I love your perspective on everything! Stinging nettles do have some positive benefits. Their flavor has been described by TV Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as “irrefutably green,” somewhere between spinach, cabbage, and broccoli, with a unique hint of nettliness: a sort of slight, earthy tingle in your mouth.”. Always consult with a medical professional or trained herbalist before starting any herbal treatment. The stinging nettle plant has tiny little needle-like projections all over the leaves and stems. They prefer a a slightly acid, rich soil but will grow on any soil type – wet or dry, rich or poor. Make the nettle spray solution. All parts of the nettle plant are edible and are used by some practitioners today in herbal remedies. harvesting and using stinging nettle roots here, You can find more tips on freezing herbs here, 9 Reasons Why Tulip Leaves May Turn Yellow Prematurely, When and How to Harvest Cantaloupe, the Sweetest Garden Candy, How to Identify and Prevent Crown Gall on Apple, Grow Mexican Petunias (Ruellia Simplex) for a Heat and Shade Tolerant Perennial, How to Train Pumpkins to Grow on a Trellis. So those are some ways to use nettle in the kitchen; what about the garden? You can also try blending the infused vinegar with honey to make an oxymel, which is perhaps even tastier! Each year over the course of three years, they found 200 to 400 beneficial insects trapped in nettle plants at all three sites. This is why I decided I wanted a larger patch of it, and why I put it where it could spread into a pathway: to remind me to harvest it often and use it well. Selecting your site with future spread in mind is also advised. But for this you’ll need a big harvest – two pounds or more of fresh leaves, simmered in four cups of water with a tablespoon of non-iodized salt for 30 minutes. For food and making herbal remedies, harvest the foliage when the stems looks juicy, before flowering. A complete meal, as far as I'm concerned. So, despite its uncomfortable effect on unsuspecting skin, it's a … 2. Always consult with a medical professional before changing your diet or using plant-based remedies or supplements for health and wellness. These are hearty perennials with a tendency to become invasive, so choose wisely. (“Mum, what’s these green dots?!”). Throw them in soups, pasta, stir fries, stews, or omelets. Hi Kate, another great article! The sting of the fresh leaves is said to have healing properties, such as helping to reduce inflammation, improving circulation, and even combating allergies. The needles are generally pointed downward, so work from the top of the plant downwards. It was introduced in the 1800s, probably as a source of medicine, food, and material. Place the mixture in a tightly lidded jar in a dark location, and shake it daily. Find the perfect stinging nettles garden stock photo. The nutrients in stinging nettle fertilizer are those same nutrients the plant contains which are beneficial to the human body such as many minerals, flavinoids, essential amino acids, proteins and vitamins. John from http://www.growingyourgreens.com shows you his community garden plots after he has been away for a week. According to Maria Noel Groves, author of “Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies,” one cup of tea infused for 4-12 hours contains “approximately 500 milligrams of calcium in a highly bioavailable form,” meaning it is easy for the body to absorb and put to use. Over the winter the foliage will die back and the plants will go dormant, reemerging in spring. Harvesting nettles can sound intimidating, but with a few precautions in mind, you won’t get any trouble from the pesky needles. I highly recommend Groves’s book, which is available from Amazon, if you want to learn more about how to use common plants as herbal remedies. Females can be identified by dense, heavy flower clusters that may look like they are pulling the plant down. Stinging nettle is a multifaceted companion plant and has a very special place within a cannabis garden. (Don't keep it near the house. Take it from someone who is very familiar with both smells.). If you're wild-harvesting nettle, look for it near stream banks and ponds, and in low, shady areas. You know your way around the Nettle plant. It is garnished with okra and red pepper and little palm oil to make a delicious soup called “ofo akuba” -nettle soup in Abiriba, Nigeria. There are 5 subspecies of which 4 have stinging hairs. The Romans used to rub their bodies with stinging nettles in winter to stop feeling cold. But the trouble was I never thought of using it, and it couldn't spread out beyond the confines of its tub. If both varieties thrive in the catchment area, the smaller plant will be pushed into th… These same aphids are eaten by blue tits and other woodland birds that dart around the stems. