Comfrey: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow comfrey outdoors?
Check that your comfrey seed belongs to Symphytum officinale. Comfrey hybrids do not all propagate in the same way. Choose a permanent position now: root fragments left in the ground can regrow, and cutting foliage does not eliminate the crown.
Autumn sowing in an outdoor nursery lets seeds experience cold and moisture before spring emergence. For sowing at another time, follow the preparation instructions for your batch; germination can be slow or irregular. Use fine, free-draining soil or pots with drainage holes to make the young plants easier to monitor.
Moisten, sow thinly and cover with about half a centimetre of growing medium. Water gently, then maintain even moisture without standing water. Label the sowing and protect young shoots from slugs. Once sufficiently developed, plant them in sun or partial shade with moist, fertile soil and enough space for their large clumps. Do not automatically divide plants every two years: any operation that fragments roots may also multiply unwanted shoots. Check the chosen site's edges as the plants establish so their eventual spread remains manageable.
When does comfrey flower?
How do you cut back comfrey?
