Generally, nettle is not very popular because it is a very stinging plant. However, it is extremely useful. Nettle slurry is a natural product that does a lot of good for all green gardeners. His recipe is surprisingly simple. Let’s spend a well-deserved spotlight on nettle manure, the method of preparation and its various uses in the vegetable garden, the pleasure garden, the orchard and even on the paths as on the terrace.
Preparation of nettle manure
The right proportions to obtain a balanced nettle manure are:
- 3 kg of young nettles harvested before they go to seed,
- 30 liters of water for maceration.
It is advisable to chop the nettles before preparing the liquid manure as this speeds up the fermentation.
If you wish to have a small quantity of nettle manure, you must respect the same proportions, namely 100 g of freshly harvested nettles for 1 L of water.
Harvest nettle without fear
Harvesting the nettles used to prepare this famous liquid manure is the only difficulty, but there is a simple way to avoid the onslaught of this stinging plante. It is essential to put on a thick polo shirt with long sleeves, the end of which you slip into the protective gloves that you take care to put on. Better to swap shorts for jeans and put on rubber boots if you have to venture into a ditch overgrown with tall nettles.
All that remains is to bring a good pair of scissors or a secateur with very sharp blades to cut the stems 20 to 25 cm long. They are deposited gradually in a large hessian bag, for example, to transport the nettles easily. You can also use a plastic garden bag.
maceration phase
The harvest of nettles must be placed in its bag inside a large receptacle of any material except metal because that leads to oxidation. Wood, plastic, glass, terracotta, whatever. The desired quantity of water is poured into the container, preferably rainwater, non-chlorinated, non-calcareous and more economical than tap water. Nothing is touched for two weeks to a month, the time needed to macerate the nettles.
At the end of this period, all that remains is filter macerated juice and then pour it into a large sprayer fitted with a lance that is reserved for this purpose and has obviously never contained chemical herbicides, for example.
Nettle manure without bad odor and more effective
Since during the maceration phase in an open container, nettle manure smells really bad, it is in our best interest to get a hermetically sealed container rather than using a bucket without a lid. If the container contains no air at all (for this it must of course be filled to the brim) then we get a anaerobic environment. The nettles will therefore be able to macerate without oxygen. In this way, not only is the pestilential smell prevented from developing, but the effectiveness of the nettle manure is also increased.
Storage of nettle manure
You can keep the homemade nettle manure up to 12 months once it has been perfectly filtered. The ideal is to transfer it into bottles that close hermetically and then store them in a cool place such as the cellar, the garage or even the laundry room. It can be noted that the finer it is filtered, the longer the shelf life. If the nettle slurry is only very coarsely filtered, it will only keep for a few weeks.
Usefulness of nettle manure in the garden
Here is a natural product to prepare yourself according to the recipes detailed above, nettle manure can be used on different occasions. You can either spray it directly with the lance of the sprayer or use a watering can with its head. So that’s what nettle manure is for.
Weed
What time saved, especially if you want weed the walkways ! In this case, to treat an unplanted surface, nettle manure is used pure. We quickly notice that the weeds turn black and then die.
Moreover, this makes it possible to become aware that nettle manure should not be used pure on plantswith the exception of those that we wish to eradicate.
Treat against insects
This is a insecticide efficace non-polluting to repellent action that respects ecosystems. It is used pure on the terrace and the paths infested with unwanted critters of all kinds, but as it is an extremely concentrated product, it is better to dilute it at the rate of one volume of nettle manure for 5 volumes of water. if it must be sprayed directly on plants where insects have settled. It eliminates mites, aphids and other parasites that can damage crops such as flowers and fruit trees.
Fertiliser
We fertilize either directly at the foot outdoor plants (and some indoor plants), either by spraying the foliage after a 15% dilution. This natural product is rich in nitrogen.
It can be noted that to use nettle slurry asgrowth activator, it is essential to wait at least 16 days of maceration so that no more bubbles form when mixing the manure. The total absence of bubbles is a sign that the fermentation phase is completely over.
If you want to give all your plants a boost once or twice a month, both indoors and outdoors, by spraying this universal fortifierit is advisable to spray the nettle manure 10% diluted on the plants because it is still a super powerful fertilizer.
Fight against cryptogamic diseases
Nettle manure has an action fungicide. Maceration for a maximum of 48 hours at a temperature of 18 to 19°C is perfectly suitable for this type of use. You can therefore prepare your nettle manure almost at the last moment when you have to treat plants affected by pathogenic fungi.
Activate homemade compost
This can considerably reduce the time required to obtain mature compost (which generally takes 2 to 3 years). Thanks to the nettle, the temperature within the compost increases rapidly. The decomposition of organic matter is stimulated and decomposer organisms see their reproduction boosted. Their number is increasing and, at the same time, the quantity of materials consumed by these organisms is logically increasing. We dilute 1 volume of nettle slurry in 9 volumes of water, and we water the compost with this mixture then we stir the pile of compost with a pitchfork. The operation is repeated regularly.
Generally, specialists recommend using nettle manure mainly in the spring and during the summer. But at any time you can give a little boost to a plant that seems to be in bad shape. In a few days, the results are spectacular. Moreover, it is able to strengthen the natural defenses of plants in a very short time. But do not abuse nettle manure.