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Cardamom Essential Oil Uses and Benefits

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Cardamom is a flowering plant in the ginger family. There are two main varieties—Amomum and Elettaria.  Cardamom oil from the Elettaria variety, which is commonly called “green” cardamom, or “true” cardamom. Native to Southeast Asia, Cardamom is added to traditional Indian sweets and teas for its cool, yet minty aroma and flavor. High quality Cardamom essential oil is steam distilled from seeds, after they dried for more than three months.

Cardamom is described as spicy, fruity, warm, and balsamic. It’s main chemical components are terpinyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, and linalool. It has profound effects on the respiratory system due to its high cineole content, which promotes clear airways and breathing. 

 What are the benefits of Cardamom Essential Oil?

These are some of the primary benefits of Cardamom Oil:

  • Eases occasional indigestion
  • Supports overall respiratory health. 
  • It is often used to promote oral health of the teeth and gums.
  • It uplifts mood
  • Flavorful spice for cooking and baking

What are Cardamom’s cautions?

There are no known toxic effects, but consuming an excessive amount of Cardamom essential oil can result in an overdose, resulting in loose bowels and irritation. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are advised not to ingest cardamom oil.

 Top Ten Uses for Cardamom Essential Oil

  1. When cooking with Cardamom essential oil, start with a very small drop—essential oils go a long way in flavoring food.
  2. To support your digestive system or reduce stomach upsets, use 1-2 drops topically, aromatically, or internally. Cardamom can be combined with a digestive essential oil blend.
  3. If you are having trouble with stomach gas, add 1 drop to water, or 1-3 drops to a veggie capsule. You could also massage it over your lower abdomen.
  4. Cardamom can help eliminate bad breath. Place a tiny amount on your tongue.
  5. For muscle discomforts, either add Cardamom oil to a massage oil for a full body massage, or apply 1-2 drops in a carrier oil over the aching area.
  6. Cardamom essential oil can be used to uplift your mood, much the same way as citrus blends can do. Try diffusing it throughout your room, or massage 1-2 drops over your chest area.
  7. Cardamom is excellent when used in bath water, and will leave you feeling refreshed and stimulated.
  8. Because it is extremely gentle, it can be used in cases where Ginger and Peppermint may be too strong for children or very sensitive individuals.
  9. Cardamom’s strong taste and rich fragrance make it one of the world’s favorite cooking spices. Use it to accentuate savory dishes or in delicious baked desserts. It can also be added to tea or coffee for a unique taste experience.

Where to  purchase Cardamom essential oil

 Home-made Cardamom Essential Oil Recipe

Try making a refreshing summer perfume using Cardamom essential oil with other companion oils. It will be a relaxing and warming blend with a lightly floral aroma. It is especially useful during times of stress, anxious feelings, irritability or feelings of sadness. You will be using the following essential oils: Lavender, Chamomile, Cardamom, Cedarwood, Geranium with a carrier oil. You can find the recipe for this Sweet Summer Perfume here. 

Cardamom and Emotions

Cardamom is the oil of objectivity, helping individuals to regain objectivity, mental sobriety, and self-control. It is especially beneficial for individuals with a long history of anger or aggression. It helps individuals let go of emotional distortions which cause them to objectify other people and see them as inconveniences. (source)

Companion Oils: Thyme, Oregano, “Digestive” blend , and Geranium

Sources

  1. https://essential-essentials.com/shop/cardamom-essential-oil/
  2. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-cardamom-essential-oil.html
  3. https://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/cardamom-essential-oil.html
  4. https://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/cardamom.htm#Uses

 So tell me?! How do you like to use Cardamom essential oil?

Cardamom Essential Oil Uses

Basil Essential Oil Uses and Benefits

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Bunch of fresh green basil in a basket on a wooden table, selective focus

I can still remember the smell in our house growing up when my mother had a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. I could smell the sweet-yet-spicy warm, refreshing odor of the fresh Basil she used along with all the other smells that told me, “Yippee! We are eating Italian tonight!”  Basil essential oil reminds me delicious, mouth-watering Italian food. If you decide to use it topically, you will smell like Italian food too! 

