Admittedly: it smells awful. But as a gardener you should be familiar with some unpleasant smells or not be afraid of them. After all, nettle manure has it all and is the ideal natural fertilizer!
Which plants benefit from nettle manure?
Stinging nettle manure is a natural and free fertilizer for many plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, brassicas, potatoes, leeks, celery, herbs, ornamental trees and flowers. It promotes growth, strengthens plants and increases their resistance to diseases and pests.
Which plants can be fertilized with manure?
With nettle manure you can fertilize all plants that rely on many nutrients to grow. The manure is good for them. It strengthens them, stimulates their growth and makes them more resistant to disease. Only weak feeders such as peas and strawberries should not be fertilized with manure too often.
The following plants are happy about one or more gifts of nettle manure:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Zucchinis
- Pumpkins
- Cabbage family
- Potatoes
- Allium family
- Celery
- Herbs
- Ornamental trees
- Roses
- other flowers such as sunflowers, dahlias and geraniums
Pesticides are a thing of the past
Aphids can be incredibly annoying, as can spider mites, ants, etc. Nettle manure comes in handy because it can be used as a pesticide. It doesn't necessarily have to be a cesspool. A nettle decoction is also helpful against pests. The acids that are contained in the stinging nettle hairs and are released into the water during the production of the manure (or brew) have an effect here.
Make the nettle manure
Making a manure doesn't take a lot of material or time. If you use the manure in May, it will be extremely rich in nitrogen. Later it contains less nitrogen, but more iron, calcium, magnesium and sulfur.
To prepare the manure you need the following:
- Leather Gloves
- Scissors or knife
- Stick or long-handled wooden spoon
- 10 liters of water (or more as needed)
- 1 kg fresh nettles (or more as needed) or 150 to 200 g dried nettles
- large vessel made of wood, plastic or glass (at least 12 liter capacity)
How to proceed
- Harvesting Cut the nettles just above the ground.
- Crushing The nettles can be chopped or put whole in a container.
- Mixing Mix the nettles with the desired amount of water.
- Select location If you choose a sunny location for the manure, the fermentation process will speed up.
- Cover Cover the vessel, for example with a wooden board, so that air can still be exchanged.
- Wait If you stir daily, wait about two weeks for the fermentation process to be completed.
Tip
After about 3 days, a strong smell of ammonia sets in. Pour some rock dust into the container - it counteracts the unpleasant smell.
Is the manure ready?
After 1 to 2 weeks the manure is ready. You can tell this because there are no longer any bubbles, the nettle leaves have decomposed significantly and the liquid has turned dark. The whole thing still smells pungent
Sift and prepare for use
When the manure is ready, it can be sieved. The decomposed plant parts can go into the compost. The liquid now serves as fertilizer, which must first be diluted before it is used:
- older, established plants and heavy-feeding vegetables: 1:10
- Young plants and seedlings: 1:20
- Lawn: 1:50
How often can manure be fertilized?
You can supply your plants with the manure once a week or every two weeks. Heavy feeders benefit from weekly fertilizer application. This nitrogen and potassium-rich manure is poured directly onto the root area - best on cloudy days.
How are pests controlled with manure?
The manure is not just used for fertilization. It can also be used to combat pests such as aphids and spider mites. The manure strengthens the structure of the leaves and therefore makes the leaves more robust and unattractive to pests. In addition, the manure contains the acids of the nettle, which immediately render the pests harmless.
To do this, take a spray bottle and fill it with 1/10 manure and the rest with water. Spray the foliage of the plants with it. This procedure can also be done preventatively. It is recommended to repeat the spraying several times so that even newly hatched pests die.
Effect scientifically proven
A Swedish study has now confirmed the effectiveness of nettle manure on tomatoes, wheat and barley. The study presents the results:
- better growth
- stronger green color of the leaves
- higher resistance to pests
An ecological, free, effective fertilizer
The shelves in the garden center are absolutely full of a wide variety of fertilizers. One fertilizer for the lawn, one for tomatoes, another for balcony plants, another for roses, etc. Save yourself the costs and use the manure as fertilizer for all your plants. You, your wallet and the environment will thank you!
Tip
Take the correct dosage of nettle manure seriously! Otherwise growth inhibition and burns can occur.