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. One of my favorite recipes is this iced fennel and nettle tea from our sister site, Foodal. Caution: Nettle can be harvested for eating any time except when it's flowering or seeding. Nettle is usually found in waste areas of gardens, coastal cliffs and under trees. Insects found included predatory bugs, predaceous flies, parasitic wasps, and native bees. This batch of chicken and nettle soup had bits of chicken meat in it. That’s fascinating about eating nettles and not needing deodorant any more. Though it grows abundantly as a weed, stinging nettle is also sometimes cultivated as a food plant. Just harvest regularly to encourage new growth, and keep an eye on them in case they start to spread to areas where you don’t want them to grow. But I gave up doing that because it didn’t occur to me (duh) to strip the leaves and only dry them, without the stalks — so there were always stalky bits in the soup. I don’t mind them being around as they are … Just bundle up six or seven stems, and hang them in a dry, dark place with good air circulation. In some parts of the US, stinging nettle is considered an invasive weed due to its ability to self-seed and spread through its root mass. Stinging Nettle is a perennial herb growing nearly worldwide. They have also appeared singly in my upper flowerbeds, which are near the nettle patches so I assume they seeded from them. As long as you use one of these methods, nettle leaves can be a part of practically any dish, used in a similar way to spinach or other leafy greens. Harvesting the stinging nettle The little stinging nettle (Urtica urens) as well as the big stinging nettle (Urtica dioca) are the perfect ingredient for the production of brew and manure. It's a perennial, winter-hardy … I’ve decided to stop cutting a section of my nettle patch to allow it to flower and seed so I can have my first go at harvesting nettle seeds. It spreads by vigorous creeping rhizomes, and often forms dense clusters. The chicken wire was put there to keep the bandicoots out of this section of raised beds. But it seems the latter may be the case. Receipe for Stinging Nettle Slurry: big container with lid or mesh, non-metallic; 10l rainwater; ca 2 pounds / 1kg nettle plants, collected with gloves Cut the nettles small, fill the container with the water and cover loosley. Weighted down with a rock and covered with water... After 2 to 3 weeks in the shade with a loose lid on to let air in and keep critters out, this will be a black liquid smelling a lot like cow dung: liquid fertilizer. Nettles can also be foraged easily, and they grow as a weedy perennial all over the place. Stinging Nettle Liquid Fertilizer. Keep the soil moist throughout the spring until you are done harvesting, after which time the plants will usually take care of themselves. The coming of spring brings forth renewal and return to Nature as it reawakens. This unique plant helps to draw in beneficial insects that will help to protect your plants against hungry, marauding invaders. The leaves can be preserved and consumed in a number of ways. ", Was this helpful? I have never tasted a cooked green – either wild or domestic – that I like better. They are a delicious leafy herb, the tender young tops can be steamed and eaten like spinach or used to make a delicious soup. Since the stalks of the stinging nettle are quite bare in the lower area, it is advisable to place lo… If I miss the message for too much longer, someone is going to get stung, to remind me. If they show up in your garden, you might want to relocate them before the plants get too big. The stinging nettle is one of more than 50 varieties of nettle plants worldwide. Here are some ideas for making use of the free food and fertilizer that this under-appreciated weed has to offer. To use it, strain, dilute 1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water for the soil around your plants, or 1 part fertilizer to up to 20 parts water if using it on the leaves. There’s also a Facebook page called Nettles for textiles. But with the Stinging Nettle the pain is literal because its fine hairs, even only brushed lightly on bare skin bare skin, create the feeling akin to dozens of little syringes injecting fiery pain. so thanks for the resources , You can indeed eat the seeds of nettle; I’ve read that they are great for thyroid health in particular. This is our nettle patch, beside the main pathway through our garden. Just shake out a seed head into a jar or bag. A guy called Allan Brown has made some good videos on the subject. Plants can later be thinned to an inch apart. Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are nasty perennial weeds that have needles waiting to brush up against your skin, making it burn. Read on, and I'll tell you a number of reasons why. If you are concerned about spreading, consider confining it to containers. Just to remind me and you that its not necessary to be super-human. They seem to grow together in patches. Stinging Nettle Benefits – Butterflies & Edible Or not more super-human than we are already being.). I am now a complete convert. Overview Information Stinging nettle is a plant. Posted by jerseyridgearts (SW Louisiana - Zone 9a) on Apr 13, 2015 5:58 PM. It has been grown, foraged, and harvested for thousands of years. To use, dilute a few drops of the tincture in half a cup of water and drink as a general health tonic. The first Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) I had came from a friend, who shared plants she originally got from a nursery. Nettle, Urtica dioica, is an herbaceous perennial in the Urticaceae family that is often found growing wild in the understory of riparian zones, on the edges of meadows, in open forests, or in disturbed soils near pasture. Thanks for commenting , About subscribing, your privacy, and my content. This will help you avoid using harmful chemical products while not losing in efficiency! If you want, you can incorporate some leaf mulch around the plants to help retain moisture during dry spells. I've been a nettle fan ever since I first read about nettle in Susun Weed's book, Healing Wise - which was about the best introduction I can imagine. Stinging nettle root has been used for urination problems related to an enlarged prostate as well as for joint