Grow Your Own Magazine

I've bought some nettle and comfrey seeds that I want to grow to make light feed, etc. next year. Is it too late now to start them off indoors and then plant them out? Or am I best waiting for next year?

Cheers,

Steven

Wish you luck with your comfrey seeds have tried several times to get seed to germinate without sucess. Don't need to bother with nettle seeds as there are plenty of nettles in the hedges in and around the lotties. Strange that I am the only plot holder that uses them.

Ian

If you have comfrey seeds, you've got the "wrong" sort.
Ideally, you want Bocking 14, which is sterile, and has been discussed at length on this forum. Have a go with your Search button for "comfrey"

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

I must have the bocking 14 type because the seeds appear to be sterile. That doesnt stop it propaging itself from root sections though, which I don't mind too much as the ones I don't crop for comopost have pretty flowers which the bees seem to adore!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Yes, Bocking roots really, really easily from a piece of root.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

I had read that the reason bocking is the "right" one is that because it's sterile it doesn't take over the entire plot. Is there any other reason, cos personally I can think of worse weeds to have...

(Goes off to have a go with the search button)

(Comes back) - yes that is the only reason, from what I can make out. I figure as long as you don't let it set seed, and/or weed out any unwanted seedlings that do appear before they become established, it should be fine. Just don't turn your back on it for too long!

One thing to try seems to be stratification. I think - someone please set me straight if I've got confused again lol - this means sowing it in autumn so that you are mimicking wild conditions of it being dropped one year, staying in the soil over the winter, then germinating in spring. I sowed some soapwort earlier this year which didn't come up and just as I was about to chuck it, I read somewhere that wild flowers, especially natives, sometimes refuse to germinate until they've been outside for a winter and that you shouldn't chuck away an ungerminated pot or tray until you've kept it for a year... anyway I've left the soapwort pot in a sheltered place and plan to ignore it for another 9 months or so at least... Is that stratification?

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Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.

I bought a tiny Comfrey plant about 15 years ago, before I knew anything about Blocking 14. So mine seeds itself anywhere and everywhere. By the time you can see a new plant and pull it out, it's already established and comes back all the time and every year there are more and more - I may just disappear one day. I love the plant and use it a lot, but there are limits and I wish I'd known about Blocking 14 because once you've got the other sort, you've got it for life! But the bees do really love it.

Can you put this in bold and in capitals, because people they no rissen to me

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Ha - I'm listening.
Bocking 14 for me

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Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.