Many gardeners know the benefits of nettle for plants. This stinging weed is an easy substitute for off-the-shelf products. It doesn't take much work to make a useful solution.
First step. Collecting nettles
Nettle thickets can be found near the forest, in abandoned wastelands, or just next to fences. When collecting nettles, look for areas away from roads and industrial plants to benefit from environmentally friendly feeding.
Many gardeners grow nettle as a medicinal plant.
When collecting nettles, prepare household gloves, a sharpened knife, garden shears, or pruning shears. Choose long-sleeved clothing and trousers to avoid scalding your skin while harvesting the plant. Do not forget about shoes, boots are best.
To prepare the infusion in a bucket, take 6-10 plants, the amount depends on the size of the nettle. For cooking in a barrel, you need to use at least 50 branches of the plant. To keep the tincture free of dirt, and not have to waste time cleaning the grass, do not uproot the nettle.
Shake off debris and insects from the shoots, get rid of sick and old leaves. Examine the plants from all sides to see if there are any pests left on them. There will be no harm from them in the tincture, but while you cut the nettles, they may end up in the beds.
The infusion can be prepared from dried nettles.
Second step. Nettle slicing
Prepare the infusion in a plastic bucket or barrel. Do not use metal utensils, because various chemical reactions can occur in them, and as a result, all useful substances will die.
Cut nettles completely with branches. You can do this with scissors, a knife, or using a pruner. Chop the whole nettles in about ten minutes.
For the manufacture of tinctures, it is better to use plants before flowering, before the culture has time to grow over the site. If time has been lost and flowering has begun, cut off the inflorescences.
In the tincture, you can put herbs of burdock, wormwood, wheatgrass, dandelion and other plants, which will serve as a good food for crops.
Third step. Pouring the vitamin collection with warm liquid
Pour warm water into a bucket of chopped nettles, but not to the very top, as there should be room for fermentation.
Cover the container with any lid, small board or heavy burlap and place in a warm room. Let the solution sit for one to two weeks. To speed up the fermentation process, place the bucket in the sun. The universal remedy "Baikal" (10 ml / 10 l of water) or yeast (10 g) will help in this matter.
Fourth step. Infusion of nettle solution
The fermentation process takes two weeks, you just need to open the container every day and stir the tincture.
During the fermentation period, an unpleasant odor is emitted from the nettle. Valerian root or a small amount of ash will help get rid of it. Add them to the solution, stir, and the smell will not be as strong.
The tincture is ready when the solution stops bubbling and turns dark in color. Then the solution must be filtered and diluted with liquid before use. The pressed plants can be used for composting.
Correct use of nettle tincture
The infusion is suitable for watering tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other vegetables. Cannot be used for feeding garlic, onions and legumes, because the infusion has a negative effect on their formation.
To prepare a solution for irrigation, you should take a tincture (1 l) and dilute it in water (10 l). Feed an adult plant with 1 liter of the product, and the planted seedlings - 0.5 liters each. Perform the procedure once every 14 days. Water the plants with liquid before feeding.
The tincture can be used to treat parasites: Colorado beetles, aphids. In this case, it is not necessary to infuse the solution for two weeks. One day will be enough, then it should be filtered and diluted with liquid in a ratio of 1:10 and the affected plants should be treated. If you have not used the infusion, dilute it 1:20 and use it when spraying.
Nettle tincture should not be stored for a long time, as nutrients lose their properties. It will be better if you use it right away.
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