How do you make nettle feed?
Nettle feed is made from young leaves, about 1 kg in 10 litres of water, kept covered for about two weeks and then strained. Dilute it one part to ten, until it looks like weak tea, and water it onto the soil: the RHS says not to spray it.
By region
| North | Centre | South | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting | Spring and summer, young leaves, before flowers and seed. Up to four cuts, leaving about 5 cm. | As in the north. | As in the north. |
| Steeping | About two weeks, covered. Use it when the liquid is dark, not before. | As in the north. | In hot weather it can darken in a few days. Judge by colour, not by the calendar. |
The recipe does not change. Only the speed does, and that follows the temperature.
The cut at about 5 cm, young leaves with no flowers or seed, up to four cuts in spring and summer, and the two weeks are from Garden Organic. The RHS ties the timing to temperature: a few days to several weeks, and you use it once the liquid is a dark soup. It does not stand in for soil that is looked after. Water, when the bed needs it, is still the job of the watering guide.
How to make it
Wear gloves. Cut from the top, in pieces, down to about 5 cm above the soil: a whole stem falling over will sting. Garden Organic uses about 1 kg of leaves, half a standard bucket, in 10 litres of water, two average watering cans. Keep it all submerged, with a lid, because the fermentation smells and stains. Stir now and then. After about two weeks, strain it. The solids go on the compost. If you grow the plants yourself they regrow from the roots, which is why you can cut up to four times, and why you do not put a nettle bed where you want something else next year.
The spring cut is the richest, especially in nitrogen, and it is the one for leafy growth. If you pick off your own land, the RHS says to get the owner's permission.
There is a second method, from the RHS, with no water added: fresh leaves are already full of water, you press them into a covered container and collect the liquid that drains. That is a concentrate, and it is diluted differently, as below. The feed people usually mean is the first one, leaves plus water.
Dilution, and where it goes
For the feed steeped in water, Garden Organic dilutes 1:10, one part liquid to ten of water. For the concentrate made with no water added, the RHS dilutes 1:20. If you steeped dried leaves, hay or pellets, the RHS says 1:10. In every case the diluted liquid should look like weak tea. If it is darker, add water.
Pour it at the base, with a watering can, onto soil that is already moist. Garden Organic gives it about every fortnight to fast-growing plants in pots. The RHS lists annuals, containers and edible crops, and names tomatoes and strawberries: the months are in when to plant tomatoes and when to plant strawberries. Established trees, shrubs and perennials do not need regular liquid feeding. It is weaker than a bought fertiliser, so you can repeat it, always diluted.
Not on the seed tray. Seed compost is low in nutrients on purpose, because a strong feed damages seedlings: that is in the seedbed guide.
Cautions
Gloves, and wash your hands. Do not eat or drink while you handle it. It smells and it stains clothes. The RHS says not to apply it with a sprayer, not even on the leaves, so you do not breathe in the microbes. These pages do not report an effect on aphids: pour it on the soil.
Aim to use it within three months. Somewhere cool and dark, in a rinsed container with a lid, the RHS allows up to a year. If the container bulges, unscrew the cap slowly, let the gas out and close it again. Feeds made with manure or compost are not stored: use them once they are ready. A feed of nettles alone is the other case.
In the app
The photo check lets you snap a plant and get an indication of its health. It is only an indication, not a firm diagnosis: for serious cases, ask a professional.
Frequently asked questions
Can I spray it on aphids?
No. The RHS says not to apply homemade feeds with a sprayer, so you do not breathe in the microbes. Pour it on the soil, already diluted. These pages do not report an effect on aphids.
Do I dilute 1:10 or 1:20?
1:10 if you steeped the leaves in water, as Garden Organic describes. 1:20 if you added no water and you are using only the liquid that drained from fresh leaves, as the RHS describes. Once diluted, it should look like weak tea.
How long should it steep?
About two weeks for the method that uses water. In hot weather the RHS sees the liquid ready in a few days. Use it when it is dark, not on a fixed date.
Which plants do I pour it on?
At the base of annuals, plants in pots and edible crops, tomatoes and strawberries included. About every fortnight on fast-growing plants in pots. Not on a seed tray, and not as a regular feed for established trees and shrubs.
Can I use nettles that are in flower?
No. Garden Organic wants young leaves, with no flowers or seed. Cut in spring and summer, up to four times, leaving about 5 cm.