Growing Comfrey In Philippines
Comfrey (Symphytum) is a native to cooler climates where it will grow in a splendor of abundance that often needs curtailing.
Fortunately the heat and dry weather¬†curtails comfreys natural vigorous growth here in the Philippines. And because of it’s hunger for water and nitrogen, unlike in cooler climates, it does not overrun your garden.
A common name for comfrey is ‘nitbone’ ¬†because it can literally mend bones!
Here are some of the uses we put comfrey to at Happy House Farm :
- Food : We eat the leaves in small quantity Рanimals also love to eat the leaves. Dipping young leaves in egg and frying make crispy pancakes! Or you can shred thin and mix into your salads. You can eat the root but it has VERY strong alkaloids so take note it can be poisonous if you eat the root in larger quantities. The alkaloids in the leaf are a lot less so leaf consumption in salads is ok and very nutritive and healing for the whole body including the digestive system.
- Green compost: Comfrey has a deep root system so it can retrieve large quantities of minerals buried deeper down in the soil. Using the leaf as a green compost or better still to make a comfrey tea will bring a new lease of life to your garden. The tea is very high in all plant foods including nitrogen so dilute it appropriately. Google how to make comfrey tea to learn more.
- Soil restorer: Comfrey due to it’s strong root system is a perfect plant to recondition abused soils. It does however require a lot of water and does not tolerate the heat well so in the Philippines in the lowlands its propagation can be limited for this purpose.
- Healing: It is a powerful – very powerful herb! I used it to rebuild skin tissue from a 3rd degree abrasion wound on my foot where 90% of my skin was lost and worn to the bone literally. There are many ways to use it as a healing herb but the root is the most powerful.
Propagating comfrey in Philippines
Comfrey can be easily propagated from its roots. Use a piece of root and break it into 1cm segments and place in light soil about 2cm below the soil and water well. It will usually grow shoots in about 4 Р6 days! Alternatively you can allow the plant to go to seed and collect. Do watch though Рallowing comfrey to go to seed will allow it to spread to areas where you may not want it to grow!
It is best to grow comfrey in the Philippines in a semi shaded and wetter area – or make sure you water well. We have ours on a cool slope in semi shade.
Comfrey loves nitrogen and can tolerate most raw manures, even chicken manure. Keep the plants well watered and well composted and you will do well.
We mulch the soil with bamboo leaves and put in bamboo stakes because our chickens scratch things out.
hello,
I have a farm in the oriental mindoro and if possible where can i get some of this wonderful plant comfrey. Please let me know. I want to grow some of this plant and use the benifet it provide.
Thank you again,
Jerry
For sure – it will seed in a month or two and we will have seed that we can share. Send me an email – david @ happy house farm.com (remove spaces) and follow up with me in about 6 weeks time. If you are coming up this way we can give you some root – it grows very easily from root.
Hello
living here in dumaguete city (have been reading about comfrey and how it can be used to supplement pig feeding)
anyway of getting/buying some cuttings/seeds from you , shipping will be paid by also (goes without saying)
darren
Yes it can be used for animal feed but it should be used with caution. The root can be consumed but there are strong alkaloids that have been noted to affect the liver. The leaf can be consumed in greater quantities but again the alkaloids are present in the leaf also. If consuming leaf it should be done for only a short period of time then a rest taken before continuing again. It is a powerful healer of the intestinal system when consumed. If an animal is left to feed near comfrey they will eat it down to the ground! This shows that it is a beneficial herb. But like many herbs over-consumption can have side effects. Send me an email to organise some root to be sent to you. david @ happy house farm.com – remove the spaces. Thank you.
my father urge me to look where can we get comfrey plant.. as your posting shows you have this plant.may i ask how can i buy it from you..
darren stanners did you get some Comfrey, im in Dumaguete, Negros, also and need some urgent for a knee problem wish to grow some also?? text me 09282651270
Good day! I would like to ask if you are selling some of those because we are trying to research about it. If not, do you know someone who sells it? because we really need it. Thank you very much Sir 🙂
Hi can I ask if where I can find comfrey root here in the Phil? Coz I badly need it..please do response.. Thanks!!!
I want to plant comfrey here in Mactan, Cebu. Where shall I get the sprout? How do we in Cebu call this plant?
