Plant manure made from stinging nettle and horsetail is a tried and tested spray against aphids and ants and a good fertilizer for your plants.
The preparations, which are often expensive on the market, can also be used at home with a little skill. The advantage is obvious, because the use of spray mixtures means that the chemical club is usually superfluous. Whether self-prepared manure, tea, broth or cold water withdrawal, all methods have the same goal: to release the valuable ingredients of the herbs and plants used. You can find out exactly how this happens and where there are small differences here.
Areas of application and limits
The prepared broths belong to the plant strengthening agents. These agents strengthen the cell tissue, for example, so that fungi cannot penetrate the plant in the first place. Or it is based on the effect of essential oils that keep pests away. Almost all spray mixtures also act like a light fertilization, regardless of whether it is applied to the foliar or to the soil. Some broths can actually curb pest infestations, but you can't fight a pest infestation directly! This application limit distinguishes broths and plant manure from real plant protection products. For this reason, plant strengthening agents must usually be used preventively, i.e. before infestation by pests. In order for the broths used to also help, regular use is essential, as the time of action is often limited. So if you hope for a successful harvest (without the use of chemicals), you have to invest a little more time in caring for the plants.
Here you will learn the important basics for making your own manure, teas and broths. The following applies to all herbal sprays: It doesn't matter whether you use dried plants from the trade or fresh plants from your own harvest. For fresh plants, mix in a ratio of 1:10 (e.g. 1 kg of plants to 10 liters of water) and for dried herbs, use 100 to 200 g for 10 liters of water.
The following products have changedproven in our garden:
- Nettle powder: for making nettle broth
- Stinging nettle pellets: herbal preparation for making nettle broth; approved for organic farming
Plant Manure
Making a manure is arguably the most time-consuming way to make your own herbal tonic. But it's worth it, because most of the valuable ingredients are released through the fermentation process. Incidentally, it is precisely this fermentation process that makes the popular sauerkraut so he althy! For a fermentation approach, it is best to use a plastic (not metal) keg. Fill the plants with the water and keep the barrel as warm as possible. The fermentation starts after 1 to 2 days and is complete after about 14 days. The end of fermentation can be recognized by the lack of bubble formation. The rather distinctive smell of the plant manure can be mitigated by adding rock flour. In addition, you enrich your liquid manure with important trace elements. For use on the leaves, the manure must be diluted 1:50 with water. In a ground application only 1:20.
Our tip: Manure in particular can lead to burns on the leaves due to its high mineral content. The spraying should therefore be carried out in the morning or in the evening.
Broth
When making a broth, the plants must be soaked in water for 24 hours and then the mixture is boiled for about 15 minutes. After the broth has cooled, use can begin with a 1:10 or 1:20 dilution. The broth does not have to be diluted as much as the liquid manure because fewer minerals are dissolved here.
Tea
This form of production is probably the fastest, but the preparation of the tea usually also dissolves fewer ingredients. To prepare, simply boil water with the plant material. Then cover the used vessel and let it steep for at least 20 minutes. Dilution is not necessary here.
Chilled Water Removal
It couldn't be easier! Put the plants in the water and leave for 1 to 2 days, done. Dilution is not necessary with this method either.
We will provide you with more natural ways to fertilize your plants in our special articleNatural fertilizer before.