Welcoming nettles

Despite being a major weed in this garden, I would not be without nettles. Even though they grow where we do not want them and occasionally sting appallingly, they are a huge improvement to the compost heap. Every garden should have a patch of nettles, as they are a major source of food for butterflies. They are also good food for humans – spring nettles are a delicious vegetable rich in iron. Pick the fresh tips and cook like spinach.

Nettles are an excellent source of nutrients for plants too, especially nitrogen, magnesium, sulphur and iron. Soak 0.5kg of nettles in a 5-litre bucket of water for two weeks. Then use as a general-purpose liquid feed in spring and early summer, diluting the resulting nettle liquid with 10 parts of water. Do not be tempted to use a stronger mixture and use once a week at most. It can be applied to the roots of plants or as a foliar spray. Remember that most plants do not need extra feed and over-feeding, especially young plants, will do more harm than good.