Kathryn wrote:
> If you just mow occasionally the comfrey is a plant/animal feed
> (that's surely the main reason for growing it.
Yes, the use of comfrey in compost or tea is probably the
biggest interest for most gardeners. But my main interest
is elsewhere (see below).
> I'd worry about both of these competing with the orchard trees
> since they are both so deep rooted.
Ah.. this gets into the heart of the matter. How do plants
interact together to form a stable eco-system? In other
words, take care of themselves. Does the comfrey benefit
or hinder the orchard trees?
My tentative conclusions go something like this:
- Grass dominates orchards until taller plants
come along.
- Grass is an aggressive competator.
- Grass is difficult to manage with hand
tools.
-comfry can suppress grass, is reported to have smaller
impact on trees, and can be controlled with hand tools.
-comfry can exist in semi-shade and this opens up some
"forest garden" options (Increasing diversity?).
> what kind of bamboo? doesn't the bamboo become invasive too?
The experiment with bamboo and comfry was/is trying to answer
those questions along with some others. This site is forested
by tall fir trees and we have a few sheep. The bamboo could
not compete with either of these conditions. I've tried three
different types of bamboo and found that the local plants squeeze
them out. This is true of comfry also. The two together are
a little stronger when confronted with grass.
jeff
