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| Nettle Liquid Fertiliser - A Free Resource |
One of the things that I do every Spring is to get started on making my Nettle Liquid Fertiliser.
Nettles are plentiful around the margins of our allotment site in West Cornwall, as they are in most places around the UK. Another wonderful free resource to be exploited - and easy to do so.
The fertiliser can be diluted in a watering can and used to boost crops - exactly like the liquid plant feeds that you buy from the garden centre. The obvious difference is that you can make this yourself, so it's free, apart from a little time and effort.
The method is very simple. First gather your nettles - obviously its best to wear sturdy gardening gloves to avoid getting stung. I simply cut the tops off with a pair of scissors or secateurs then collect them in a plastic container.
Next place the container in a corner of your allotment plot, add the nettles and cover with water.
Then leave them for three or four weeks to rot down, add more water if needed. The liquid will turn a green colour and the nettle stems will sink to the bottom.
Dip your watering can in and gather an inch or two depth of the liquid, top up the can with fresh water and water onto your growing beds and plants as and where needed.
Alternatively, if you have a mesh of some sort you can filter the liquid into another container to store, dilute and use later.
A rough guide is that the diluted feed for the plants should be the colour of weak green tea.
You could add some Comfrey to the mix if you have any growing, this will only add to the goodness in your fertiliser. Or this can be used on its own in the same way as the nettles.
Both Comfrey and Nettles are rich in Nitrogen which will encourage and feed green leafy growth.
Comfrey is also rich in Potassium which helps to set flowers and fruit.
You can keep adding more nettles and water to the container throughout the growing season. Simply add all of the residue to the compost heap when finished.
One note of caution - this mixture can get a bit smelly and attract flies. So - as I discovered for myself, its something best done on the allotment plot rather than in your back garden / yard at home.
Well worth doing though, another free resource and one vastly under-used by growers in my opinion.
You might also find these articles helpful:
Free Resources - Leaf Mould - Allotment With A Sea View Blog
How To Make Nettle and Comfrey Feed - Monty Don - BBC Gardeners World
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