If you have a lot of nettles in your garden, you can use them to make nettle manure. This gives you an effective fertilizer.
Nettles are extremely versatile. However, they are unfortunately mostly spurned as weeds. A so-called stinging nettle manure can be prepared from stinging nettles, which has proven itself as an extremely environmentally friendly garden fertilizer for many decades. You can find out how to make nettle manure yourself below.
Prepare nettle manure
To prepare the liquid manure you need a lockable plastic container - ideally a bucket. Fill it with about 4 liters of water. Then cut off about 20 to 30 fresh, fully grown nettles and pour about 1 liter of boiling water over them. Then pour this mixture into the already prepared bucket of water.
Tip: If you like, you can chop the stinging nettles too.
During the fermentation process, you should place the closed bucket in a sunny place if possible. Because the fermentation is accelerated by the sun's rays. You also need to open the bucket and stir the manure several times a day.
During the relatively odor-intensive fermentation, bubbles form in the manure bucket, which disappear again after about two to four weeks, completing the actual fermentation process. In order to obtain high-quality liquid manure, however, the liquid should remain in the bucket for at least another week.
Tip: Nettle manure can easily be stored from spring to autumn - sometimes even longer!
Use nettle manure
Fertilize plants:
To fertilize plants, you need to dilute nettle manure that has passed through a sieve with water. A mixing ratio of 1:20 (for young plants) to 1:10 (for older and large plants) is recommended - but this varies depending on the plant species.
Fertilize the lawn:
Of course, nettle manure is also suitable for fertilizing lawns. If you want to fertilize your lawn with it, then it is best to use a watering can for the liquid manuredeploy.
Fertilize soil:
In addition, undiluted nettle manure is also suitable for improving prevailing soil conditions. To do this, loosen the soil well and pour plenty of liquid manure over it. If the soil has then settled for about two to three weeks, new flowers or vegetable plants and fruit plants can be planted again at this location.
Tip: However, if this type of tillage is carried out in spring, the plants should not be fertilized immediately afterwards!
Control pests:
Undiluted nettle manure can even be used for pest control (e.g. against aphids). To do this, fill the manure into a spray bottle and spray damaged plants with it for about 3 days (once a day).