Orchard. Prepare your own nettle macerated.
To take care of the garden in a natural way you need to know the resources that allow you to avoid the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Among them we find the macerated nettle.
The macerated nettle is good as fertilizer and natural pesticide.
It is prepared with the two most common varieties of nettle, Urtica urensand Urtica dioica .
The nettle can take it both from the field and the forests and at any time of the year although I must say that summer is the best time to grow it.
To prepare the nettle mash, you will use the whole plant. It does not matter if it is fresh or dry. If you dry it better because it will help you to use it, you can prepare it at any time you need it.
The macerate of nettle stimulates the growth of the plants acting on the development of the roots and enriching the soil. S
It can be used directly on the areas affected by pests by spraying these areas in the afternoon. It is very effective in case of red spider pests.
If applied on the ground serves to prevent plant diseases and attacks by insects.
In case you want to transplant the plants from a pot to a garden or from one place to another it is advisable to use this macerate spraying the root of the plant for a few seconds.
And if you spray with a spray the soil of the plant often acts as a fertilizer and helps the growth of the plant. It can be done once a week.
How to prepare the nettle mash?
Ingredient:
- 1 liter of water
- 1 kg of fresh nettles or 200 grams of dried nettles
If you want you can use water from the rain, you do not have to put bottled or tap water. You put the water in a big bottle like the one in the picture and add the nettle. The container must never be metallic.
You can wrap the nettles in a gauze or in a cloth bag if you want. And then put them in the water, or dipositarlas directly. If you wrap them up then it makes filtering easier when you are ready but it does not matter much.
Do not cover the bottle. At the most, if you do not want dirt or insects to enter you can put a fine mesh that allows it to breathe and not be closed.
Place the container in a warm place, outdoors. But do not let sunlight reach you directly.
I do not recommend that you do it in an indoor area because when it macerates it gives off a strong smell.
In fifteen days you will have your nettle macerated ready. When you have ready the mash yes you must close the container. First you have to filter it with a very fine sieve and close it. It is good to add a little vinegar to store it. 2% vinegar with respect to the mash liquid you have once you have sifted it.
To be able to use it on the plants or the earth you must dilute the mash with 10 parts of water. That is, if you put a liter of macerated you must put 10 liters of water.
You can store the stinging nettle up to 1 year and a half.
The powder made of dried nettle leaves is actually a concentrated form of nutrients contained in these leaves that are rich in minerals (calcium, potassium, silica, sulfur, magnesium, iron, copper), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B9, vitamin C, Vitamin D, vitamin K), amino acids, proteins, polysaccharides, plant pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoids), fatty acids, sterols, tannins and many other phytochemicals.
Nettle leaf powder can be used as a nutrient-rich food additive in sauces, soups or salads, as well as a conditioning agent in cosmetic preparations, shampoos and hair masks. It is rich in the green pigment, chlorophyll, so it is perfectly usable as a natural food, cosmetic and soap colorant. Its high content of proteins, vitamins and minerals makes nettle leaf powder a great dietary supplement which is often sold in a capsule or tablet form. Nettle is well-known for its high iron content and it is often recommended to people suffering from iron deficiency. When mixed in a cup of water, homemade nettle leaf powder can be used for the same purposes as tablets or capsules.
How to make homemade nettle leaf powder
Making homemade nettle leaf powder is easy. The main trick is to find healthy, unpolluted nettle plants. To make your own powder, choose nettle plants which grow farther away from busy roads and agricultural lands representing a permanent source of pollutants and pesticide drift. Otherwise, purchase fresh, organically cultivated nettle herbs. Late spring to early summer is the best time to collect or buy them, i.e. before they start flowering.
The further processing is extremely simple:
Pick nettle tops, 15-20cm high, because well-developed but still young leaves contain the highest amount of nutrients. The leaves can be dried with or without the stems (these can be discarded before drying). It is entirely up to you.
Nettle contains about 22-24% of dry matter, and dried leaves will retain about 10% of the moisture. Thus the yield of nettle powder makes for about ¼ of fresh nettle leaf weight.
Wash carefully freshly collected nettle and discard damaged or spotted leaves. Use gloves to avoid skin irritation caused by nettle stings. When washed, place the nettle between two towels to absorb excess water.
The nettle leaves can be dried in the open air (protected from direct sunlight) or in the oven. Drying in the open air is easy and cost-effective, but since it takes a few days (depending on the weather conditions) you should expect some dust contamination. The oven-drying method is faster and the dried leaves will remain free of dust. Set oven temperature to 40- 50oC (104-122oF) and place the leaves in a thin layer for 2-3 hours. The oven door should be slightly open (1-2 cm/ 0.5-1 in) to allow the moist air to escape. If possible, turn on the fan because it will significantly speed up the air circulation and shorten the drying time.
Beware that leaves dry much faster than stems. When the leaves become brittle and crumble to the touch, take them out from the oven and crush them by hand. Drying will destroy almost all the nettle's stinging constituents, so further handling can be done with bare hands. Discard the stems and all other parts that are still moist. Return the crushed leaves in the oven and continue with drying for one more hour to be sure that they are completely dry.
Crush dry leaves by hand and then grind them in a coffee grinder or blender.
Sift the obtained powder through a sieve. Some larger particles will remain in the sieve, so you can grind them in a mortar and sift them again.
