Grow Your Own Magazine

I've got loads of nettles after cutting down a huge clump of them. I've got far too many for nettle brew and enough to fill a compost bin. Can I compost the lot (adding cardboard to balance it) or will it be a bad idea?

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http://plot62.blogspot.com/

I should think the leaves would be good Matt but the stems always seem rather woody to me and probably take ages to rot down.

Should be fine. Chop up woody stems, though, they will rot down a lot quicker then and will help to keep the heap aerated.

Never tried it, but once they've wilted I suppose you could use them as water retaining mulch around tatties etc!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

how long would you have to leave it? dont nettles come back from the dead? we burn ours. let us know how it goes.

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

I always add them to my heap as an activator...they've never taken root so far to date

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

really? might give it a go then!

__________________
Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

Great news thanks for the help. Everything is all chopped nice and fine because I used a mower on it. Likelyhood is it will all grow back in a month or so and I'll be at square one but fingers crossed the compost will be on its way!

__________________
http://plot62.blogspot.com/

Nettles as a fertiliser as well diluted according to books and this months GYO