Planting Comfrey
Root Cuttings:
Comfrey is incredibly easy to grow from root cuttings. In experiments, I’ve seen Comfrey Bocking 14 grow from even the tiniest cuttings (we’re talking ¼” root fragments), dried out roots, even pieces that are completely moldy! The only cuttings that have failed to grow were the ones eaten by animals or completely desiccated.
Your comfrey will arrive in a sealed bag with moist sphagnum moss to keep them from drying out in transit. If you’re not ready to plant them right away, we recommend slightly opening the bag for air exchange and storing in the refrigerator (not the freezer!). The cold temps will keep them from growing in the bag for a while, but eventually they will sprout.
To plant your Comfrey, best practice is to place your roots horizontally (try to face any sprouting leaves upward if possible). The planting depth should be about 1 inch in good soil that regularly gets watered, and up to 3 inches deep for sandy soils or drier areas. Larger cuttings can be cut into multiple fragments. These smaller cuttings may take longer to sprout but will yield more plants.
Once they are planted, make sure the soil stays evenly moist (not drowning!) and protect the cuttings from any hungry animals. A good repellant or a little netting goes a long way here. The vast majority of Comfrey cuttings that don’t grow turn out to be the victim of hungry critters.
Once planted, you can expect to see foliage in anywhere from 7 to 40 days, depending on the weather, watering, and size of the cuttings. Comfrey can be planted any time the soil is above freezing. But significant growth won’t occur until temperatures stay consistently warm for a few weeks.
The easiest way to plant on a larger scale is to just use a shovel to open the ground a little, drop a cutting in, and then repeat.
Pre-sprouted Cuttings: These roots are already showing some leaves and or fine root growth. These cuttings will grow into full plants significantly faster than fresh root cuttings. The process for planting them is exactly the same, except any shoots should be above the soil level.
Once you see some growth, check out our general grow guide to bring the plant into maturity
Comfrey Crowns:
Comfrey crowns are basically the heart of the plant and will grow into a full mature plant much faster than root cuttings. Before shipping, most of the foliage and extended roots will be removed both because they tend to mold in transit and they greatly increase shipping costs. The crowns will be packaged in damp moss and should either be planted or refrigerated immediately upon receiving them.
To plant the crowns, just put them face up level with the soil. If there are any buds or small leaves sticking up try to keep them above the soil line. We recommend adding 1-2” of mulch and keeping them evenly moist for the fastest growth. They should sprout quickly after a few weeks of consistently warm weather.