Many summer residents consider nettles to be weeds and ruthlessly removed from the site. Meanwhile, a very effective fertilizer can be prepared from this plant. It is perfect for all types of garden crops, except legumes, onions and garlic. To prepare such a fertilizer from nettle is very easy. For this, the simplest method is used - soaking the crushed plants in a barrel.
In order to prepare the necessary composition, you need to pick up the nettle itself. It is best to wear gloves on your hands. The most useful and nutritious fertilizer from nettle is obtained if it is harvested before flowering.
This must be taken into account. In addition, you should not collect this plant along the road. Such nettles may contain harmful substances.
For the preparation of fertilizer, a barrel will be needed. At the same time, metal will not work. The ideal option is a wooden or plastic container. If you don’t have a barrel, you can take a regular ten-liter bucket. Nettles must first be cut into small pieces. If the volume of green mass is too large, you can simply chop it with an ax.
Then, the crushed nettle is placed in a barrel in such a way as to fill it by a third, and poured with warm water. In order for fermentation to occur faster and odor not spread throughout the area, the container is covered with a lid. Nettle fertilizer will be ready in hot summer weather in about a week. In autumn or spring, fermentation will take at least two weeks.
During this period, the mixture in the barrel will need to be mixed periodically. This should be done once a day.
You can find out whether the fertilizer is ready or not by the characteristic smell and color of the solution, which brightens at the end of fermentation. In addition, foam appears on the surface of the composition. As soon as the solution with nettles takes on a similar appearance, you can begin to actually feed the plants. Liquid fertilizer from nettles will need to be diluted with water at the rate of one part of the mixture to ten parts of water.
The beds are previously well spilled with water. Then the diluted mixture, using a watering can, is poured under the roots of the plants. The result will be noticeable almost immediately - the leaves of crops fed in this way will become dark green, and the stems will become thicker. Nettle fertilizer can be used regularly.
Unlike chemicals, it is completely harmless both to the plants themselves and to human health. The stems and leaves of nettle contain all the substances necessary for the growth of garden crops, and it gives them away very easily.
You can use this plant to control some types of pests. To do this, use the spraying method. In that case, if you decide to use the composition prepared in the barrel in this way, it should be diluted in a ratio of 1:20. Apply a solution from this plant against aphids, ticks and even late blight.
Green nettle fertilizer has only one drawback. During fermentation, it gives off a very unpleasant odor. Therefore, a barrel with a slurry should be placed as far as possible from the house and places of rest. However, the positive effect that the use of this type of top dressing gives is certainly worth it to endure this slight inconvenience.