Nettle Fertiliser

[Carls3168]

Hiya All,

I have had some nettles soaking in half a bucket of water in the garage for a week now... it stinks to high heaven, esspecially when I stir it and it froths up!  :P

The liquid is a nice dark colour now, but I was just wondering how long you should leave them to soak before straining them of and mixing it in your watering can?

Cheers

[Carls3168]

[antipodes]

er they do that here in France, and in general they leave it for about 3 weeks I think!! It smells absolutely foul, at least that it what I have heard! I think you're supposed to put a lid on it...

[electric landlady]

A couple of weeks I think; probably once it starts smelling horrible it's ready. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Bob Flowerdew, no less,  suggests pouring a thin layer of cooking oil on top to act as a barrier for the smell. 

[manicscousers]

just read an article about it, two weeks, strain, pop the remains on the compost heap, water to weak tea colour and that's it  ;D

[Sprout]

I usually just leave mine in (same with comfrey) until it rots away to nothing.

[redimp]

I do mine for three week and then take the nettles out and put them on the compost.  The stuff I left over winter stopped stinking.  Just wish I had enough bins to make so much I could leave it all that long. :-\

[louise stella]

I did a nettle and comfrey mix a few weeks back.......boy it don't half pong!

Louise

[Rohaise]

 Do you dilute this ?  Rohaise   :-\

[redimp]

I use a four pint milk container full of nettle stink and share that equally (approx 1 litre each) between two 7 litre watering cans.  Seems to work for me.  I also dress in an old waterproof jacket and where chemical resistant gloves as once it get on you, the stink does not wash off for days.  I get very sweaty on hot days but at least that smell can be bathed off. :)

[Trevor_D]

Do you really keep it in the garage? We keep ours outside and it still stinks to high heaven!

We work on the principle that when it really begins to pong - 3 or 4 weeks normally, depending on the weather - we filter it off (lovely job that - wear gloves & have a shower afterwards!) and store it in a gallon plastic container. Use it as a feed with about a pint per 2-gallon watering can.

We use comfrey rather than nettle. But we've got plenty of comfrey.

[louise stella]

I recycled the bucket that some chicken manure pellets came in - it has a lid so keeps the pong in!  Saint Bobs says to add some "personal liquid" - as he so gently calls it - (which my young son did yesterday!!!!!!)   

I have already used some diuted and watered in - i'll be interested to see the results!

Louise

[Belinda]

I'm pretty sure that I read somwhere the nettle fertiliser is used as a foliar feed and comfrey as a root feed. Is that correct or did I dream it??  ;D ;D

[manicscousers]

we use the nettle as a general feed and the comfrey for hungry crops, toms, cukes, etc  :)

[asbean]

I ordered five comfrey plants from the organic gardening catalogue and 10 arrived last week.  They were stumpy little things, looked dead, but now are all growing like triffids.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wait till they dig themselves out and come looking for you!

[Uncle Joshua]

I use nettles on leafy type plants and intend to use the comfrey under spuds etc from next year.

[redimp]

I have been sticking wilted comfrey leaves in the holes that I am about to put my squash, tomatoes and peppers in.