Nettle Tea

[MJBadger]

was wondering, has anyone tried using cannabis fan leaves to make teas?
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A Rasta friend of mine always has any males b4 i bin them & uses the leaves to soak his Jamacian rum in , maybe it could be classed as slow rum !!!!!

He seems to love it but i don`t like sweet things so never appreciated it .

Makes a change from ferts anyway .

Stay green .

 

[MJBadger]

Heres a link worth a look see http://www.herballegacy.com/Vance_Chemical.html

i still havn`t found the 1 i`m looking for with all the %ages of mineral content etc , imformation overload !!.

Plants are doing well & really beginning to pack it on , i hope the rain comes my way . It`s been so dry & hot here for nearly 3wk even the lawns looking like Weetabix .

Stay green .

 

[jaykush]

ok i think its about time i add this, i wrote this up some time ago for another forum. enjoy.

common name:stinging nettles, nettles,burn nettle, burn weed, burn hazel

scientific name:urtica dioica

uses:compost, plant extracts, soil amendment,in compost teas, foliar spray, mulch, dried root powder

nutrients:nitrogen, essential Oils, Ammonia,

Minerals: iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium and calcium

Other: vitamins A, C and D

Nettle's main plant chemicals include: acetophenone, acetylcholine, agglutinins, alkaloids, astragalin, butyric acid, caffeic acids, carbonic acid, chlorogenic acid, chlorophyll, choline, coumaric acid, folacin, formic acid, friedelins, histamine, kaempherols, koproporphyrin, lectins, lecithin, lignans, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, neoolivil, palmitic acid, pantothenic acid, quercetin, quinic acid, scopoletin, secoisolariciresinol, serotonin, sitosterols, stigmasterol, succinic acid, terpenes, violaxanthin, and xanthophylls.

difficulty to grow: very easy http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/mf2631.pdf
a easy to read pdf growers guide.

perrenial or annual: depends on location, dry hot places it will die each season. In moist places that dont frost hard it will grow almost all year round.

invasive or not: can be invasive. If kept under check and if your actually using if for fertilizers, you shouldn't have a problem, just dont over seed your area or let it go to seed!

soil conditions: will grow just about anywhere, but thrives in rich soil.

when to plant: grows best in spring, but ive seen it growing at all times of year in frost free areas, as long as there is water, sufficient temperature and light. Note that if its cold as hell, they will not grow that fast. When it warms up they get off to a much better pace. too cold and they die. or the seeds stay dormant.

where to plant: nettles grow good in the sun. But they flower faster and dont get as big IMO if you leave them to grow naturally( though with the right conditions ive seen 15ft+ tall nettles before). I grow them in the shade right out of the suns reach, or spotted light through a tree makes them grow well in nature and in our cultivation.

germination: 8 -10 days with good temps above 60F. 70-80F is best.

harvesting: make sure to wear gloves, or test to see if you are immune to the nettles sting ( some people luckily are)
for the best product snip only the leaves off at the top growing tips. For a quick and lazy way chop the stalks in half leaving lower growth to regrow. leaving lower growth will give you harvests year around or as long as the nettles are in season. chopping the plant at the base could kill your source. only take whole plants when harvesting the roots and always leave plants to re populate your plot. Dry in a warm dry place with lots of ventilation for best results, if lazy. leave it in a bag thats open and leave it outside where its dry. Make sure to let them go to seed if in the wild or you could be screwing yourself over in the long run, possibly just when you have your own methods and ratios down there could be no nettles left.

 

[jaykush]

personal info:
stinging nettles, the name alone brings fear to some people i know, and im sure its the same way all over the planet. They are covered with little spikes that sting you, though they have a nasty bite, they are at the same time good soil builders and a EXCELLENT source of nutrients and plant chemicals, and wherever most nettles grow you will find healthy rich soil full of life( great for doing BIM cultures). They are an excellent fertilizer that is mostly a veg fert but can be used all around, it can be used as a main veg fert by itself and plants will thrive, and as a supplemental in the beginning of flower to mid and even small amounts in late flower for those long going sativas. It has great pest control properties( when used as a liquid fert. (Though the plant itself attracts some insects because it is great food for wild critters/bugs along with some beneficials as well, the extract repels bad bugs but leaves beneficials un touched.), I cant say exactly why but the nettles seem to build the plants "immune" system and i have read some others say the same thing. In veg there is no need for extra MG or CA, ive never seen a MG deficiency since i started using nettles. Nettles as companion plants are said to improve essential oils in neighboring plants, but ive never done a side by side comparison before. I know from observations plants growing next to nettles or downstream from them in the mountains grow much better and healthy by far, its like night and day difference.