If you want to obtain even finer-grained powder, pour it in a jar, cover the jar mouth with a double layer of nylons and fix them with a rubber band. Sift the powder on wax paper. Although this process is a little time-consuming, it is definitely an easy and cheap way to obtain fine, homemade herbal powder.
300g (10.5 oz) of fresh nettle herbs (leaves and stems) or 150g (5.25 oz) of fresh leaves will yield about 20-25g (0.7 - 0.9 oz) of fine powder and about 10-15g (0.35 - 0.5 oz) of additional coarser powder that remains in the jar after sifting.
The fine powder can be used in making homemade cosmetics, and the coarse fraction can be used for preparing food or tea.
Store the nettle powder in an airtight container or in a zip-lock bag, in a dark, dry and cold place. Since volatile stinging nettle compounds are not important in this case, this powder can be stored for several months.
How to use nettle leaf powder in handmade cosmetics
Nettle powder can be used as a source of active ingredients in formulating handmade cosmetics and hair-care products, or as a natural, green colorant. Some of indications for the use of nettle leaf powder are:
- In hair care: Dull, fragile and devitalized hair, oily hair, hair loss, dandruff, stimulation of hair growth
- In skin care: Tired and dull skin, dermatitis, atopic dermatitis (eczema),
Dosage: 10-20% in most cosmetic products, or even more in poultice preparations.
Depending on the recipe, nettle powder in cosmetic formulation can be used as a powder or as a liquid extract:
- In powder form, it can be directly incorporated in formulations like dry shampoo, face masks, hair masks, shampoo bars, soaps and similar products.
- In liquid extract form (infusion, decoction or macerate), it is used when hard particles of plant tissue are not desired, e.g. in tonics, lotions, liquid shampoos and similar products. The extraction of nettle active ingredients for handmade natural cosmetics is usually done with water, by infusion or maceration. After extracting and filtering, the water that contains these active ingredients is used in the formulation while the hard, filtered particles are discarded.
- In liquid extract form (infusion, decoction or macerate), it is used when hard particles of plant tissue are not desired, e.g. in tonics, lotions, liquid shampoos and similar products. The extraction of nettle active ingredients for handmade natural cosmetics is usually done with water, by infusion or maceration. After extracting and filtering, the water that contains these active ingredients is used in the formulation while the hard, filtered particles are discarded.
To prepare macerates and infusions use 10% of nettle powder and 90% of water.
Nettle leaf powder aqueous macerate:
When preparing macerate, weigh 90g (3.15 oz) of cold distilled water in a small jar. Next, weigh 10g (0.35 oz) of nettle leaf powder and pour it into the water using a mini funnel. Close the jar and shake well. Allow the process of maceration to last 24h, protected from air (oxygen) and light. Shake again occasionally. Shake again occasionally. When the time is up, pour the macerate over a coffee filter and use the liquid extract in your cosmetic formulations. Maceration is an excellent method to preserve heat-sensitive constituents from degradation.
Nettle leaf powder infusion:
To make an infusion, weigh 90g (3.15 oz) of distilled water and bring it to boil. Pour the boiling water over 10g (0.35 oz) of nettle powder and let it steep for 15 min. Pour the infusion over a coffee filter and let it cool before use it in your cosmetic formulations. An advantage of making an infusion is its fast preparation; however, heat destroys heat-sensitive constituents.
To keep the macerate and the infusion fresh, refrigerate and use within 24 hours.
How to Make Insect Killer From Nettle
Theoretically, stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) make useful companion plants for fruit trees, roses and tomatoes because their active compounds repel aphids and thrips. In practice, it's unlikely you'll enjoy brushing up against the extremely irritating hairs that cluster on each plant by the thousands. Instead of planting stinging nettle among your edible and ornamental crops, gather leaves from the wild -- or from a carefully segregated garden bed -- and use them to make a spray that helps repel damaging insects.
1
Cut lengths of stinging nettle from the base of the plant with garden shears or pruners. Aim for about 1/2 pounds of the botanical, or enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket. Wear long sleeves, long pants and gloves when cutting the plants.
2
Set the nettles into a 5-gallon bucket. Cut the nettles to fit, or press them down with your gloved hands.
3
Pour water over the nettles until they are covered.
4
Cover the bucket and leave the mixture to steep for at least one week.
5
Uncover the bucket and take out the wet nettles with your gloved hands. Set the nettles on the compost pile.
6
Strain the infused water through a screen or colander into a second bucket.
7
Use a funnel to fill a spray bottle with the nettle solution.
8
Coat leaves of infested plants with the nettle spray, aiming for both the tops and bottoms of the plants.
9
Use the remainder of the solution as needed by refilling the spray bottle.
Things You Will Need
- Garden shears
- Long sleeves, long pants and gloves
- 5-gallon buckets with lids (2)
- Garden hose or outdoor faucet
- Screen or collander
- Funnel
- Clean spray bottle
Tip
- Use nettle solution for both insect spray and as a nutrient-rich foliar spray. To use nettle solution to feed your plants, dilute the infused nettle water with plain water at a ratio of one part nettle solution to seven or eight parts plain water.
Warnings
- The tiny hairs on stinging nettles are extremely irritating to the skin. Wear protective gear at all stages of the gathering and spray-making process.
- Be prepared for the strong scent of the nettle solution as it ferments, which happens after about 24 hours.
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