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Post by rowanberry on May 12, 2019 20:23:07 GMT
My native comfrey has nearly finished blooming- the white blossoms are starting to brown a bit, while the hybred Comfrey (purple) looks as though it might start opening its flowers within the next day or so.
I was hoping to get a second growth out of the native variety, for the sake of the bees... does anyone know the best time to cut it- now, or wait for the flowers to drop naturally?
I think it was Helen asked a similar question last year- if it wasn't successful I'll just leave it, because I don't want to damage the plants. They've done well this spring.
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Post by aeshna5 on May 13, 2019 4:33:27 GMT
Are you sure it's the native comfrey? Though the native comfrey, Symphytum officinale, does sometimes have white flowers, they are normally pinkish-purple + I'd expect them to flower later. I wonder if what you have is White Comfrey, S. orientale, which is often naturalised + flowers earlier too which would fit yours?
Shouldn't do any harm by cutting it back now- you may even get more flowers.
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Post by Tringa on Jul 6, 2019 20:23:21 GMT
And the cuttings can be made into a a liquid fertiliser.
Dave
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Post by kleftiwallah on Jul 6, 2019 20:36:19 GMT
I cut back the comfrey three times a year adding it to the compost pod. I have been known to gather wild growing comfrey from the lane coming back from the pub!
Cheers, Tony.
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Post by rowanberry on Jul 7, 2019 11:23:44 GMT
I've cut it back now... hope it will have to re-flower again. It did get a bad case of mildew late in the spring.
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