The harvesting of nettles in the back garden was completed today.  A fine crop resulted from a warm dry spring.  These will be used along with horse dung to make liquid fertiliser.

A plastic barrel is set up to catch the warm sun, as heat is required for fermentation to occur, it is half filled with chicken feathers and nettles and topped off with a bucket of horse manure. This was washed this down through the nettles as I filled the barrel 3 quarters full  of water.  Time and the heat of the sun will convert this to concentrated liquid fertiliser.

It will smell to 'high heaven' for a time so I grow honeysuckle and other sweet smelling plants close by.

I use this barrel to dispose of the roots of pernicious weeds during the growing season rather than dispose of them where they might be able to grow again.

Dilute before Use

This is a strong mix and needs to be diluted to the colour of weak tea before it is used, otherwise it will burn the plants on which it is used.

Dynamic Accumulators

Comfrey if available can be added to the mix.  Nettles and comfrey are dynamic accumulators, taking nutrients from the soil in which they have grown which makes them ideal plants for this purpose.