ailments and as an astringent. I’m glad it was helpful Jay. When the bucket gets low, it can be topped up with more water a few times. This versatile edible and medicinal herb is not often cultivated, but foraging it from the wild is certainly not your only option. A folk remedy for relieving the sting is to rub crushed rosemary, mint, sage, or even the leaves of the nettle itself on the irritated skin. The wild, exotic charm of the stinging nettle is particularly evident in near-natural plantations in combination with sage (Salvia), echinacea and yarrow (Achillea) and in autumn beds with asters, horned stonecrop and ornamental grasses. I rated the plant neutral for two reasons. If you want to grow some, these seed heads will provide hundreds of seeds. The above-ground parts are used for allergies, hayfever, and osteoarthritis. To make a tincture, you can infuse dried or fresh leaves in alcohol or vinegar for use as an herbal remedy. Keep this in mind when you consider where your nettle patch should be. It occurs in moist sites along streams, meadow, and ditches, on mountain slopes, in woodland clearings, and in disturbed areas. How to Kill Stinging Nettle Plants. Stinging nettle, Urtica dioica, has leaves and stems with tiny, hollow, tipped hairs. This is the most popular herbal nettle which has been used for centuries by mankind. Just find the right spot, establish your nettle patch, and enjoy. But practice is what makes this journey remarkable, so here is a first and easy way to use your knowledge on The Stinging Nettle – the fire in the garden to make a traditional Romanian elixir called The Healing Fire or in Romanian: Focul Vindecator. Although it's often talked about in terms of its medicinal properties, I prefer to think of nettle as a food. The perennial stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a perennial, herbaceous plant with creeping roots.It is perhaps most troublesome in loose, newly cultivated soil, especially where phosphate levels are high. If you’re a gardener who enjoys raising non-traditional herbs in your garden, stinging nettle could still be your herb of choice. The ideal time for the harvest lies between May and July, as long as the plants are not yet blooming. Your compost heap will love it, too, if you have excess after feeding your plants. They will spread quickly, once they become established. Stinging nettle generally grows on deep, rich, moist soil and doesn't do well in areas of drought. In the spring, broadcast seeds and press them lightly into the soil or cover with a very thin layer of soil, only about 1/4 inch at most. The skin surrounding the hives may be red. This method has been used to reduce joint pain, such as what is experienced by those with arthritis. Store the remaining nettle liquid in the garden … Nettles like a bit of shade, but will tolerate full sun as long as they don’t dry out. See our TOS for more details. I knew nettle had many uses but wasn’t sure so this was a useful reminder. I think I will domesticate it in the nearest future. I’ve tried making cordage from banana fiber before and I’d be keen to try with nettle fiber (there is so much to learn!) Realize, you must use great care when raising and preparing it for use. Stinging nettle is commonly believed to be a European native that was brought to North America as a medicinal plant. Then I drop the leaves into stir fries and what I call "bubble'n'squeaks"... (Bubble'n'squeak, at our place: a meal made from left over veggies, bits of bacon or other meats, and other odd items found in jars in the fridge, mixed and heated in a fry pan and usually graced with greens from the garden. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. The problem. I decided to leave it as it was rather than go outside, secure that chicken netting by some other means, take another picture, re-edit it, and re-load it. They spread from seed and from the roots so to control nettles you need to attack on both fronts. The nettle we’re used to in the UK is Urtica dioica, a perennial plant full of iron, calcium, magnesium and nitrogen, which makes it incredibly nutritious for both other plants and humans. Do you have other nettle recipes or garden applications that you could share? They can be used to make a fresh nettle soup, added to stews, used in baking, or simply sauteed in a little butter and garlic as a side dish. To store, remove leaves from the stems and secure in tightly lidded glass jars. Many nettle patches hold overwintering insects which swarm around fresh spring nettles and provide early food for ladybirds. Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae.Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand and North America. I’m thinking maybe I need another nettle patch . Stinging Nettle in our Garden Besides feeding us, our nettle patch also nourishes our garden and compost bins. I have found 3 separate patches of stinging nettle on our property and for the past month or so, have been harvesting the tops to eat. Once nettle flowers and goes to seed, its leaves may be potentially harmful to your kidneys if you consume a lot of it. I have a personal theory that the plants (“weeds”) that most persistently follow human beings about are those that have the most to offer us in terms of medicine, food, help in our gardens, and other useful things. It usually pops up each spring, and easily spreads after flowering and going to seed. After disposing of the leaves, the liquid can be stored in the refrigerator and used in place of animal rennet. They prefer high nitrogen soil with plenty of moisture, like the edges