I have read tons on here and in books about people putting nettles in water butts for liquid feed. If I do this, when I do this over the coming year,
How long before the water is ready to use?
How often should I completely empty the water butt of these dead used nettles Is There any specific cleaning or other maintenance of the waterbutt when using liquid fertilizer?
My big aim in life is to keep the water in my butts crystal clear.
So - I would rather go this way??
"A rich plant food can be made from nettles by leaving them for a month covered with water (from the water butt) in a container until the material has broken down, then mixed with three parts water when required."
I make mine in a black bucket - beware it STINKS !!!!!
I have never made it, but someone told me they put their nettles in a net, so after a month of soaking they can pull out the net with all the bits in it.
Maybe you could have 2 water butts, one clean and one witha nettle sack in it?
How good is the fertiliser, has anyone used it before?
Would it be good for chillies and peppers?
we mix the nettles in with our comfrey and docks, roots and all, all in a bucket with a hole in, on top of another bucket to catch the liquid, we use it, diluted on everything :)
I know all this juicing is good stuff and produces beautiful nourishing liquid, but can't be fenangled with it (or the smell!)
I let deep rooted weeds grow and harvest, then chop and add to the mulch - same with other deep rooted plants like comfrey, dock and bindweed :o
I'll get me coat ...
well, they are full of nutrients, aren't they, so as long as they're used ? :)
Put mine in old green recycle boxes, in the summer it really stinks, after a week I just top up a watering can 3/4 water, the longer you leave it the less you need to add. Come back from a two week holiday so it had been standing for 3+ weeks and the stench, because it was so strong it took longer to use by the end it was 5 weeks old the only good thing was it attracted the wasps and I took great pleasure watching them drown when they landed on the sh#t liquid believe you me thats what it smelt like.