Stinging Nettles A Gardener’s Best Friend

Long regarded as the weed to avoid because of its nasty sting the nettle is one of mankind’s most useful and dynamic plants.

Its uses range from cosmetics to clothing and food to fertilizer this really is a wonderful plant. In herbal medicine its compounds are widely used, the sting is actually said to help relieve the pain of arthritic joints.

The nettle always grows in areas of high fertility and usually follows mans path wherever he has been and occupied. In your patch it is best to keep them in one corner as they exploit the soil for vital macro and micro nutrients which makes them perfect for making your own fertilizer.

Nettle Fertilizer

• Bucket full of fresh nettles
• Water to cover the nettles

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1. Put the chopped up nettles in a bucket.
2. Cover with water and stir well.
3. Wait for a month and use as one cup to a watering can at the start and as your plants get used to it use more as needed.

Nettle Soup

• Two handfuls of fresh nettles,
• One large potato
• One leek
• Four cloves of garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Pint of vegetable stock
• Knob of butter for cooking

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1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the chopped ingredients, keep stirring and add some seasoning.
2. Keep on a high heat until the potato and leek has softened then add the stock.
3. Add any more herbs and seasoning to your taste and put the pan on to simmer.
4. Check regularly to monitor its thickness (depending on personal taste), when the soup tastes right and the vegetables are perfect take off the heat and blend until a liquid, if it is too thin put back on the heat if too thick add more water and seasoning.

Serve with crusty bread and lots of butter.

Nettle tea is high in vitamins and minerals and tastes rather good. Collect the nettles when they are young to catch them at their best, dry them evenly and store in a jar ready for use. If you have made a powder use a strainer for making tea, you can also use the leaves fresh in a tea.