Basil essential oil is extracted from the leaf of the Basil plant through steam distillation. It has a high percentage of linalool, which makes it ideal for many topical uses. It is also frequently used in cooking, and when diffused it helps to improve your breathing while sharpening your focus and lessening your stress.

What are the benefits of Basil Essential Oil?

Bunch of fresh green basil in a basket on a wooden table, selective focus

There are many, many benefits of this workhorse essential oil, including:

  1. Soothing sore muscles and joints
  2. Assisting with clear breathing
  3. Acting as a cooling agent for the skin
  4. Promoting mental alertness
  5. Lessening anxious feelings
  6. Reduces tension and stress
  7. Enhances memory function. 
  8. Promotes hair and scalp health
  9. Soothes minor irritations. 
  10. Making your kitchen smell, and your food taste, like your Italian grandma is here for a visit and cooking up her favorite Italian food.

What are Basil’s cautions?

Some people may experience skin sensitivities when using Basil. As with all essential oils, you should keep it out of reach of children. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing, and avoid getting Basil in your eyes, inner ears, or other sensitive spots.

Top Ten Uses for Basil Essential Oil

  1. To help ward off insects or bees, make a solution with 1-2 drops of Basil oil, mixed with 3-4 drops of fractionated coconut oil or other carrier oil. You can apply this to the bite several times a day.
  2. For small skin irritations, you can apply a drop of Basil oil mixed with a drop of coconut oil to protect against environmental threats.
  3. Basil oil can be used to promote ear health. Do not use Basil Oil directly in the ear, but dilute a drop with a carrier oil and rub it behind, over and around the ear.
  4. If you are feeling anxious or stressed, try diffusing Basil in your room, or apply a few drops to your pillow before you go to sleep.
  5. You can massage Basil oil into the area where you have muscle spasms.
  6. When you have any head tension that you can’t seem to get rid of, try diffusing Basil oil, or massage it into your temples, the base of your neck and over any specific area of pain.
  7. Are you having trouble with oily hair? Add a drop or two of Basil oil to your shampoo, and massage it into your scalp.
  8. If you are struggling with minor skin irritations, you can apply Basil to the area. You can add it to a carrier oil or use it neat, as long as you have already tested an area of your skin for sensitivity to Basil.
  9. When you or a family member need support for overall respiratory health, diffuse the oil throughout your room, or add 1-2 drops to a steam tent and breathe in the oil. You can also massage it into your throat and chest.
  10. Don’t forget the wonderful, healthy benefit of using Basil essential oil in your cooking, marinades or spaghetti sauces! 

Where to purchase Basil essential oil

Home-made Basil Essential Oil Recipe

One of my family’s favorite reminders of the time we spent living in Chicago is eating Italian Beef Sandwiches. I have developed a PALEO version of these delicious sandwiches, and it is hard to distinguish any difference in taste. To make the preparation even easier for our busy lifestyles, the ingredients are tossed in a Crock Pot and cooked all day. Golly, the house smells just like Chicago when the Crock Pot is filled and cooking this delicious meat. You can find this fantastic recipe on my blog in the next few days! 

Basil and Emotions

Basil has been called “The Oil of Renewal.” The smell of Basil brings strength to the heart and relaxation to the mind. It supports those who are under a great deal of mental strain. It gives hope and optimism to the tired soul. (source)

So tell me?! How do you like to use Basil Essential Oil?

Bergamot Essential Oil Uses and Benefits

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Bergamot oranges on orange background

Bergamot essential oil is made from the Bergamot Orange tree—the most fragile citrus tree with pear-shaped fruit that resembles a cross between an orange and a grapefruit. Bergamot oil is one of the most widely used oils in the potpourri and perfumery industry. As far back as Napoleonic times, people were using it as a cologne and perfume. It is one of the distinct flavors in Earl Grey and Lady Grey teas. But this oil is more than just a sweet scent of flavor—it is bursting with a powerhouse of benefits that can work wonders for your health.

Bergamot essential oil is made from the hand- or cold-pressed rind of the nearly ripe fruit of the bergamot tree. It takes 100 bergamot oranges to produce just 3 ounces of bergamot oil. The limonene and linalyl acetate chemicals in the oil gives it the ability to be uplifting and calming, and ideal to help with anxious and sad feelings.  

