| We all need a bit of a pick-me-up from time to time | | | | surface that have leached down into the sub-soil. |
| and your vegetables, herbs, fruits and soil will also | | | | Nettle 'Tea' |
| benefit from a boost of liquid tonic every now and | | | | A brew made from stinging nettles (Urtica) will |
| then. It's not a good idea to force your plants to | | | | encourage growth in spring. Use gloves when pulling |
| feed when they drink, so I don't recommend regular | | | | up the nettles. You need to fill your container with |
| weekly feeding, but just as a boost. | | | | nettles and completely cover with water. Allow the |
| We all want the best results from our efforts in the | | | | mix to ferment until the nettles have completely |
| garden. Giving your veggies a liquid boost can provide | | | | broken down. |
| them with nutrients and trace elements that are not | | | | Fish |
| always available to them. | | | | Place fish scraps in your container and just cover |
| Making your own liquid fertilizer is a simple task that | | | | with water. Make sure you have a tight fitting lid to |
| can be done in just a few minutes. Then it's just a | | | | prevent flies getting to it (and the smell from getting |
| matter of waiting for it to mature, which can take up | | | | to you). Let it ferment for about a month. It should |
| to a month. | | | | be mostly decomposed by then. This brew is a rich |
| The basic equipment you need is a large plastic | | | | source of trace elements, so you need to use it |
| container with a tightly fitting lid. The container must | | | | very diluted. |
| never have been used for toxic chemicals. | | | | Comfrey |
| Make different brews, depending on what you're | | | | If you want to give your fruiting plants, such as |
| wanting to accomplish. When it has matured, dilute to | | | | pumpkins and tomatoes a boost, try a liquid manure |
| a pale yellow colour, otherwise it may be too strong. | | | | made from comfrey as it is very high in potash. It will |
| Then use as you need it. | | | | break down quickly and with very little solid residue |
| Weeds | | | | as its leaves contain a high amount of water. |
| Often if you have a particular weed problem in your | | | | Compost |
| garden, it is there to help restore the balance of | | | | If you need a fungal preventative, make a tea from |
| nutrients in the soil. If you make a liquid manure from | | | | compost. The compost must have some animal |
| that particular weed and use it as a foliar spray, it will | | | | manure included for this to work. Put some compost |
| often reduce the recurrence of that weed. | | | | in a hessian bag and soak in water for a few days. |
| Also, deep-rooted weeds such as dandelion, dock, | | | | You'll need to dilute it to the colour of weak tea, |
| yarrow, burnet and wire-weed bring nutrients to the | | | | then spray on plant leaves every 10 - 14 days. |