[woodburner]

Is this enough nettles?  


Got the go ahead today. Plots 1 and 2 apparently, though we gave up trying to find where 1 ends and 2 begins pretty quickly.  
As both the other allotmenteers there both have two plots each, and I wanted 'both' of the remaining plots, the man in charge left me to it with the simple instruction to leave 1m path between me and the next chap's plot(s). Incidently the couple before me on the waiting list for the other site did take it, so now all the plots in the village are taken and being worked! I'm pretty sure this is the first time in about 30 years!!

[gobs]

Congrats, make sure you leave some though.  Love nettle tea, me and so do your plants.

[Jilllrabbitslim]

Woah! That looks like a lot of work!

I have a nettle related question actually, I read somewhere (and gobs reply above seems to confirm) that you can make good liquid fertilizer with nettles. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this? How much water/nettles etc, how long should it 'stew' for?

Thanks :-)

Good luck with your nettles woodburner, any ideas on how you're going to tackle them yet?

[purplebat]

I have a nettle related question actually, I read somewhere (and gobs reply above seems to confirm) that you can make good liquid fertilizer with nettles. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this? How much water/nettles etc, how long should it 'stew' for?

Have a look at this it should give you some idea http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlemanure.asp

[woodburner]

I have a nettle related question actually, I read somewhere (and gobs reply above seems to confirm) that you can make good liquid fertilizer with nettles. Does anyone have any tips on how to do this? How much water/nettles etc, how long should it 'stew' for?

Have a look at this it should give you some idea http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlemanure.asp

I don't need to leave any, as there is a big patch just outside the gate.
But, that just put me off the process.  :puker:  

I've dealt with nettles before, they're not too hard to pull up, the roots don't go too deep, so a fork is enough to loosen the more stubborn ones. I'm going to mulch with cardboard and manure after that and plant through it. It's the seedlings that will almost certainly appear next year, when the mulch is gone, that are my main worry.  :?

[owein]

I take it you know of nettle beer? just got my first batch of the year going. Very easy and very easy to drink :king: let me know if you need more details.
you'll get gallons from that lot!!!!!!

[woodburner]

I take it you know of nettle beer? just got my first batch of the year going. Very easy and very easy to drink :king: let me know if you need more details.
you'll get gallons from that lot!!!!!!

Actually, I haven't heard of it. :oops: I don't generally drink beer, but only on account of the hops. I do like 'biere blonde', but it's hard to find so if this is anything like that, I'm definitely interested  

[owein]

not quite beer blonde, but everyone I have given it to instantly likes it and asks for the recipe so it's worth a go, it honestly is very refreshing and fairly strong too :twisted:
heres the way I make it:

100 nettle stalks (with leaves)
12 ltres of water
1 1/2 kg sugar
50g cream of tartar
15g yeast (any will do, though brewers yeast gets a quicker fermentation)

boil the leaves in a large saucepan with water for 15 to 30 minutes ( you can add a lemon at this stage if you like) then sieve the liquid into a fermenting bin. mix in the sugar and cream of tartar and add the remaining water. once the mixture is tepid add the yeast ( I normaly start this with sugar and luke warm water first) let it ferment for three days and the pour into a barrel, if you have one. If you have no barrel you can just scoop it into pouring jugs to serve. Its ready to drink in four days. But if you leave it two weeks it will have grown considerably in alchohol content

simple. I double the quantities to fill a standard homebrew barrel

you have enough for a small brewerey judging by the photo!!

nettle omlette is good too!

[compostqueen]

my mum used to make lovely nettle and dandelion beer. The secret ingredient was Masons Extract. Wonder if you can still get it.  It was lovely and lemony and really refreshing