What are the benefits of Bergamot Essential Oil?

  1. It promotes healthy, clear skin by purifying and cleansing the skin, reducing overactive oil conditions.
  2. It reduces anxious feelings and stress. 
  3. Reduces stress and tension. 

 What are Bergamot’s cautions?

As with other oils, some people may experience skin sensitivities from using Bergamot oil. Because it is a product made from citrus, you should avoid sunlight or UV rays for up to 12 hours after applying the oil topically. 

 Click here to see my essential oil safety guide

Top Ten Uses for Bergamot Essential Oil

  1. Because of its unique fruity and subtly spicy aroma, it is frequently added to different perfume and cologne products.
  2. Italians make bergamot marmalade, and it can be found in many delicious desserts such as the Turkish Delight.
  3. The Bergamot plant, with roots that have a potent odor, can be grown as a companion crop in vegetable gardens.
  4. It can be used as a refreshing bathroom spray that can be used before you “take care of business.” You can find a recipe for making your own spray here. 
  5. Bergamot oil is a fantastic oil to diffuse in a classroom, at work, or at home to lower stress and relieve tension.
  6. It will provide you with purifying skin benefits if you apply it to your skin while showering, inhaling the calming aroma deeply as you shower.
  7. You can apply it to your feet before bedtime, or add it to fractionated coconut oil to create a great massage lotion.
  8. If you are struggling with occasional stomach upset, massage 1-2 drops of Bergamot oil into the stomach as needed or before each meal.
  9. Bergamot helps with occasional sleeplessness. Try diffusing Bergamot one hour before bedtime, or make a “Sleepytime lotion” by adding several drops to fractionated coconut oil, which you can apply topically.
  10. Bergamot oil contains large amounts of polyphenols, which can produce relaxed, calm feelings, and combat emotional overeating or “comfort eating.” Try adding several drops of Bergamot oil to your regular tea for a homemade Earl Gray tea that can help you in your weight loss efforts.

 Where to purchase Bergamot Essential Oil

Home-made Bergamot Essential Oil Recipe

Bergamot has wonderful skin-cleansing and refreshing qualities. You can make a homemade Bergamot Face Mask to be used a couple times a week to help with oily and acne-infected facial skin. You can find the recipe here. *Do not use this during the summer months*

 Bergamot and Emotions

Bergamot relieves feelings of despair, self-judgment and low self-esteem. It invites individuals to see life with more optimism. Bergamot teaches individuals to let go of self-judgment by learning to love themselves unconditionally (source).

Companion Oils: Cassia and Melissa

Sources

  1. https://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/bergamot-oil.html
  2. https://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/bergamot-oil.aspx#_edn9
  3. https://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/bergamot.htm
  4. https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-bergamot-essential-oil.html

Top 40 Household Items for Your Emergency Storage

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40 Household Items

In my first post about the need to think about how you would feed your family for a year if some major disaster or emergency eliminated all other sources of food for your family, I mentioned that you also needed to include household supplies, medicine, personal care items and food preparation tools. Today, I want to talk about these non-food items, these top 40 household items for your emergency storage.

We will consider non-food items in three important categories: household, medicine & personal care, and kitchen items. 

This is the 3rd post in a series I’ve done on how to get your family prepared for emergencies. The first post was 5 things to consider when stockpiling food for your family. And the 2nd post was a weekly plan on how to use $10 a week to build a years worth of paleo groceries. 

Category 1: Household Products

No matter how much food you have stored up for an emergency, it will still be an emergency situation if you do not have things like bottled water, soaps, matches, and toilet paper.

When you are developing your emergency food storage plans, be sure to include essential household products on your master list. There are many economical ways for you to accumulate these. Discount stores, close-out opportunities, dollar stores, and neighborhood garage sales are all possibilities. Just be sure you are adding these to your storage accumulation. 

There are several online lists of household products to store that you can find. I have reviewed several of these, and will give you a list of 10 important items you will need for sure. Be sure to do your own research to discover other things you will want to have on hand. Two good online lists you can review are HERE and HERE. 

