Is it possible to tell what type of comfrey this is? Bocking 14 hopefully!

Discussion in 'Gardening Discussions' started by Engelbert, Jul 14, 2019.

  1. Engelbert

    Engelbert Gardener

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    Hi all

    I recently moved house. I was lucky enough to find someone local in the last house who kindly gave me some roots of her organic Bocking 14, which I planted and used a lot before moving.

    I haven't found any locally yet to use in the new garden. To be honest, I haven't started looking properly yet. But there is some comfrey already in the garden. The trouble is I don't know what type it is and I wondered if anyone can tell from looking whether or not it is Bocking 14. If further pics would help identify, please let me know and I'll take them and post them up.

    I'd really like to dig some of the comfrey into the ground where I'll be growing, but don't want to risk spreading it everywhere if it is a fertile type.

    Many thanks
     

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  2. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    I really wouldn’t like to say looking at your photos @Engelbert I don’t grow it and there is a wild patch just along the lane that looks like yours but so do pics of B 14 as well..
    Hopefully someone else will have a better idea,
     
  3. Nikolaos

    Nikolaos Total Gardener

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  4. Marley Farley

    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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    I did wonder that too @Nikolaos :thumbsup:
     
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    • NigelJ

      NigelJ Total Gardener

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      • Engelbert

        Engelbert Gardener

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        Hi all

        Many thanks for the helpful replies.

        I also asked on another forum, and it was pointed out there that if this wasn't Bocking 14 it would have already spread everywhere by now and the fact it is all well contained within "the patch" would suggest it is Bocking 14... What do you guys think to that?

        How quickly and widely does wild comfrey grow? Would it be everywhere within a matter of a couple of years if it wasn't Bocking 14?

        Another thing... There are loads of seed heads as per photos two and three. I was thinking I can pop a whole load into a pot of compost and that will tell me for sure whether the seed is fertile or not. Does that sound like a good plan? If so, any tips on how to plant the seed? Most importantly, when do I know the seed is ready to be planted? But any other tips on how to plant the seed would also be most helpful.

        Thanks again
         
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          Last edited: Jul 16, 2019
        • Marley Farley

          Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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          I think that might be the best way to find out @Engelbert.. The wild patch as I call it up the lane could be B14 then that perhaps someone has fly tipped a few years ago now as it seems to spread hardly at Allan’s what has appears to be underground runners.. :scratch: Let us know what happens...:thumbsup:
           
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