Nettle liquid manure

What is nettle liquid manure?

Nettle liquid manure is a water extract of the leaves and stems of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). It is not one of the numbered preparations but a common farm remedy for strengthening plants that is easy to make yourself. Chopped nettles are steeped in water; depending on how long and how they are processed, the result is a short extract or a liquid manure fermented over a longer period.

Nettles are the basis of these extracts because they are rich in nitrogen and iron and, with their strong, deep roots, draw nutrients up from below. They have long been regarded as the most versatile plant in the biodynamic garden; Steiner called the nettle "the greatest benefactor of plant growth".

Extract or liquid manure: the difference

In practice, two stages are distinguished, and they work quite differently.

A short extract, with the nettles steeped in water for only about a day (24 hours), is used against aphids. It is not fermented.

A fermented liquid manure, with the nettles left in water to ferment for several days to weeks, works differently: suitably diluted, it promotes growth and supplies the plant with nitrogen and iron. It is diluted and poured around the roots, "so that the sap rises again". Undiluted, the liquid manure is too strong.

How to use it

The short extract is sprayed onto affected plants. The fermented liquid manure is heavily diluted (typically about one part to ten or weaker, depending on how mature it is) and watered in, mainly to promote growth in spring and summer. Because fermenting liquid manure smells strongly, a spot away from the house is a good place to make it. Exact mixing ratios vary between sources and practices; when in doubt, use a weaker dilution.

Not the same as the nettle preparation

Importantly, nettle liquid manure is not to be confused with the stinging nettle preparation (504). Preparation 504 is a compost preparation that matures in the soil for a year and is added to compost; the liquid manure is a simple, short-lived plant extract for watering and spraying. Both use the same plant, but they are different tools.