Sir David I would like to ask if you have Comfrey and can you share some please? I am asking for health reasons. Could you please share some seeds or some root? I am pretty sure Philpost can deliver it in less than 5 days and there is no danger of drying in the mail. Sir David, if you would also like some of my produce I will send to you what you like as I have some plants also rare to find like Carob for chocolate, Sorghum for molasses, Shikakai for hair conditioner and hair loss, Cotton for pillows, Passionfruit, Holy Basil for tea and incense and many others. Look forward to your reply.
David can i ask for seeds of comfrey. Need it for a perma farm at Cagayan de oro city.
Please tell me where I can buy comfrey plants. I need them to make my own salve. I’m from Pasig City.
hi David! I use comfrey to make my salve. It si hard to find comfrey for sale nowadays, and I was unsuccessful in propagating them. Right now we live in an apartment in Pasig, no room to grow a garden. I would like to know if I could buy comfrey from your farm.
I would like to buy comfrey root but I don’t where I can find one
Our comfrey is FINALLY responding and growing – maybe in 2 yrs we will be able to share seeds – we lost 98% of our plants – over the last 3 years … BUT now we know how to grow comfrey here in the PHilippines. It’s a cool climate plant – max temp – 25 degrees – but it will grow and flourish here in the Philippines if you know how.
Sorry can I share another post … >>>> Our comfrey is FINALLY responding and growing – maybe in 2 yrs we will be able to share seeds – we lost 98% of our plants – over the last 3 years … BUT now we know how to grow comfrey here in the PHilippines. It’s a cool climate plant – max temp – 25 degrees – but it will grow and flourish here in the Philippines if you know how.
I had a lower back pain problem for long years now, through pinterest i read the column re comfrey herb best for my problem….can you help me? Am staying in Manila, i needed it as soon as possible, thanks…
Sorry our plants die – they are slow to recover – only got 4 now 🙁 Best thing is to order the ROOT powder – make sure ROOT and then make a poltice from it — you should be able to buy online from somewhere in USA — hope you find something … backpain is the worst — Yoga is best for back pain …
I grew comfrey in australia, it thrives in the heat, the hotter the better and is draught tolerent needing very little water, cooler weather stunts its growth and prolonged cold forced it into hibernation there are several varieties, they all all thrive in shade or full sun, the variety i used most was called russian, i never used seed just stems even the leaves grew new plants. I in Philippines now, it seems you have a cold tolerent variety that may have thrived the sydney winter. I’m curios, I am positive nothing but cold weather 15 degree and under hinders it
I grew comfrey in australia, it thrives in the heat, the hotter the better and is draught tolerent needing very little water, cooler weather stunts its growth and prolonged cold forced it into hibernation there are several varieties, they all all thrive in shade or full sun, the variety i used most was called russian, i never used seed just stems even the leaves grew new plants. I in Philippines now, it seems you have a cold tolerent variety that may have thrived the sydney winter. I’m curios, I am positive nothing but cold weather 15 degree and under hinders it
Dear David
I am from Australia, I grew and sold comfrey for years. I am unfamiliar with the cold weather strain you have, mine dies back in winter 15* and less, picks up in spring and is most prolific in the hottest part of year 30 to 40 degrees, loves shade loves full sun loves dry loves moisture, extremely drought tolerant and like tagaste works as a hydraulic lifter. Tagaste or tree lucerne is compositionally the same as lucerne with all the fodder benefits, but no risk of bloat, its a tree so animals feed from it all year.
I’m presently in Sagada, maybe your cold weather variety will flourish here
Can I get some???
I’m from Cebu Philippines..can anyone help me where can I find comfrey plant here.or anywhere in the country.
I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis a few years ago, and turned to herbal medicine, I ate 1/3 of a leaf of comfrey ( grown in central Queensland Australia) and 2 to 3 leaves of gotu kola for more than 2 years ( research has shown that comfrey could be damaging to the liver if quantities of 7 kilos were taken not a few grams ha ha). I had no surgery and I now go to 3 gym sessions a week ( Crossfit in Angeles City, run jump etc. I believe the cartilage in my knees has regrown. I am now a firm believer of herbal medicine, exercise and a healthy diet. I am not a young fella any more but feel like it at 77. Dave