Transform your garden’s fertility with our premium bocking 14 comfrey roots. This offering includes 20 packs of 4-inch live bare roots, ready to establish quickly and provide a continuous supply of nutrient-rich foliage. Bocking 14 comfrey roots (Symphytum officinale) are a specific, sterile cultivar of comfrey, meaning they will not spread by seed, making them an excellent choice for controlled garden spaces. Often referred to as russian comfrey plant or sterile comfrey, this hardy perennial is celebrated for its vigorous growth and remarkable ability to accumulate essential nutrients from the soil, especially potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. It’s an indispensable plant for organic gardeners seeking sustainable ways to improve soil health and plant vitality.

Whether you’re looking to create your own organic fertilizer, enrich your compost, or provide a deep-reaching dynamic accumulator for your fruit trees and vegetable beds, these comfrey roots are an ideal solution. They are easy to plant and, once established, require minimal maintenance, returning year after year to support your gardening endeavors. The robust nature of this plant ensures a bountiful harvest of leaves, contributing significantly to a more productive and ecologically balanced garden.

Key Benefits

Integrating bocking 14 comfrey roots into your garden offers a multitude of advantages, significantly boosting the health and productivity of your plants and soil. This versatile perennial is a must-have for any eco-conscious gardener:

• Exceptional Soil Builder: Comfrey leaves are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, making them an ideal green manure. When chopped and dropped, they decompose rapidly, releasing vital nutrients directly into the soil.
• Natural Fertilizer Source: Create potent liquid feeds or comfrey tea from the leaves to provide a nutrient boost to your fruiting and flowering plants. This organic fertilizer promotes strong growth and abundant yields.
• Compost Accelerator: Adding comfrey leaves to your compost pile speeds up decomposition and enriches the final compost product with a wide array of minerals and trace elements.
• Deep-Rooted Nutrient Accumulator: The deep taproots of the russian comfrey plant draw up nutrients from deep within the soil profile, making them available to shallower-rooted plants when the leaves are harvested and mulched.
• Pollinator Attractor: While the primary use is for its leaves, comfrey produces small, bell-shaped flowers that are attractive to bees and other beneficial pollinators, enhancing biodiversity in your garden.
• Weed Suppressor: The large, broad leaves of mature comfrey plants create a dense canopy that effectively shades out and suppresses weeds when used as a living mulch.
• Erosion Control: Its extensive root system helps to stabilize soil, preventing erosion, particularly on slopes or in areas prone to runoff. This makes comfrey for garden use incredibly versatile.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Growing bocking 14 comfrey roots is straightforward, making it an excellent choice for gardeners of all experience levels. These bare roots are designed for easy establishment and vigorous growth. Plant the 4-inch comfrey roots horizontally, approximately 2–3 inches deep, in loose, well-drained soil. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot, especially during the initial establishment phase. While adaptable, comfrey thrives in a location with full sun to partial shade. Full sun (6+ hours per day) will generally result in the most prolific leaf production, but it will still perform well with 4-6 hours of direct sunlight.

Upon planting, water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. During early growth, it’s important to keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Once established, comfrey is remarkably drought-tolerant, though regular watering during dry spells will encourage more lush growth. This hardy perennial is suitable for USDA zones 3-9, tolerating a wide range of climates. Fertilization is generally not necessary due to comfrey’s ability to accumulate nutrients, but an annual application of compost around the base can further boost its vigor. Harvest leaves regularly (every 4-6 weeks) to encourage continuous growth and prevent flowering, which can divert energy from leaf production. This consistent harvesting is key to maximizing the benefits of your symphytum officinale.

Pests and diseases are rarely an issue for sterile comfrey, making it a low-maintenance addition to your garden. Ensure adequate spacing between plants (about 2-3 feet) to allow for their mature size. Remember, this particular cultivar, Bocking 14, is sterile and will not produce viable seeds, effectively preventing unwanted spread, a common concern with other comfrey varieties. This characteristic makes it a highly desirable choice for controlled cultivation and a sustainable source of comfrey for garden fertility.

Size & Details

This product includes 20 individual packs of bocking 14 comfrey roots, each root typically measuring 4 inches in length. These are live bare roots, meaning they are dormant and ready for planting upon arrival, ensuring a strong start. Once planted, these hardy perennials will rapidly establish, developing into robust plants that can reach heights of 2-3 feet with a similar spread. The large, fuzzy leaves are the primary harvest, providing an abundance of organic material for various garden uses. Expect vigorous growth from spring through fall, with multiple harvests possible during the growing season. The plants will die back in winter in colder climates but reliably resprout from their strong root system each spring. Given their mature size, ensure adequate spacing when planting to allow for optimal growth and air circulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How do I plant these bocking 14 comfrey roots? A: Plant the 4-inch bare roots horizontally, approximately 2-3 inches deep, in loose, well-drained soil. Water thoroughly after planting and keep the soil consistently moist during the initial establishment period.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Bocking 14 comfrey is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden beds. It can be grown in large containers, but its deep root system prefers open ground.
• Q: How much sunlight does russian comfrey plant need? A: It prefers full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight) but will also perform well in partial shade (4-6 hours of direct sunlight). More sun generally leads to more prolific leaf growth.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, comfrey is known for being very hardy and low-maintenance once established. It’s a great choice for beginners looking to improve their garden’s fertility with minimal effort.
• Q: What condition will the comfrey roots arrive in? A: Your bocking 14 comfrey roots will arrive as dormant, live bare roots. This is the ideal state for planting and ensures the best chance of successful establishment.
• Q: When is the best time to plant symphytum officinale? A: The best time to plant comfrey bare roots is in early spring or late fall, when the plant is dormant. This allows the roots to establish before extreme temperatures.
• Q: What is comfrey for garden use primarily for? A: It’s primarily used for its nutrient-rich leaves, which are excellent for making organic mulch, compost, liquid fertilizer (comfrey tea), and as a dynamic accumulator to improve soil health.
• Q: Will this comfrey spread aggressively? A: The Bocking 14 cultivar is sterile, meaning it does not produce viable seeds. It will expand slowly from its root crown but will not spread invasively via seed, unlike other comfrey varieties.
• Q: What soil type does comfrey prefer? A: Comfrey is adaptable but thrives in rich, well-drained soil. It tolerates a range of soil types but performs best when organic matter is present.
• Q: How often can I harvest the leaves? A: Once established, you can typically harvest comfrey leaves every 4-6 weeks during the growing season, cutting them back to about 2 inches from the ground.