🚀 go-pugleaf

peter wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm curious to hear what herbs others have used for feeding thier gardens.
> I've found out heaps about Comfrey and it sounds real easy to grow, harvest
> and use.  It also reads as being a very valuable food source for plants,
> especially flowering plants.
> I have heard of nettles being used but have not found much with google yet.
> I've heard that Yarrow is very helpful too, as an activator and maybe
> feeding too, still to finish that google.
> I would especially like to hear from anyone who has heard of Valerian as a
> useful herb in the garden.  I have heard it is a very good companion plant.
>
> So, just wondering what others have experienced or heard.
>
> Cheers and thanks
>
> Peter
===========
Carefull with the Comfrey as it can be invasive, but isn't real hard to
control.  I have it in the garden as it blooms from late May through
September (if you keep whacking it back) and the bumblebees love it.
I let the cuttings dry out a bit and then run them through a grinder
and use it for mulch around tomato plants.    I think in the UK they
till it under and plant on top of it???

Never tried making tea from it, forget what other uses it has.

On 27 Jun 2005 05:49:27 -0700, ozzy.kopec@gmail.com wrote:

(snipped)

>Never tried making tea from it, forget what other uses it has.

Supposedly good for general healing, especially as a poultice on
wounds. 

However it has some nasty things in it that aren't good for your
liver, so while some swear by it, others won't have anything to do
with it.


Cyli
r.bc: vixen.  Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email:  cylise@gmail.com.invalid (strip the .invalid to email)

I've read somewhere that comfrey is very good to add to compost heaps to 
speed up the composting process.  Instead of using those commercial starters 
to get it going.
Cheers,
Brerfox

"peter" <paxmax2@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message 
news:42bfa1c3$0$16490$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm curious to hear what herbs others have used for feeding thier gardens.
> I've found out heaps about Comfrey and it sounds real easy to grow, 
> harvest and use.  It also reads as being a very valuable food source for 
> plants, especially flowering plants.
> I have heard of nettles being used but have not found much with google 
> yet.
> I've heard that Yarrow is very helpful too, as an activator and maybe 
> feeding too, still to finish that google.
> I would especially like to hear from anyone who has heard of Valerian as a 
> useful herb in the garden.  I have heard it is a very good companion 
> plant.
>
> So, just wondering what others have experienced or heard.
>
> Cheers and thanks
>
> Peter
> 

"peter" <paxmax2@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:42bfa1c3$0$16490$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm curious to hear what herbs others have used for feeding thier gardens.
> I've found out heaps about Comfrey and it sounds real easy to grow,
harvest
> and use.  It also reads as being a very valuable food source for plants,
> especially flowering plants.

Be aware that those minerals in comfrey don't come from nowhere.  Whatever
minerals comfrey may gather up that may be useful in your compost or on your
garden come from the soil where it grew.  This may be a handy way to adjust
the nitrogen balance of your compost but it may also deplete the soil where
the comfrey grows.

There are that some plants (legumes) that host nitrogen fixing bacteria
(that is they make nitrogen compounds out of "thin air'') and these plants
can be used as a green manure to improve the nitrogen content of the soil.
Comfrey is not in this category. In the long term growing legumes may be a
better proposition for providing nitrogen compounds.

David

In article <42c22f9d$0$32240$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>,
 "Brerfox" <ronrel@optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> I've read somewhere that comfrey is very good to add to compost heaps to 
> speed up the composting process.  Instead of using those commercial starters 
> to get it going.

I've never had to use a commercial starter so am not sure what advantages they 
provide, but I DO  know that comfrey is very deep-rooted and grows from a tiny 
portion of plant material -- that is, it's weedy.

-- 
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia 
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is 
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

Yup.  And that's about the only good use for it.  My opinion may be a tad 
skewed right now as I've been digging and digging trying to rogue it out as 
it's spread itself all over the place.  Not exactly a retiring sort!  I fell 
for the lovely bell-shaped flowers and herbal attributes.

Suzy O

"Brerfox" <ronrel@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message 
news:42c22f9d$0$32240$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> I've read somewhere that comfrey is very good to add to compost heaps to
> speed up the composting process.  Instead of using those commercial 
> starters
> to get it going.
> Cheers,
> Brerfox
>
> "peter" <paxmax2@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> news:42bfa1c3$0$16490$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm curious to hear what herbs others have used for feeding thier 
>> gardens.
>> I've found out heaps about Comfrey and it sounds real easy to grow,
>> harvest and use.  It also reads as being a very valuable food source for
>> plants, especially flowering plants.
>> I have heard of nettles being used but have not found much with google
>> yet.
>> I've heard that Yarrow is very helpful too, as an activator and maybe
>> feeding too, still to finish that google.
>> I would especially like to hear from anyone who has heard of Valerian as 
>> a
>> useful herb in the garden.  I have heard it is a very good companion
>> plant.
>>
>> So, just wondering what others have experienced or heard.
>>
>> Cheers and thanks
>>
>> Peter
>>
>
> 

   Hi- I haven't gotten on this newsgroup for years (literally..); I can't 
remember if I posted back when I had a cow who sustained a ghastly teat 
injury which I wasn't able to get sutured in time- I did twice daily wound 
care for 6 weeks. I used the standard antibiotic preps for cattle- BUT- also 
made a comfrey preparation- comfrey chopped ultimately fine in the food 
processor, I think it was- kept it refrigerated- and used it as a wound 
dressing for about 2 weeks- I believe that I did see some encouraging 
results in the nature of quicker development of healthy tissue. But as I 
kept having to work to avoid any infection and the comfrey prep was not 
sterile, I finally stopped using it. I had heard that one of the risks using 
comfrey because it *does* accelerate wound healing is that healthy tissue 
will grow quickly and seal in an area of infection- as the wound edges were 
coming together I saw a risk of this happening, so I stopped.

