Growing Comfrey For Strawberry Beds

Comfrey is a powerful perennial herb - that means it usually dies off in the winter, only to bloom back to life in the spring.  It is amazing in the garden–attracting pollinators and beneficial insects, providing medicinal value, and enriching soil with nutrients.  About 3 years ago, a friend dug up part of her comfrey plant and sent it home with me.  We transplanted it in our side garden bed and there it has grown abundantly.  Here is how I use comfrey to improve my soil and enhance my strawberry beds.

Strawberries have vast nutrient needs, which include nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and a few other trace elements. Most of these essential nutrients can be found in comfrey.  The roots of the herb comfrey reach deep down and absorb essential nutrients, which then accumulate in its leaves. Comfrey leaves make a great fertilizing mulch when chopped, transferring the nutrients to the soil. 

Comfrey plants are easy to obtain at most local nurseries or garden stores and now they can even be found online.  


To create this mulch, simply chop the leaves and use them as mulch throughout the strawberry bed.  I collected a bucket full and then distributed it through the strawberry beds around our different garden areas.  We grow strawberries in a couple places around the home; main garden, front edible area, and individual containers.

Strawberry beds have to be beautiful!    One of our beds is just starting to sprout flowers.  We remodeled our bathroom, taking out the claw foot tub, and upcycling it into the garden.  Doesn't it make an adorable strawberry bed?

Strawberries are a favorite in our gardens.  We could have a whole field of them and still probably not have enough.  I hope this simple suggestion of adding comfrey mulch to your strawberry beds helps you to grow your best strawberries.