Top 10 Household Products to Have: 

  1. Bottled water (we keep a travel Berkey for this purpose) 
  2. Toilet paper and paper towels (or tons of washcloths for cloth toilet paper) 
  3. Lamp oil and candles
  4. Large boxes of kitchen matches or Bic lighters
  5. Body, Dish and Laundry soap 
  6. Assorted plastic bags (food storage, garbage bags)
  7. Bleach or peroxide (I use white vinegar in place of bleach) 
  8. Household cleaners 
  9. Lighter fluid or charcoal
  10. Mop, cleaning rags, brushes, towels, etc.

Category 2: Medicine and Personal Care Products

Let me first talk about storing medicines. Begin by listing all of the necessary medicines each family member must have available. I am not talking about prescriptions, because it may be next to impossible to have a one-year supply of prescription medicines. But there are other topical medicines, OTC products and things like bandages, sterile pads, and tapes that you may need.

THIS is a wonderful list of items that you should store in a first-aid kit. I recommend that you use that as the start of your own list of medicines to store. This creative mom uses a fishing tackle box to hold her first aid supplies.  It is particularly exciting to me to see that right there in the midst of her other supplies are her favorite essential oils. As you know, I love my essential oils, and would highly recommend that you consider their benefits in your emergency storage plan also. Essential oils have been used by thousands throughout hundreds of years, and can be used for many health-related needs and their shelf live can surpass 10 years if stored properly! 

Top 10 Essential Oils to Have:

  1. Lavender—Useful for soothing baths, diffusing for a good night’s sleep, applying to cuts and scrapes, and even for minor aches and pains.
  2. “Protective” blend—This is the powerhouse oil to keep your immune system strong. 
  3. Frankincense – the most precious of essential oils in the ancient world. It’s a powerful addition to your medicine cabinet.
  4. Melaleuca “Tea Tree” oil- first aid for the skin
  5. “Soothing“Blend – a blend of wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum, and osmanthus which aids in muscle and joint support 
  6. Peppermint – relieve minor head tension and use in toothpaste recipe and for pest control
  7. Lemon – natural cleanser 
  8. “Respiratory” Blend – helps support your respiratory system and open and clear airways. 
  9. Oregano – natural immune support 
  10. “Digestive” Blend – helps provide digestive relief 

You can purchase all these oils in a wholesale starter kit at a discount price! 

Many of the personal care products you may need use the SAME ingredients. So I recommend you have these items on hand so that you can make the products you need in an emergency situation. 

Top 10 Personal Care Ingredients to Have: 

  1. Coconut Oil – to wash your face with and to use as a base for deodorant, salves, and soap
  2. Bentonite Clay – to make toothpaste, tooth powder, deodorant and baby powder
  3. Shea or Cacao Butter – to make lotions, rubs, and salves
  4. Beeswax – to help lotions and salves hold form and to use to make candles and soap
  5. Essential Oils – to be used in nearly EVERY personal care recipe and home cleaning recipe. 
  6. Baking Soda – to make deodorant, laundry soap, and to even wash your hair with
  7. Apple Cider Vinegar – to use as a hair conditioner and to promote many other health benefits. 
  8. Olive and Almond Oil – to use as a facial serum or moisturizer and used to make salves

Don’t forget to keep razors, aspirin, tylenol, and personal make-up products on hand if you think you will need them. 

Category 3: Top 10 Essential Kitchen Items

The final category of products to be sure you include in your storage plans would be essential kitchen items you will use. It won’t do you any good to have cans of food if you do not have a can opener, and the frozen meat in your freezer will stay useless without the pans to prepare it in.

Here are some of the kitchen items I consider indispensable to me when I’m thinking about my emergency food storage.

  1. Can opener
  2. Cast iron/stainless steel cookware
  3. Roasting pans
  4. Cooking utensils
  5. Measuring cups and spoons
  6. Kitchen knives
  7. Dishes or Paper products for serving food
  8. Silverware or plasticware
  9. Kitchen tools like mixers, blenders, graters (Be sure you have some non-electric ones in case of widespread power outages.)
  10. Quantities of plastic bags, foils, wax papers, or plastic wrap.