   Nice to see you all are still around.. lw

"Cyli" <cylise@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message 
news:7an1c11fvme4drfohi5elkg28t38bkfirl@4ax.com...
> On 27 Jun 2005 05:49:27 -0700, ozzy.kopec@gmail.com wrote:
>
> (snipped)
>
>>Never tried making tea from it, forget what other uses it has.
>
> Supposedly good for general healing, especially as a poultice on
> wounds.
>
> However it has some nasty things in it that aren't good for your
> liver, so while some swear by it, others won't have anything to do
> with it.
>
>
> Cyli
> r.bc: vixen.  Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
> Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
>
> http://www.visi.com/~cyli
> email:  cylise@gmail.com.invalid (strip the .invalid to email) 

Hey lw- good to 'see' you around again!  Don't remember hearing about the
cow before, I hope she finally healed.  Do you still have 'heretic'?

I have heard to not use comfrey on deep wounds due to the rapid healing of
the surface tissue.  But it makes a great plaster for sprains.

Back to the topic---

Both comfrey and nettles make a great 'tea' for watering plants.  Just put
the plants into a big barrel and fill with water.  Cover and let steep at
least a few weeks.  Get a breathing mask, or a clothes pin for your nose,
and open the barrel.  You can dip out liquid as needed and add more water
and herbs.  Lots of minerals in this tea.

Deb
-- 
In Oregon, the pacific northWET.  NWF habitat #32964


"lw" <wakefield0ground@sacoriver.net> wrote in message
news:42d252e0$1@news.sacoriver.net...
>    Hi- I haven't gotten on this newsgroup for years (literally..); I can't
> remember if I posted back when I had a cow who sustained a ghastly teat
> injury which I wasn't able to get sutured in time- I did twice daily wound
> care for 6 weeks. I used the standard antibiotic preps for cattle- BUT-
also
> made a comfrey preparation- comfrey chopped ultimately fine in the food
> processor, I think it was- kept it refrigerated- and used it as a wound
> dressing for about 2 weeks- I believe that I did see some encouraging
> results in the nature of quicker development of healthy tissue. But as I
> kept having to work to avoid any infection and the comfrey prep was not
> sterile, I finally stopped using it. I had heard that one of the risks
using
> comfrey because it *does* accelerate wound healing is that healthy tissue
> will grow quickly and seal in an area of infection- as the wound edges
were
> coming together I saw a risk of this happening, so I stopped.
>
>    Nice to see you all are still around.. lw
>
> "Cyli" <cylise@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:7an1c11fvme4drfohi5elkg28t38bkfirl@4ax.com...
> > On 27 Jun 2005 05:49:27 -0700, ozzy.kopec@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > (snipped)
> >
> >>Never tried making tea from it, forget what other uses it has.
> >
> > Supposedly good for general healing, especially as a poultice on
> > wounds.
> >
> > However it has some nasty things in it that aren't good for your
> > liver, so while some swear by it, others won't have anything to do
> > with it.
> >
> >
> > Cyli
> > r.bc: vixen.  Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
> > Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
> >
> > http://www.visi.com/~cyli
> > email:  cylise@gmail.com.invalid (strip the .invalid to email)
>
>

Deb wrote:
> Hey lw- good to 'see' you around again!  Don't remember hearing
> about the cow before, I hope she finally healed.  Do you still have
> 'heretic'? 
> 
> I have heard to not use comfrey on deep wounds due to the rapid
> healing of the surface tissue.  But it makes a great plaster for
> sprains. 
> 
> Back to the topic---
> 
> Both comfrey and nettles make a great 'tea' for watering plants. 
> Just put the plants into a big barrel and fill with water.  Cover
> and let steep at least a few weeks.  Get a breathing mask, or a
> clothes pin for your nose, and open the barrel.  You can dip out
> liquid as needed and add more water and herbs.  Lots of minerals in
> this tea. 

More garden tea hogwash.

-- 

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Travis a �crit dans le message ...
>Deb wrote:
>> Hey lw- good to 'see' you around again!  Don't remember hearing
>> about the cow before, I hope she finally healed.  Do you still have
>> 'heretic'?
>>
>> I have heard to not use comfrey on deep wounds due to the rapid
>> healing of the surface tissue.  But it makes a great plaster for
>> sprains.
>>
>> Back to the topic---
>>
>> Both comfrey and nettles make a great 'tea' for watering plants.
>> Just put the plants into a big barrel and fill with water.  Cover
>> and let steep at least a few weeks.  Get a breathing mask, or a
>> clothes pin for your nose, and open the barrel.  You can dip out
>> liquid as needed and add more water and herbs.  Lots of minerals in
>> this tea.
>
>More garden tea hogwash.
>
>--
>
>Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
>USDA Zone 8
>Sunset Zone 5

Don't know that comfrey "tea"  would have an effect one way or the other and
nettle "tea" would not provide much in the way of minerals since any
minerals  of interest in the plant  are not water soluble.  Nettle does
contain a great
deal of formic acid which is very water soluble and therefore makes a nice
pesticide.
  Diluted cow "pee" 10 parts water to 1 part urine makes
a nice nitrate fertilizer.  Has a tendency to pollute the water supply
though.
JOL