Torn nettles left to macerate in a bucket of water for a fortnight yield a high-nitrogen liquid that feeds plants and, sprayed neat on the leaves, sends aphids, mites and ticks packing. Keep the brew well away from metal containers and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) gives you fertiliser and repellent for little more than the price of a sprayer.
Discover fermented stinging nettle tea, an excellent fertilizer for plants in both gardens and vegetable patches, and an amazing pest control agent for most parasites like aphids.
This will help you avoid using harmful chemical products while not losing in efficiency!
Fermented stinging nettle tea is increasingly used across the world, and is even sold in specialized stores. Did you know it is perfectly possible to prepare it yourself?
This nettle-based preparation has unique growth-stimulating properties on plants, and it also repels most pests, aphids, mites and ticks.
Fermented stinging nettle tea isn’t a curative treatment that would heal plants after diseases. It works preventively thanks to its immune system-boosting powers.
The recipe for fermented stinging nettle tea has been handed down for generations, but its relevance has increased nowadays thanks to its organic and completely natural properties. After all, fermented weed tea is very effective, and stinging nettle especially so.
Using 100% organic products in your garden is a key to successfully treating your plants or making fertilizer while protecting the planet.
Note that fermented stinging nettle tea is very affordable, since the only equipment needed is a sprayer for application.
The fermented stinging nettle tea recipe is very simple
The same nettles give two very different preparations, and the difference is settled at the mixing stage rather than at the sprayer. Use this table to pick the ratio before you tear up a single stem.
| Use | Nettle-to-water ratio | How to apply | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid fertiliser | 1 kg nettles to 10 litres water | Thin to a 10–20% tea-to-water ratio and pour on the ground | Supplies nitrogen and nutrients for growth |
| Pest repellent | 1 kg nettles to 20 litres water | Spray neat on the foliage, no dilution needed | Repels insects, aphids, mites and ticks |
| Soaking soil mix | Repellent strength, 1 kg to 20 litres | Soak the soil mix and let it dry off | Helps seedlings resist damping off |
| Spraying leaves with diluted tea | Fertiliser strength, thinned 10–20% | Best avoided, especially in hot weather | Little effect on pests, and may trigger mildew |
| Fresh leaves at planting | No brew, a fistful of leaves | Placed at the bottom of the planting hole | Traditionally used to boost the tomato harvest |
One batch of nettles therefore covers feeding, spraying and sowing, depending only on how much water you add.
Spray on plants directly with a sprayer to use it against parasites. No dilution required, if the ratios above are followed.
The fermenting releases several acids from the fresh plant, as well as a special type of lectin protein. Acids and lectin are key ingredients in fending off aphids, since lectin interferes with their development cycle.
With this same dosage, you can also soak soil mix and let it dry off. This will help seedlings resist damping off after sprouting.
Thin with water (10 to 20% tea-to-water ratio) and pour it on the ground as you would liquid fertilizer.
Thanks to this mixture, you save on expenses and protect the environment, too.
In the good old days, a fistful of stinging nettle leaves was placed at the bottom of the planting holes when transplanting tomato seedlings to boost tomato harvest.
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Although preparing fermented stinging nettle tea is very easy and shouldn’t raise any issues, here are a few tips to make preparing it even easier…
