Sun Flower pic
Return to DiscussionsLooks like me home made stinging nettle liquid fertilizer worked!
Tallest one is just under 10 foot, but that was yesterday, it's probably over that by now :)
If ya wondering, it's sooooo easy, just make sure you wear gloves :(
Get any old container, fill it up with stinging nettles (works quicker if you chop them up a bit, running over them with the mower is a good trick, don't worry about a few grass cuttings getting in with them) squash 'em down a bit, then fill with water, and leave it for a couple of weeks, stir occasionally will speed it up. And that's it! Dilute 10 parts water to one part juice. It's rich in nitrogen, and seems to make quite a difference, also a sprinkling of ash from the bon fire (mix with water or sprinkle around the base of the plant) is worth a go occasionally :) Oh, down side is it don't half pong, so do it away from the house!
I have not seen stinging nettle, at least not any like the European variety. We do have what is locally called bull nettle, it doesn't get as big but it definately hurts if you run into it. We probably don't get enough rain. Another way to increase the nitrogen in soil is to plant beans, peas, or peanuts. All legumes take nitrogen from the air and put it in the soil in ways that plants can use it. I plant a bean or pea plant between each of my taller plants like corn, squash, or tomatoes. The cotton farmers in this area plant soybeans as a fall crop where their cotton fields are to replenish the soil.
Great sunflower pics Phil. My sister has a good stand of sunflowers that come up naturaly. They come from spilled seed from the bird feeder, she leaves the seeds there to feed the bitds after flowers have finished blooming.