You can find more information in these kitchen items online HERE. 

Now you are ready!

If you will incorporate some of the information I’ve given you in these three blogs on an Emergency Food Storage plan, and begin your own stockpiling, you will be ready for whatever comes our way. It would be our hope that it never becomes necessary to have only our cache of food and supplies to live on, but as with many other things in life today, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Best sure to check out the rest of the blog posts in this series: 

  1. Could You Feed Your Family for a Year? 
  2. One Year of Emergency Paleo Food Storage on $10 Week

 Resources

  • https://www.granny-miller.com/use-this-tool-to-help-plan-a-years-worth-of-food-supplies/
  • https://www.granny-miller.com/a-years-worth-of-food-supplies/
  • https://thesurvivalmom.com/38-must-have-kitchen-items-for-any-survivalist/

Top 40 Household Items for Your Emergency Storage

Top 6 Companion Plants to Defend Your Precious Veggies From Harmful Insects

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Gardening

Today I welcome Sally from Garden Valley Homestead to the blog! I’m so excited to share this wonderful post she wrote on the top 6 companion plants to defend your precious veggies from harmful insects. 

Everyone needs a friend, someone to look out for us, keep us safe. We’re stronger together, right? Plants need best-buddies, too, a pal to protect them from harmful insects. Some plants make great companions, but some are mighty Super Heroes that not only protect their friends, but also make them stronger and better (more flavorful). Plants are designed to live and work together. When you know which plants live and work well together–who looks after whom–your gardening work is so much easier, and your plants will thrive–while you sit back, then reap the harvest! 

Top 6 Companion Plants to Defend Your Precious Veggies From Harmful Insects: 

There are many excellent companion plants growing on this green earth, but this post zeroes-in on a handful of great ones–Super Heros– that can live happily in just about any garden. The plants that made the Top 6 List were selected because they are:

  • Easy to find
  • Easy to grow
  • Easy to eat
  • Repel insects from a range of commonly grown vegetables, including tomatoes, cabbage, beans, potatoes
  • Worthy of being called Super Heros

Plant List: 

#6 BORAGE

borage, pinnable, garden, plant, post, sally olson, canva (1)

Borage is a friend to MANY plants, especially tomatoes and squash. But, Borage and strawberries are absolute Besties! Savvy strawberry farmers always set a few plants in their beds to enhance the fruits flavor and yield. Borage’s Super Powers are its knack for repelling tomato hornworms and cabbage worms, attracting bees and wasps, as well as adding trace minerals to the soil. Borage leaves contain vitamin C and are rich in calcium, potassium and mineral salts. It also makes a nice mulch for most plants. Borage is self-sowing, so after planting this annual once, it will reseed itself. Borage flowers are beautifully vibrant and edible. The plant itself is furry and gangly, and not edible. This is why is ranks 5th among five super defenders.

Borage grows in zones 5-10

#5 CHIVES

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Chives buddy-up well with carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kohlrabi, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, mustard–and apples! Chives’ super power is defending tomatoes from aphids and repelling Japanese beetles and carrot rust flies from your garden. Planting chives consistently for three years amongst apple trees prevents scab disease. That’s a big deal! Apple scab can ruin a season’s crop. Pair Chives with carrots and tomatoes to enhance their flavor. It holds fourth place because it doesn’t get along well with asparagus, beans, peas, and spinach.

Chives grow in ALL hardiness zones.

Word of warning: It’s not recommended to plant Chive with asparagus, beans, peas and spinach.

#4 RADISH

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Radishes are trustworthy companions to many plants–and they’re easy to grow. Plant radishes along side beets, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach to protect them from cucumber beetles and rust flies. Radishes draw strength and flavor from Chervil and nasturtium, so think about planting a little of each to give your radishes a boost.

To defend your corn crop against borers (ugh!), plant radish with your corn, but let it go to seed for its protective power to work. 

If you don’t mind planting a few sacrificial radish, plant a few with your spinach to lure leafminers from your spinach plants. The leafminers will damage the radish leaves, but not the edible root. 

