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You can use Russian Comfrey:
As an instant compost: Cut leaves can be used in the bottom of potato and runner
bean trenches where they will rot and release their nutrients. Chopped leaves can
be mixed with leaf-
As a mulch: Spread leaves around soft fruit bushes, raspberry canes and tomato plants. They have the advantage of cutting back on nitrogen (which promotes excess woody growth in blackcurrants) whilst at the same time maintaining the level of other minerals.
What is Russian Comfrey?
Russian Comfrey is a partially fertile hybrid (see below) and its botanical name is Symphytum uplandicum. It is genetically very variable and was used as a fodder crop throughout Britain.
In 1955, Laurence Hills, of the then Henry Doubleday Research Association (now trading under Garden Organic) planted a large selection of forms at the Association’s Trial Ground at Bocking near Baintree, trying to sort out the variation. Of 28 forms he studied, Bocking 14 is richest in minerals and the one usually recommended. It has pencil thin stems with distinctly stalked, sharply pointed leaves. Flowers are magenta coloured slender bells, in clusters.
Where to obtain, and establishing your comfrey plants:
A bundle of root cuttings, ready to plant, may be obtained from Chase Organics, Riverdene, Molesey Rd, Horsham, Surrey, KT12 4RG. (tel 0845 1301304, website www.organiccatalogue,com.).
Plant young plants in April or May and harvest in June by cutting with shears 2”above the ground. Take no more leaves that first year but in later years you can cut again monthly through to October.
The history of the introduction of Russian Comfrey
In the middle of the 19th century, a chemist, Henry Doubleday, had a factory making gum for Penny Black stamps using latex from acacia trees (gum Arabic). When that became in short supply he heard of a species of comfrey, Prickly Comfrey (symphytum asperum, not indigenous to Britain) was growing in Russia and was particularly high in “mucilaginous matter”. Thinking this might be useful in gum making, he requested plants from contacts there and was sent some seedlings that were growing, it appears, in the same bed as Common Comfrey (symphytum officinale). The seedlings turned out to be a hybrid of those species which we now call S. Uplandicum. Although hybrids, they formed fertile seeds from which Doubleday grew a crop but they failed to produce the gum he wanted. He became aware from his chemical analysis that this comfrey was a vital source of plant nutrients and developed ways of using it as manure, and later as animal fodder.
The above was taken from a booklet written by Laurence D Hills, published by the Henry Doubleday Research Association.
As liquid manure: Put about 14 lbs leaves into a 20 gallon plastic water butt and fill up with water. Replace the lid as it can be smelly and to prevent rain diluting the resulting liquid; leave for 4 to 6 weeks. You can then draw off a clear dark brown solution which is ready to use as liquid manure.
Gorgeous stuff!
