If you’ve got nettles in your garden or nearby, you’re in luck! While often seen as an annoying weed, nettles (Urtica dioica) are packed with powerful nutrients that can give your garden a real boost.
By making nettle fertilizer, you can harness this plant’s rich nitrogen, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium content. Plus, nettle fertilizer is simple to make, sustainable, and free of chemicals.
Ready to turn a pesky weed into your garden’s best friend? Let’s dive in.
How to Make Nettle Fertilizer
You’ll need to prepare:
- Fresh nettles
- Large bucket (with a lid is best)
- Water (rainwater, if possible)
- Stirring stick
- Container for storing the fertilizer
Step 1: Harvest the Nettles
You use gloves, harvest fresh nettles from your garden or a clean area before they start flowering, as they contain the highest levels of nutrients at this stage.
Simply cut the nettles close to the base, gathering enough to fill about two-thirds of your bucket once chopped.
Step 2: Prepare the Nettle Mixture
Once you have your nettles, you chop them into smaller pieces, then place the chopped nettles in a large bucket, filling it about two-thirds full.
Pour water over the nettles until they’re completely submerged, covering them by a few inches.
Step 3: Let the Mixture Ferment
You cover the bucket loosely and let the mixture sit for 1–2 weeks; stir it every 2–3 days to help with fermentation.
Due to a strong smell as the nettles break down, you should leave the bucket outside or in a well-ventilated area to avoid any unpleasant odor indoors.
Step 4: Strain the Liquid
After 1–2 weeks, you strain the liquid into another container, separating out the nettle solids.
Don’t throw these solids away! They’re great for adding to your compost pile, where they’ll continue breaking down and enriching the compost.
How to Use Nettle Fertilizer in the Garden
Application as a Soil Drench
You should mix 1 part nettle fertilizer with 10 parts water then pour it at the base of your plants to allow the nutrients to reach the roots directly.
For most plants, applying every 2–3 weeks during the growing season is enough, avoid using too frequently on young seedlings, which can be more sensitive to nitrogen.
Nitrogen-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens, and herbs will especially benefit from nettle fertilizer. It encourages lush foliage growth and enhances their resilience against pests and disease.
Using Nettle Fertilizer as a Foliar Spray
For foliar feeding, you need to mix 1 part fertilizer with 20 parts water, then pour it into a spray bottle and lightly mist the leaves of your plants.
Foliar feeding in early morning or late evening allows plants to take up nutrients quickly, which is particularly helpful if they’re showing signs of nutrient deficiency or during growth spurts.