Radish’s super power lies in its uncanny ability to tell you something about your soil, like if the calcium levels are off. If your radish grows to produce a stringy root, your soil needs calcium.

Word of warning: Keep radishes away from hyssop plants, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and turnips.   

Radish grow in ALL hardiness zones.

#3 ONION

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If you’re looking forward to growing any of these vegetables this season–Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower,Cabbage, Collards, Chard, dill, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Radishes, Rutabaga, tomato, Turnip–send in the onions! The onion’s super power is its strong smell which confuses carrot and onion flies and repels maggots away from carrots, lettuce, chamomile, beets, cabbage, and parsnips.

Grows in all zones, depending upon the variety.

Word of warning: Keep onions away from peas and asparagus.

 

 

#2 MARIGOLD (CALENDULA)

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Even though this number 2 Guardian Plant, marigold (Pot Marigold) isn’t a vegetable, it is edible…and beautiful…and easy to grow. Botanically known as Calendula , ( ca·len·du·la \kə-ˈlen-jə-lə, -dyu̇-lə\), it is a might adversary of any insect that dares to enter the garden. French marigolds repel whiteflies and kill bad nematodes. Mexican marigolds are said to “bug” many destructive insects. Scented varieties of marigold flowers are the best pest deterrents. One of Calendula’s super powers is its ability to be self-reliant. But, give it a little care and it will perpetually bloom in your garden.

Grows in ALL hardiness zones.

Word of warning: While calendula drives away many foes, it also attracts spider mites (there’s a plant for that!) and snails.

#1 GARLIC: 

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Yes, garlic! It ranks Number #1 Super Hero Defender of Good (plants) on this list of Super Hero insect-fighting plants because its powerful ability to defend fruit trees! 

Garlic is the perfect, yet stealthy, partner for apple, peach and pear orchards, or wherever borers are a problem. Garlic’s super power is its ability to accumulate sulfur, which acts as a naturally occurring fungicide. Garlic’s companion plants take-up take up the sulfur through their roots (how to make a soil drench) and pores. Garlic’s status as Super Guardian Defender stem from its ability to ward-off codling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. Go ahead and plant garlic under peach trees to help repel borers. 

Garlic is one plant you should plant throughout your garden beds. Plant garlic along side your tomatoes to prevent red spider mites (link to calendula) from moving in. Diamond back moths won’t bother your cabbage when garlic is standing guard.

Bonus: Aphids won’t give your roses a second thought once they realize garlic is on duty.

Word of warning: Garlic is fickle around peas.

Gardening is so much simpler–and rewarding, when you let the plants do the work for you. Now you know which plants which protect your crops from invaders is half the battle. It’s time to dig in and starting growing a strong, healthy crop of produce for your family.

RESOURCES: 

  1. Companion Planting https://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
  2. Gardening with Borage: https://gardening.about.com/od/herbsspecificplants1/p/Borage.htm
  3. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pest-repelling_plants
  4. Harvest to Table: https://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/04/insect-deterrent_plants/
  5. Pallen Smith: https://www.pallensmith.com/articles/pest-control-plants
  6. Do It Yourself: https://www.doityourself.com/stry/using-garlic-as-a-natural-pesticide#b
  7. The Flower Expert: https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/growingflowers/growingflowers/growing-marigolds

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Sally Olson is a wife, mother, writer/blogger, and redeemed fake Ficus tree owner. She blogs at Garden Valley Homestead where she helps reluctant gardeners trade in brown thumbs for fresh greens. Sally, her husband of 26 years, two sons, horses, Labrador Retrievers, and hens are blessed to call the Sierra-Nevada Foothills home. For more nourishing garden time-saver tips, follow Sally at https://www.gardenvalleyhomestead.com and on Pinterest,  pinterest.com/GVHomestead/

Gardening

5 Ways to Use Comfrey

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If you’re following me on Instagram you might have seen a few posts on our new 10-acre “forever farm” that we will be moving into shortly. I am truly blessed with all the healthy garden plants and trees already planted there. One of my greatest thrills is the Comfrey patch just waiting for me to use. Of course, I have been researching all the ways to use this extremely beneficial plant, and I’m excited to share with you here the 5 ways to use comfrey that I’ve discovered and will implement on our new homestead. 

