What are the health benefits of comfrey?
Comfrey roots and leaves contain allantoin, a substance that helps new skin cells grow, along with other substances that reduce inflammation and keep skin healthy. Comfrey ointments have been used to heal bruises as well as pulled muscles and ligaments, fractures, sprains, strains, and osteoarthritis.
Is Comfrey an anti-inflammatory?
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) acts as an anti-inflammatory to promote healing of bruises, sprains, and open wounds when applied topically. The roots and leaves of this plant contain the protein allantoin, which stimulates cell proliferation and promote wound and bone healings.
What are the uses for comfrey?
Comfrey is an herbal supplement used for conditions such as bronchitis, bruises (topical use), cancer, cough (persistent), fractures (topical use), peptic ulcer, rheumatism, skin ulcers (topical use), sprains (topical use), wound healing (topical use), gastritis, ulcers, excessive menstrual flow, and to gargle for gum …
Why is comfrey called Knitbone?
Comfrey’s original name, knitbone, derives from the external use of poultices of its leaves and roots to heal burns, sprains, swelling, and bruises. In Western Europe, comfrey has been used topically for treating inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, gout, and thrombophlebitis, and internally for treating diarrhea.
Is comfrey a healing plant?
Comfrey may not be an obvious choice, but it has always been such a kind plant to the garden that it should come as no surprise that is kind to the body, too. Once known as knitbone, Symphytum officinale has a long history of wound healing, particularly broken bones, torn muscles, sprains and aches.
How do you use comfrey for healing?
Make a Comfrey Poultice Practices vary from wrapping whole bruised leaves around the injury to applying warm poultices made from comfrey leaves and/or roots. For my home first-aid kit, I harvest a few robust roots and dry them, then store the dried comfrey roots in a dark, cool cabinet. Just in case.
Is Comfrey poisonous to dogs?
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists comfrey as an especially risky herb because of its pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which have been linked to liver damage. The alkaloids are actually produced by the herb to fend off bugs, but the insecticide can be harmful to a dog.
Which Comfrey is best?
Garden comfrey has a higher nutrient content than the common wild comfrey, and its leaves can be cut several times in a season. Our research found that the ‘Bocking 14’ variety is the best. Available from The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Garden Organic members get a 10% discount.
Does Comfrey need sun or shade?
Comfrey can grow in full sun to partial shade, meaning it needs at least three hours of direct sunlight on most days. In the warmer parts of its growing zones, plant it where it will get shade from the strong afternoon sun.
Why is comfrey good for compost?
Comfrey out-performs manure, compost and many liquid feeds for concentration of nutrients. It produces these from a deep root system extending right into the subsoil that most edible plants cannot access. It also has an ideal Carbon:Nitrogen ratio which means that it does not hamper absorption of nitrogen by plants.
Is comfrey a compost accelerator?
Comfrey is a perennial plant. It’s like a herb and so grow it near your compost and put it in a pot. Add a couple of these leaves to the compost, and shred them a little. Yarrow is another compost activator.
What nutrients are in Comfrey?
These are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Much like humans, they also need micro-nutrients such as manganese and calcium. Comfrey has the three major nutrients plus high levels of calcium, which can be very beneficial if harvested and made into comfrey tea for plants.
Is Comfrey good for tomatoes?
Comfrey has very deep roots, which means it extracts large quantities of nutrients from far below the soil’s surface, inaccessible to other plants. It’s especially rich in potassium, making it the ideal feed to promote flowers and fruits in a range of plants, including tomatoes.
When should you feed tomatoes?
Start feeding tomatoes once the flowers appear. Increase watering and feeding when the tomato fruits form and get larger. If you are growing tomatoes under glass or in a greenhouse, the tomatoes will need watering daily on warm days to make sure plants do not dry out.
How do you make tomato comfrey tea?
Combine one part comfrey and one part eggshell and powdered milk to 10 parts soil and stir well. Use for potting up tomato plants: growing in containers can help to defend against blight.