrey creations can be used to reduce pain and inflammation. Many studies have looked into its efficacy as a treatment for painful muscles and joints. Additionally, Comfrey is also known to calm skin irritations. One thing to note, however, is that Comfrey should not be used on any open wounds or skin lesions. Once the damage has closed, it can be administered to help speed up wound healing and prevent scar tissue.

Comfrey Can Be Used to Activate a Compost Heap

The leaves of a Comfrey plant are high in nitrogen. Because of this, these leaves can be used to aid in the activation of your compost heap. The presence of nitrogen in the leaves makes them an excellent bio activator.

You will jumpstart the decomposition by balancing the carbon to nitrogen level in your compost heap. To effectively use Comfrey leaves to activate your compost heap, you will need to do a few things first.

First things first, gather your Comfrey leaves. Next, crush the leaves either by hand or by using gardening scissors. Once destroyed, add a splash of water to the leaves and crush them until you create a paste. Water down the paste to liquefy it, and you are done!

Now all that is left to do is pour your Comfrey juice over your compost heap and let it work its magic!

Comfrey Can Help Improve Compacted Soil

Comfrey has a thick, tuberous root that evolves into an underground extensive root system. This plant can essentially mine compacted soils for minerals and other nutrients with these roots. This job is often difficult for other plants; therefore, they cannot obtain the nutrients and minerals.

The Comfrey plant’s ability to cycle nutrients through the soil is an excellent reason to plant it near your fruit trees or in an area where you know your plants could do with some assistance.

Conclusion

There are several reasons why you should keep Comfrey in your garden. From acting as a natural fertilizer to its numerous medicinal values, it seems like this plant has endless benefits. If you do not already have a Comfrey plant in your garden, this is your sign to go out and acquire one!