Re: source of nettle seeds
I am interested to know how well the seeded nettles grow. a bd grower in Germany told me that he tried to grow nettles from seed for nettle tea production and increase the a amount of nettles available for his own use. He tried several times, but failed, while in some areas of his property they grew very well. He said to me that he believed, nettles grow best naturally and are very difficult to produce 'artificially'. Christiane Dears, Having grown nettles from seed, let me put in my bit. Growing nettles from seed is like growing potatoes from seed. I've never seen it get off to a bang of a start and produce robust plants the first year. Growing potatoes from seed I got these little miniature plants and potatoes the size of marbles. These have to be nursed up to size in further growing seasons. If you want big, robust potatoes, cut sets from big robust potatoes. Likewise with nettles. If you want robust plants, use root cuttings from same. That doesn't mean you can't grow them successfully from seeds. In fact, if you want to plant them from seed, rake off the duff from a border, shady, low lying patch where organic material tends to collect during rains and where nitrogen tends to be rather a bit richer. Rake in your nettle seed and redistribute the duff over the top. If tall growth occurs during the season, mow it off and leave the mulch. Do this as many times as necessary the first couple years. In winter scatter a little oak bark over the areas where the tiny nettle plants appear to encourage them, not to smoother. Be patient. You could get a really robust stand in 3 or 4 years. Or, you could do as I did, let the birds plant the seeds around where you stir your BD 500. I can't get rid of the damned things there now. There were just a few tiny plants there at first. It only too three years for them to catch on. The most robust nettles on my place. They sure like 500. I didn't plant them there at all, at all. Actually they are a boon there. Just good fortune. Also really robust. Best, Hugh Visit our website at: www.unionag.org
Re: source of nettle seeds
Folks - One year I cut my seeding nettle back and put the cuttings in the compost pile. I thought my chopping preceded the maturity of the seed, but apparently not. I applied that compost in the fall and in the spring I had, well, a cover crop of nettle plants everywhere I had put down the compost. My experience was different than Hugh's: my nettle from seed grew to nice 4 ft plants in very short order. More seedling emerged throughout the season, however. Weeding was so much more invigorating that season!! You just never knew when a handful of what you grabbed was going to have bite to it! Last year I transplanted a bunch of these plants to a raised bed at Blue Ridge. I did this in June. by October the patch had been harvested for tea three times and still was looking very robust, with many new plants coming up, I believe, from the roots of the established plants. I've always been told that nettle needs some shade and lots of moisture. In this bed, they received neither. Just my two cents -Allan
Re: source of nettle seeds
My experience with nettles planted in my garden periphery, is that the harvest is much smaller the area planted is expanding slowing. The 'natural' patch is much more prolific. But I must say, my favorite to eat and drink are the nettles receiving the bd preps. They are somehow much more tasty, vital and green tasting. Blessings, Jane S. From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Thu, 2 Jan 2003 10:22:24 +1100 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: source of nettle seeds He said to me that he believed, nettles grow best naturally and are very difficult to produce 'artificially'.
Re: source of nettle seeds
I am interested to know how well the seeded nettles grow. a bd grower in Germany told me that he tried to grow nettles from seed for nettle tea production and increase the a amount of nettles available for his own use. He tried several times, but failed, while in some areas of his property they grew very well. He said to me that he believed, nettles grow best naturally and are very difficult to produce 'artificially'. Christiane
Re: source of nettle seeds
Best way I know to spread nettles is by roostock. Here in BC, it grows like a weed with no or little help. Michael - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 3:22 PM Subject: Re: source of nettle seeds I am interested to know how well the seeded nettles grow. a bd grower in Germany told me that he tried to grow nettles from seed for nettle tea production and increase the a amount of nettles available for his own use. He tried several times, but failed, while in some areas of his property they grew very well. He said to me that he believed, nettles grow best naturally and are very difficult to produce 'artificially'. Christiane
Re: source of nettle seeds
Hi! Christiane. In the natural order of things, in countries like Oz, nettles grow on land, over manured by sheep, cows, horses etc, not native animals. They tend to grow around sheep yards and the drains of milking sheds etc. They are deep rooted and bring useful minerals from the lower levels and make good compost, both liquid and in the normal heap. There are a number of nettles and one in particular is grown for herbal use, with seed available from specialists seed lists. Prepare the bed with lots of well rotted cow/ sheep/ horse manure/ compost and harvest before seed set or you may have more than you want. Normally allowed to flower, but picked before seed is viable. Very useful as a herbal tea. If only a small quantity required, the wild one will do. I England I saw a very large one, five or six feet high and taking over lightly grazed paddocks. I suggested that they could make good money drying it if the market would take it, but they did not seem to use it over there. Gil
source of nettle seeds
I used to have a nice stand of nettles - always green, healthy and available. Then my llamsa found them !! so now I need a source of seeds Laura Sabourin Feast of Fields Inc Demeter Certified Vineyard Farm http://www.ragdolls.net/vineyard.htm Ragenesque Ragdoll Cattery http://www.ragdolls.net/ragenesq.htm R R # 1 St Catharines, Ontario L2R 6P7
Re: source of nettle seeds
I used to have a nice stand of nettles - always green, healthy and available. Then my llamsa found them !! so now I need a source of seeds Laura Sabourin Feast of Fields Inc Demeter Certified Vineyard Farm http://www.ragdolls.net/vineyard.htm Ragenesque Ragdoll Cattery http://www.ragdolls.net/ragenesq.htm R R # 1 St Catharines, Ontario L2R 6P7 The best source of herb seeds are right in your neighborhood, Richter herbs - Goodwood Ontario. On the web at http://www.richters.com/ (Mr)Chris
Re: source of nettle seeds
Hi Laura, I can send you rootstock or, next spring, some seeds. Michael N. Van., BC. I used to have a nice stand of nettles - always green, healthy and available. Then my llamsa found them !! so now I need a source of seeds Laura Sabourin Feast of Fields Inc Demeter Certified Vineyard Farm http://www.ragdolls.net/vineyard.htm Ragenesque Ragdoll Cattery http://www.ragdolls.net/ragenesq.htm R R # 1 St Catharines, Ontario L2R 6P7
