Why Netttles are good for your allotment.

If you have nettles on your plot you might want to keep them! It sounds probably quite insane but there are several reasons why this might be a good idea.

Firstly you can make nettle soup! This isn’t prickly to eat at all. You use fresh young shoots of the nettles. There are several recipes about for this soup. Wear gloves whilst you pick them though.

Secondly apparently there is a species of aphid that feeds only on nettles. They’re the first to appear so are good food for encouraging ladybirds on to your plot. Ladybirds eat all types of aphids so an early food source might make them head for your patch!

Nettle tea can also be made from nettles. This can be drunk regularly and as nettles are high in high in iron, silicon, and potassium, Calcium, magnesium, other trace minerals, as well as chlorophyll they can be considered very healthy!

If you get stung by nettles then look for a dock leaf to rub on the sore area!

Nettles can be used as a compost activator as they are rich in nitrogen. Add them to your compost heap. You should be able to cut down a patch of nettles several times in a season. They can also be used to make a liquid feed by putting the leaves to rot in water.

They can also be seen as an indicator of good quality soil!

To remove them you need to get out all the roots which can go far underground and across several meters of ground. Your fellow plot holders might think you are mad for growing them though!

You can use them growing in areas which may be used as unauthorised access points. No one with any sense would climb into a bed of nettles. Avoid having them where people can brush past them on paths though else you will not be very popular.