some of the uses for nettles are as follows

-the main way is the liquid soak, take a 5 gallon bucket ( 1 gallon for people starting out), fill 1/3 with fresh chopped nettles, fill with stream water if possible, next would be rain and then dechlorinated tap. ( if you dont want the smell to be as bad, you can add some lacto bacillus culture and it will do a major dent in the smell of the final liquid but it is not needed use half final culture water with the water you will be using) now let it sit for a few days, then stir, you can take a little bit and apply at 1:1 nettle water:water at this point, then let sit for a week, stir again, you can strain now and dilute 10:1 water:nettle water. At this point you can let it sit longer but it will become really rank( i actually got used to the smell and leave it to go this far. then dilute 1:20, the best option is after the fermentation is done ( bubbles a lot when you stir) strain the material out well and store in jars that are not fully sealed. Over time( months) the liquid will become clear and loose its smell. This takes the longest to get to but i find it works really good, specially for indoor use because there is no smell and by then its basically liquid nettle is what i call it. if you get a perpetual system going on making the extracts you will always have the good stuff ready.

-quick veg fix, take some water in a pan on the stove, add 1 cup nettles to 3 cups water, simmer for 15 mins, itl get green and slightly dark, strain toss the scraps in the compost, dilute the liquid about 1:10 for strong 1:20 for light feedings. I usually add that to about 2 gallons, apply and there you go. its The fastest way of getting nettles to the plant, most of the water soluble nutrients are absorbed without the needed microbial breakdown. Then the rest get used up over time with help from the microbes.

-soil amendment ( still doing testing go light at first, then work your way up) ive been drying and crushing nettles into a powder. Adding them to the soil at about a tablespoon per gallon for plants coming out of seedling stage.

-mulch, dried leaves used as mulch, slowly adds nutrients to the soil while keeping it moist. You could probly use the spent stalks after drying too if you chopped them up.

-compost them. Put all plants in a bucket or a tub or wrap in a tarp ( stems and everything, preferably not seeded plants), take a 2x4 or a stick, smash plants till they are brused with a little water,(it even could be lacto B. Water.) add to the compost and watch the heat rise!

growing the nettles: there are three ways to grow nettles, care free, controlled and soil building.

-care free would be find an optimal spot to grow them, a spot with sun/shade, decent soil, water. Spread seed in early spring later winter, let grow naturally. The only thing you have to watch is to not let the plants go to seed unless you are collecting seed from one plant, remember there are male and female nettles, so you only have to eliminate one of the two.

-the controlled way is a bit more neat than just tossing seed out in a good spot and letting nature do the work. This involves either preparing a site, clearing other weeds and such then spreading seed with some reason, and not just tossing numbers out there. You would let the plants get big, chop off all flowering parts or chop near the base at the bottom 6-8 inches to harvest the top and let the bottom grow a second time for harvesting. At the end of the season, you will harvest the whole top, stems and all, then harvest some of the main roots as well for drying.

-soil building is the same basic principles of the controlled way, except for the fact nettles are used in a crop rotation system to help build the soil. You can also grow them as a cover crop, for turning into the soil, just make sure the plants are not seeded yet and dont overseed!. chances are Some might grow back so just pick those for drying or eating for drinking as tea ( for you its really healthy, for making shampoo, for just as mulch). For example this would be a rotation i might use......cannabis, alfalfa( for N fixing), nettles, yarrow/chamomile, cannabis

harvest processing of nettles:
drying- drying nettles is probably what most people will end up doing as you can do so much with it, there are a few ways you can let it dry, one is just lay it out in the sun, two would be a shed with good ventilation( possibly hanging) and the last which i do sometimes is leave it in the bag i harvest in( usually canvas to breathe) but ive used plastic many times. Then leave it in a warm shady slightly sunny spot for a week or so.