5 Ways to Use Comfrey:

1. Comfrey for preparing the soil of my garden 

It will become my secret weapon to improve my veggie garden soil, to mulch around my plants, and to prevent disease from keeping me from a bountiful harvest of veggies later in the fall. I’ll be using fresh comfrey leaves as fertilizer in my planting holes. I’ll also learn to make comfrey “tea” to add to the water that waters my garden. (Add fresh comfrey leaves to a half barrel of water, cover, and steep for 3-6 weeks.) And by adding a few drops of liquid soap to my “tea,” I’ll be able to spray and coat the tops and bottoms of my plants to keep away the garden pests.

2. Comfrey will be a major part of our compost station.

Comfrey has a higher NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) ratio than either kelp or the average homemade compost pile. It is rich in calcium and many other valuable plant nutrients. It is known to be a compost activator to “heat things up quickly.” Comfrey makes a wonderful mulch, naturally high in nitrogen so it doesn’t pull nitrogen from the soil. It’s high potassium content makes it so beneficial for flowers, vegetables, berries and fruit trees. I’ll be adding 2-3 inches of leaves around my plants. These leaves will slowly break down and release the wonderful nutrients. Comfrey should not be used for root crops or leafy greens because they may cause these plants to go to seed prematurely.

3. Comfrey as a liquid fertilizer

This may be the best use I’ll find. I’ve been told that now that I have comfrey I can throw away the Miracle Grow and other fertilizers. Chopped leaves and stems can be crammed tight into a large container (like 5 gallon buckets) with a brick or rock pressing down on the mass of comfrey. After a few weeks I’ll have a greenish-brownish “soup” mixture ready for use. After straining it through a fine screen, I can add a spigot to the bottom of the container and just keep adding more comfrey to the top to break down also.

4. Comfrey for our livestock

Comfrey has been traditionally used as livestock food. Dry comfrey contains protein and an assortment of healthy minerals. Because it is lower in fiber, it is a good feed for pigs and chickens who have trouble digesting fiber. It has also proven to be an excellent feed for horses, cows, donkeys, sheep, and goats. However, I’ll have to cut the comfrey leaves and wilt them for a day or so to get our chickens to eat them…they would not like the prickly hairs on the leaves. Research indicates I will be able to replace up to 10 percent of the chicken feed without lowering egg production.

5. Comfrey as a healing salve

Comfrey has been in use as a medicinal herb for more than 200 years. The allantoin content of comfrey aids in healing wounds, sores, burns, swollen tissue, and broken bones. It can be applied externally to bruises, sprains, arthritic bones of any inflamed tissue, and acts as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. I will be able to make a poultice by boiling the leaves, or by putting the roots in a blender or food processor, covering with oil, and grinding as fine as possible. It should be stored in a large glass jar and allowed to soak for several weeks before straining. However, comfrey should never be taken internally. I will follow up with an entire blog on how to make comfrey salve in a coming blog, but in the meantime, you can check out my Healing Salve recipe and replace the calendula with comfrey. 

The comfrey in my new garden is planted with a blueberry patch. You can see from the photo to the right that my kids have already determined they will spend time eating the healthy, large blueberries that have grown up under the protection of the secret power of Comfrey.

Comfrey is a fast growing, hardy plant, and I should get 4-5 pounds of leaves from each plant a year. I’ll remove the flowers from most of the plants because they take a lot of the plant’s energy to create the seeds. However, since I plan to have 5 or more beehives, I’ll leave a few plants with flowers for the bees that love them. Besides, the flowers are beautiful!

Getting Started in Comfrey: 

  1. Find a local gardener (Craigslist is a great place to look) who is selling comfrey plants. 
  2. Plant your own seeds (I like these non-gmo ones) 
  3. Order dried comfrey (I like this one) 

Resources

  1. https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/comfrey-power
  2. https://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Feeding_comfrey_to_livestock/
  3. https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2013/08/11/comfrey-the-homesteaders-gold-mine/
  4. https://www.nantahala-farm.com/comfrey-growing-s.shtml