Cursed and vilified, the humble nettle is sadly under-appreciated. Next time you complain about a nettle sting or dig up another unwanted nettle plant in your garden, think about how you can use nettles to your advantage. Nettles are bursting with the nutrients that your other plants need. Full of iron, calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, they are particularly good as a boost for leafy vegetables and herbs, although all plants benefit from these nutrients. Find out how easily you can improve leaf growth using homemade nettle feed.
How to make homemade nettle feed for plants?
- Ideally in spring, find some growing stinging nettles situated away from a busy road.
- With your legs covered up and your hands protected with thick gloves or marigolds, cut down lots of nettle stems. It doesn’t matter how many, do it until you get bored!
- Using a pair of shears, roughly chop up the nettle stems inside a medium or large lidded container.
- Cover the nettles with water and weigh them down with bricks.
- Cover the container tightly with a lid and leave for a few weeks.
- Now it’s time to use your nettle feed, so give the contents a stir or swish around (warning, it will smell!). Put a plastic bottle into the liquid and fill.
- To use, dilute 1 part nettle feed to 10 parts water in a watering can. Water the soil around the plants with the watering can rose removed. Avoid splashing the leaves.
When to use homemade nettle feed
Use nettle feed occasionally and only when you think your plants need a boost. Nettle feed will keep for many months.
Never use it on very young plants or seedlings, let them establish themselves first.
Which plants benefit from homemade nettle feed?
Use nettle feed on any leafy vegetables, for instance when growing cabbages, lettuce, kale, spinach, pak choi, swiss chard and any herbs.
Also, use it on any other plants if their leaves are turning yellow.
This will be the first year I will look forward to pulling nettles – thank you for this great tip!!