of farm fields and along rivers. I’ve even made nettle pesto – but I made sure to blanch the leaves before throwing them in! Stinging nettles die down to tough yellow roots in autumn, over-wintering to grow up again the following spring. It’s a relative of mint plants, so it shares the same invasive quality. It can grow from two to four feet tall at maturity. If you’re interested in growing other medicinal herbs, you’ll need these guides next: © Ask the Experts, LLC. Once you’ve harvested the greens, you can use them as you would any leafy green. Stinging nettle is dioecious, which means plants can have either male or female flowers. Male flowers can be yellow or purple, while female flowers are green and white. COPYRIGHT © 2020 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. I make tea with it in the spring and summer. Documented accounts of its use date as far back as 1200 BC, and its uses are widespread. You can read more about harvesting and using stinging nettle roots here. The nettle has sharp hairs on its leaves. After removing stalks, leave them to decompose on the ground around plants. Many nettle patches hold overwintering insects which swarm around fresh spring nettles and provide early food for ladybirds. Urtica dioica var. It's broadcasting a clear message: "It's time to harvest a large amount of nettle and make nettle fertilizer tea.". I started a nettle patch a couple years ago, but haven’t made use of it as well as you have. The drying time can vary depending on your location and the relative humidity, and it could take anywhere from one to a few weeks. This is why I decided I wanted a larger patch of it, and why I put it where it could spread into a pathway: to remind me to harvest it often and use it well. Fresh leaves can also be used in cheesemaking as a vegetarian substitute for rennet. They spread from seed and from the roots so to control nettles you need to attack on both fronts. Pour the nettle liquid into a spray bottle and add water. Though it stings the hands, it does not sting the gut. Like stinging nettle, pellitory (or Pellitory-of-the-Wall, or Lichwort), is a part of the nettle family Urticaceae. If you do touch a stinging nettle. U. galeopsifolia lacks the stinging hairs. It also has smooth margins on the leaves, and a reddish stem. I routinely add it to my compost piles in the spring to heat the pile up after a cold winter. Popular garden weed killers can also be used to kill stinging nettles. If a spot is too dry, plants may struggle and will lack flavor, and may potentially lack some of their potency as an herbal remedy. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. In a study by David James, associate professor of entomology at Washington State University, from 2011 to 2013 researchers monitored beneficial insect populations in U. dioica patches at three locations in the Yakima Valley. (In defense of baling twine: when I had nearly finished this article, I looked at this picture properly and realized there was a messy piece of baling twine right in the middle of it. Please log in again. What is your favorite way to use stinging nettle? Stinging nettle sounds like something you'd run from, not a vibrant green herb that improves blood sugar metabolism, prevents weight gain, and reduces pain. A great article, thank you. Males and females grow adjacent to each other, and the flowers are usually wind pollinated. Perhaps among the most cherished benefits of stinging nettles is the fact that they taste great. Stinging nettle is used for diabetes and osteoarthritis. Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are able to survive in a wide range of conditions but are most common on ground that’s been left uncultivated for a long period.Plants can spread to form clumps, and seed is also distributed to infest new areas. Another use for nettle! It pre-dates the nettle; if I did this from scratch, I wouldn't bother protecting the nettle from bandicoots. As the seeds are effortlessly surviving every form of production you can leave blooming or withered stinging nettles out of your consideration. Nettle is easy to grow and can easily be started by seed indoors, or divided from existing patches. Show larger version of the image Stinging Nettle Though visible, the noxious hairs on the stems and leaves of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are easy to overlook. Not only does nettle follow us about but it leaves us in no doubt, when we brush against it, about its presence and identity. Nettles don’t need much maintenance after harvest season, as they are very hardy and spread easily. One of the most interesting ways of enjoying nettle that I’ve ever tried is in cheese- it’s popular in the Netherlands, and the herb adds just a touch of flavor that combines nicely with creamy dairy. There are quite a number of claims about the healing properties of some root and leaf extracts, but many of these are inconclusive and largely anecdotal. The leaves, stems, and roots have been used for food, medicine, cordage, and dye for millennia. The only way to get rid of stinging nettles permanently is to remove the whole of the root. Squeeze to drain as much moisture as possible, chop, and place in freezer bags or containers. Stinging nettle has an erect, squarish stem and serrated, simple, pointed, ovate leaves that are arranged in opposite pairs. Where to Find Stinging Nettle. Keep in a dark place, such as a pantry. Perhaps this is why they were given the Latin name dioica, which means “two houses.”. Stinging nettle has a long history of use for food, medicine, cordage, and dye.