Prepare and insert nettle liquid

Prepare and insert nettle liquid

Which plants can be fertilized with the manure?

With the nettle manure you can fertilize all plants that depend on many nutrients to grow. The liquid manure is good for them. It strengthens them, stimulates their growth and makes them more resistant to diseases. Only weak eaters such as peas and strawberries should not be fertilized with the manure too often.

also read

  • Organic pesticide from the kitchen: nettle against aphids
  • Nettle fertilizer: effect, production, use
  • Nettle as a weed killer? How does this work?

The following plants look forward to one or more gifts with nettle manure:

  • tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Zucchinis
  • Pumpkins
  • Cabbage plants
  • Potatoes
  • Leeks
  • celery
  • Herbs
  • Ornamental trees
  • Roses
  • other flowers like sunflowers, dahlias and geraniums

Pesticides were yesterday

Aphids can be unlikely to be a nuisance, as can spider mites, ants and the like. The stinging nettle manure comes in handy because it can be used as a pesticide. It doesn't have to be liquid manure. A nettle brew is also helpful against pests. The acids that are contained in the stinging nettle hairs and are released into the water during the production of the liquid manure (or brew) have an effect here.

Prepare the nettle liquid

First, the nettles must be harvested. This is best done with a pair of leather gloves and scissors. The stinging nettle shoots can be cut off as a whole to just above the ground. If the harvest takes place in May, the manure will be extremely rich in nitrogen. Later it contains less nitrogen, but more iron, calcium, magnesium and sulfur.

What you need

You will need the following to proceed further:

  • Leather gloves
  • Scissors or knives
  • Stick or long-handled wooden spoon
  • 10 liters of water (or more as needed)
  • 1 kg of fresh nettles (or more as needed) or 150 to 200 g of dried nettles
  • large vessel made of stone, wood, plastic or glass (at least 12 liters capacity)

Mix everything together and put it in the right place

The nettles are crushed and placed in the vessel. Then fill the vessel with the water. Stir vigorously once. Now move the vessel to a warm and preferably sunny place. There, the fermentation process for the manure takes less long. Remember to stir daily and, if necessary, to stretch a net over the vessel to keep vermin out!

Phew, that stinks!

After about 3 days, a strong ammonia smell sets in. It is very reminiscent of faeces and makes the production of stinging nettle manure a less attractive affair for some gardeners. Pour some rock flour (€ 14.95 at Amazon *) into the container - it counteracts the unpleasant smell.

Is the manure ready?

The liquid manure is ready after 1 to 2 weeks. You can recognize this by the fact that there are no more bubbles, the stinging nettle leaves have decomposed and the liquid has turned dark. The whole thing still smells pungent ...

Sift through and get ready for use

When the manure is ready, it can be sieved off. The decomposed plant parts can get on the compost. The liquid now serves as fertilizer, which must first be diluted before it is used:

  • older, established plants as well as highly consuming vegetables: 1:10
  • Young plants and seedlings: 1:20
  • Lawn: 1:50

How often can the manure be fertilized?

You can feed your plants with the manure once a week or every two weeks. Heavy consumers benefit from a weekly fertilizer application. This liquid manure rich in nitrogen and potassium is poured directly onto the root area - preferably on cloudy days.

How are pests combated with the liquid manure?

The manure is not only used for fertilization. It can also be used to control pests such as aphids and spider mites. The liquid manure strengthens the structure of the leaves and thus makes the leaves more robust and unattractive for pests. In addition, the manure contains the acids of the stinging nettle, which directly render the pests harmless.

To do this, take a spray bottle and fill it with 1/10 liquid manure and the rest with water. Use it to spray the foliage of the plants. This procedure can also be done preventively. It is advisable to repeat the spraying several times so that newly hatched pests also die.

Scientifically proven effect

A Swedish study has now confirmed the effectiveness of nettle manure on tomatoes, wheat and barley. The study presents the following results:

  • better growth
  • stronger green coloring of the leaves
  • higher resistance to pests

An ecological, free, powerful fertilizer

The shelves in the garden center are almost full of all kinds of fertilizers. One fertilizer for the lawn, one for tomatoes, another for balcony plants, again another for roses, etc. Save the costs and use the liquid manure as fertilizer for all your plants. You, your wallet and the environment will thank you!

Tips

Take the correct dosage of nettle manure seriously! Otherwise it can lead to stunted growth and burns.