crushing- i usually do this in a thick very large plastic bag, dump all the dried material in, close it up or hold the top open end, and step on it....put a piece of plywood on it and walk on that, use your imagination. For small amounts you can use a blender or food processor to get the fine stuff ( which works great as a soil amendment or for liquid fpes, as it has high surface area in a powder)

storing- i usually store nettles in a 5 gallon plastic bucket with lid, or in big baggies. I keep my activator nettles in a glass jar as with the rest of the ingredients. Nettles keep for a long time when dried, ive had nettles at least a year old that i used to grow some amazing tomatoes. As long as it doesn't get wet and is sealed pretty well it will last some time. If your lazy you can just keep it in a garbage bag in a dry warm place. This is what i recommend for most people. If you grow enough in one go you can store enough for a whole years worth or at lest until more are done growing.

 

[DARC MIND]

haha was waiting for you to post this

 

[3rdEye]

saved. thanks jay

 

[DocLeaf]

Top info JayKush

In the garden:

Nettles are indeed symbiotic beings ,, especially useful when grown as companion plants. Nettles have the ability to fix nitrogen directly into soil sites via their rhizome / root nodules, which long term improves soil condition. Likewise mature nettles will deter browsing animals such as deer, rabbits and squirrels... as well as providing a natural barrier that deters humans. Young plants can be started under-glass in spring to produce the most tender leaves for eating.


Other uses for nettles...

Porridge : In 1661 Samuel Pepys the English Naval Administrator recognised the value of nettles as a major resource.

Medicinal: Nettle teas can be used to treat; skin conditions like eczema, and rheumatic aches and pains, are highly alkaline and counteract excessive acidity.

Textiles: Nettles have been cultivated throughout Scandinavia for centuries as a textile used in the production of clothing.

Dye: During the 2nd World War 100s of tons of nettles where gathered for the extraction of chlorophyll to be used as dyes in camouflage netting. (source R Mabey; Food for Free)

Ecosystem: The caterpillar of the Nymphalidae family of butterfly, which contain the most colourful species, are raised specifically on stinging nettles.

 

[DocLeaf]

Weeds,, like nettles,, although plant species that most gardeners look down their noses at as a pests,, are in fact usually the most useful plants that herbalists (and botanists) have yet to fully discover. Which is silly, because just like cannabis,, these weeds are often the most common and most resilient plants to outside pressures in the garden.

I say exploit the nettle like cannabis,, just as it exploits places of human habitation and disturbance. You can find nettles growing on most bombsites for some reason,, and around derelict buildings and within woodland of a certain age (usually south west facing in N Hem).

peace out organic heds

 

[dargo]

would the method with the upsidedown bottle full of nettles with small hole in the lid dripping into a container work if I just bottled it up without making a hole and left it for a few weeks, then empty the bottle and press the contents collecting all the liquid. I have access to tons of nettles, ive already fill the garage floor with them drying out. i want to make as much as possible but have it as consentrated as possible, i got hundreds of plants on the grow and will be making lots and lots.

 

[jaykush]

your not going to be able to make it that way if you dry the plants. dried material is best used to make liquid extracts, soil amendments, or top dressings.

 

[MJBadger]

& YOU WOULD NEED 1 HELL OF A LOT OF BOTTLES . I reckon it may work but seems to be a heck of a lot of work . You seem hooked on the idea of a concentrated solution why? If you made it normal way depending on the container size you`d still have a good strong feed .
I use 2 x 50gal drums , that gives me anywhere between 900/1000 gals of dilute at 10/1 . After all you only water enough per plant as a feed & how often do you need to feed per week ?

Stay green .

 

[MJBadger]

I`ve been talking to a good buddy of mine about a way to concentrate a nettle tea , he knows how i make mine & we bounced a few ideas around & the best we came up with was .

Pick fresh nettles & run through a shredder to break up the size , place in a watertight container & add say a 1/4- 1/2 of the normal water then agitate or turn several times a day . The shredding should help it break down & ferment quicker & you may have a stronger solution . The ideas not been tried as far as i know , or has it ? If the entire contents of container do break down to less water then surely the solution has got to be stronger ?.
I know a similar thing with a turnable drum can be used to make garden compost in just a matter of weeks so part of the ideas already there , this has really got me thinking now as wether the ideas got some use in nettles . I would seriously like to know if it will work .

Stay green .

