KMA
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
Definitely comfrey, excellent for bruises/swelling (sold in health shops as Comfrey oil). I'm told it's a fantastic green manure for the garden, not had a chance to try it out though.
What is this and how do I get rid of it?
- Thread starter jemski
- Start date
KMA
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
I'll be keeping an eye out for it in future there's half a dozen big patches of it at the FedEx depot at Aberdeen, don't think they'd be impressed if I carted a sack full of leaves back in the cab though. Got a 2 hour lecture on the stuff from my co-driver, the other 2.5hrs of the return journey was falconry and greyhound racing, don't think I got more than a dozen words in 
We cut and baled it last year in one field but it's back with a vengeance. As are the spear thistles. The sheep have eaten most of the other grass down, so I was thinking of weed wiping it - try and kill 2 birds with one stone......? What would do a decent job on them both? I'm new to this weed killing job - it was always my dads obsession at this time of year, even last year, less than 4 weeks before he died of cancer, walking was painful but he was out on the quad spraying!!!!!
glyphosate would be the one to use in wiper-just getting the timing right is the challenge.(weed height)- and also the target the grassweed might be difficult if its stem .full glypho/plough down weed seed - and reseed out the question I suppose?
Av Gorritt
Member
- Location
- NE Ches / SE Lancs
I was told by a "goodlifer " that Russian comfrey was the future saviour of the starving world . I t is reckoned to be the best veggie protein producer known, with little input for a heavy crop . Years back people collected it and dried it , so that it could be used as a curative for bruises and sprains , as either a "brew " or a poultice . They also put the green plant in a tub with a drain in it , and collected the run off as a particularly good organic fertiliser when diluted many times . This man kept a few ducks in his garden to eat the slugs ,and he fed them a couple of leaves daily . He said they didn't much like it ,but if they were hungry enough they ate it ! Beliefs of a goodlifer ? Who knows . He also said that it was excellent for the bees as part of his healthy lifestyle as a pollinator and honey producer . He also said that "honey lovers stick together "! No, I didn't enquire too closely .
its got to be palatable tho to be grazed by the stock.sheep are pretty dam fussy unless there is absolutely nothing else available.
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Comfrey is very deep rooted and supposed to bring up nutrients from way down. If you cut the leaves and tread on them and lay them between rows of anything in the garden, it makes excellent feed while rotting down, suppresses the weeds and slugs dont like it because the hairs are quite sharp.
Comfrey powder is added sometimes to plaster casts as it aids healing, and trials have proved this.
The rotting in a bucket and draw off the liquid method works brilliantly for tomatoes, but it stinks!
Seeds itself rapidly but there is a sterile one - Bocking 14 if memory serves. Wonderful stuff, mine is covered with bees. I counted 7 different types of bumbles on mine today.
Comfrey powder is added sometimes to plaster casts as it aids healing, and trials have proved this.
The rotting in a bucket and draw off the liquid method works brilliantly for tomatoes, but it stinks!
Seeds itself rapidly but there is a sterile one - Bocking 14 if memory serves. Wonderful stuff, mine is covered with bees. I counted 7 different types of bumbles on mine today.
[We had a lot of this QUOTE="David., post: 1222356, member: 67"]Soft brome I think, def not sterile brome.[/QUOTE] We had a lot of this , still have a bit. as said Soft brome alias Oat grass, very tight grazing and topping or early silage and getting index's up should help
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Have a look for bittercress. I have always called it that anyway!
- Location
- Near Beeston Castle
Looks like vetch and dandelion clocks to me but its a rubbish picture (sorry but it is)
Does it get yellow flowers?
As for comfrey, I use it regularly on sprains, aches etc. it's very good. Got my potion off the vet.
On my phone in a hurryLooks like vetch and dandelion clocks to me but its a rubbish picture (sorry but it is)
Does it get yellow flowers?
As for comfrey, I use it regularly on sprains, aches etc. it's very good. Got my potion off the vet.
I had figured the dandelion bit out, not sure on the flowers I've mowed it now anyway. Sheep eat it with no ill effects I just wondered 
Its a brome grass, tolerate it as a weed grass as long as you can then do a burn off and reseed. I was "suggesting" the same to my neighbour yesterday, he kept calling it oatgrass and telling me there's plenty of good leafy grass beneath! But fact is its a weed that animals don't like eating and it gets a lot worse year on year so start again in feed value terms.
Thank you all. I had planned to put that particular field down to a rape and turnip mix, but with lamb prices as they are I don't think we can afford it. Hopefully going to cut some haylage next week if the forecast is right, so will cut it, bale it and sell it to horse people. Then try and keep on top of it with the sheep over the summer..... I've gone from having not enough grass to not enough sheep in a few weeks......
pgk
Member
- Location
- south warwickshire
Suffering the same issue, got big topper out today for second time which took heads off again, noted that clover is coming through well since last topping. Hope this TLC will get on top of it!