So I have stumbled onto a few threads about the amazing benefits of both nettle and kelp. I have an abundance of nettle where I am(talking truck loads I could pick it for years and not run out) and I was wondering if nettle can replace kelp as a soil additive? I already know that the tea can basically replace my fertilizers and I already started making some. But could I dry the plant matter out and add it to my soil instead of kelp meal? All information regarding Nettle s appreciated as well as advice. Thanks!
Good question wish I could give u an answer...I planted some and I think its starting g to come up just not sure what to do with it how do u make up I tea? Sent from my XT1526 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
id compost it and use it as my humus portion of the soil. its also very good to mulch with. idk if it will replace kelp though as kelp is loaded with growth hormones and regulators
I pick the nettle with gloves and tear off the root ball. Then compact it with my hands into a 5 gallon bucket. After I have 1-3 pounds or half the bucket full I shred it with long snippers. I then fill rhe bucket to 3/4 of the way full with water and let it sit in thw sun for a week.
Do u dilute it at all after the week? How long does it last for? Sent from my XT1526 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
I dry nettle, make a powder/meal out of it, and use that in my garden, it's good stuff! If i remember correctly, kelp meal does contain cytokinins or some other growth hormone which is not found in nettle. Nettle/nettle meal is very useful, and I personally use it more than I do kelp, but kelp does have properties that nettle does not. If you'd like more info on the uses and benefits of nettles, I'd suggest checking out french gardening forums, as they contain a wealth of information due to nettle being extensively used in teas/a soil additive amongst the French. Also, try not to go overboard - undiluted nettle "teas" will burn most plants
As for dilution I have read 1:20 is a safe dilution for marijuana. I have only used it on veggies and I eyeball it. But it is probably pretty close to the 1:20 ratio. Also I have no idea on the shelf life of this stuff. Im guesing the microbial part of it would die off pretty quickly probably a week tops but the nutrient aspects should remain for a pretty long time. If I knew the chemistry of it I could probably figure out the half life of the macronutrients. If anyone knows all of this for sure do tell!
What is your method for making meal? I am still having trouble finding info on this stuff. I don't even know how to find french gardening forums.
I'd send you to the relevant forums/threads if I could, but I lost the links sadly. To make nettle meal is real easy simply snap the stem about mid way up (Unless there are so many nettles that you do not have to worry about preserving the patch, then just rip from the ground), hang the half plant/entire plant somewhere warm and dry for about a week - by that point the leaf matter should crumble into dust between your fingers. If you have the patience, you could let the stems hang for a week or two more, and then grind them in a mortar and pestle, but I just throw them in my compost pile. Just remember, this is not bud, the "warm and dry" is just ideal, so long as they are not getting rained on, they'll dry out eventually. If you do not have space anywhere to hang big bunches of nettle, you can also just put as many leaves as you can fit into a bucket/plastic container, and leave it somewhere warm, just try to shake any moisture off of them first. Trust me, you do not want to be near a bucket of decomposing nettles.
Thanks ton for your help! I will start drying some immediately. I have so much nettle that if my 5 acres didn't have trees it would probably be considered a nettle farm. I am actually going to buy two 50 gallon drums over the weekend and start mass producing nettle liquid fertilizer. Maybe I will start to sell it on craigslist or something.
I use nettles and dandelions in about equal amounts to make a fermented fertilizer. I pull them up to get as much of the root as possible then stuff into a bucket with water and leave it covered for a week or two. Chop it up in the bucket and let it sit a few more days. Strain out the solids for compost and bottle the liquid. A cup or two per gallon feeds very well. These two compliment each other well as far as being a complete fertilizer.