 

[jaykush]

yea chopping it up helps it ferment faster. when i do small batches of extract i toss some in a blender with water and make everything very small. it ferments very fast when its hot outside. or you can just use dried nettles, which are very easy to crush to a powder that ferments faster because of the high surface area.

really if you make the tea strong enough it already is a concentrate. say a 5 gallon bucket, fill 3/4 of the way with dried powdered nettles. fill with water and let sit for 2 weeks with the occasional stir. that will be some STRONG shit. enough to feed at least 100 decent sized plants when diluted easily.

 

[MJBadger]

yea chopping it up helps it ferment faster. when i do small batches of extract i toss some in a blender with water and make everything very small. it ferments very fast when its hot outside. or you can just use dried nettles, which are very easy to crush to a powder that ferments faster because of the high surface area.

really if you make the tea strong enough it already is a concentrate. say a 5 gallon bucket, fill 3/4 of the way with dried powdered nettles. fill with water and let sit for 2 weeks with the occasional stir. that will be some STRONG shit. enough to feed at least 100 decent sized plants when diluted easily.
__________________

& that is the absolute answer to the Q . Cheers J K .

Stay green .

 

[DocLeaf]

This thread is full of excellent knowledge and positive attitudes.. thanks for contributing all

We just noticed a tortoiseshell butterfly on our nettles today,, so are reluctant to harvest any more leaves until later in summer. Might have to go on a forage and find a really large wild patch to take a few tops from.

Peace n flowers
DocLeaf

p.s. Please help preserve the natural fauna and flora in your area best you can,, by being mindful and aware of the egg sites that butterflies use, when harvesting nettles to make tea from. Not only are butterflies amazing animals to look at, but they are a threatened species, due to pesticides and stupidity, in many places. One love.

 

[3rdEye]

Thank you for the reminder about fauna and flora DocLeaf. This kind of thinking needs to be reinforced. I'll make sure to check the plants carefully before harvesting.

 

[jaykush]

yea great point doc. over harvesting will not only hurt everything else that uses nettles, it will screw you over as well. get greedy and there wont be any nettles pretty soon.

that's why its great to grow your own patch of nettles

 

[MJBadger]

We just noticed a tortoiseshell butterfly on our nettles today,,

On a lighter note the mention of Tortoiseshell reminded me of something made me laugh last week . (True story) The mother in law is going a bit do-dally & losing her marbles , my missus was speaking to her on the phone the other day when the m in law said " Oh by the way i have got myself a rescue cat 8yr old "
The wife says " What is it a tortoiseshell " No she says it`s got a fur coat like any other cat . L O L


Stay green .

EDIT , i realise this post has no merit on a thread of this quality , if anyone wants it removed please ask & it will be done no worries .

 

[dargo]

your not going to be able to make it that way if you dry the plants. dried material is best used to make liquid extracts, soil amendments, or top dressings.

Sorry misunderstanding, I used fresh leaf in the bottle, the dry stuff was seperate.

I`ve been talking to a good buddy of mine about a way to concentrate a nettle tea , he knows how i make mine & we bounced a few ideas around & the best we came up with was .

Pick fresh nettles & run through a shredder to break up the size , place in a watertight container & add say a 1/4- 1/2 of the normal water then agitate or turn several times a day . The shredding should help it break down & ferment quicker & you may have a stronger solution . The ideas not been tried as far as i know , or has it ? If the entire contents of container do break down to less water then surely the solution has got to be stronger ?.
I know a similar thing with a turnable drum can be used to make garden compost in just a matter of weeks so part of the ideas already there , this has really got me thinking now as wether the ideas got some use in nettles . I would seriously like to know if it will work .

Stay green .

Thanks, I got 500+ plants to feed and thats just for the next 6ish weeks, I want enough to last me untill next spring. I want it as consentrated as possible so it takes up less space, why have 100gal when I could have 50 sort of thing.

I got so many nettles im going to have to borrow the chipper (normally used for tree branches!) from work and shred them that way, I got enough to fill the back of the pick up 10 times over (not that im going to make that much lol)

 

[Metatron]

Just finished reading everyone, great info!

So I've looked in my area for any beneficial weeds with no avail.

Today I just visited my local health food store and they carry both comfrey and nettle in a dried leaf form.

Any other directions to making nettle/comfrey tea when buying it already dried and in leaf form ?? Or can I just follow the directions already posted?