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Nettle fertiliser - oily looking substance a pesticide, or not?

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  • #1

    Nettle fertiliser - oily looking substance a pesticide, or not?

    Ello everyone,

    Yesterday I collected some nettle leaves to make nettle fertiliser and added boiling water (the boiling water was to make sure I killed off any seeds).

    Anyway, the nettle fertiliser has some kind of strange layer of oil-looking substance on the top. It almost appears to be like a very thin film and has the rainbow looking aspect common with oil.

    I was just wondering whether anybody has seen this before. If it's a common aspect of nettles and has just floated to the surface & usually does this, I will use it.

    If not, then I will take it this is some kind of pesticide & get rid.

    The nettles themselves didn't appear to be suffering any kind of pesticide damage but I just thought I'd check if this was common.

    Thanks
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  • #2
    Hi, I've moved your thread out of the Growing Techniques Archive because replies are disabled on that board.

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    • #3
      Don't know if it's pesticide or not. Where did you gather your nettles from? If it was from a roadside then it could be from traffic exhausts.

      If you use boiling water for your nettle fertiliser then it won't work. You need to chop the nettles and steep in cold water.

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      • #4
        There won't be any seeds if the plants weren't in flower, and steeping them in water would rot them anyway.
        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by rustylady View Post
          If you use boiling water for your nettle fertiliser then it won't work. You need to chop the nettles and steep in cold water.
          Why does boiling water not work?

          The nettles were from an area of grass along side a bicycle path. They weren't close to any kind of busy road. The council do appeared to have tried to spray the grass with something recently in my town though, as any patch of grass is dead around the edges.

          I think I'll just avoid them for now and find some other nettles. If it is some kind of weed killer, it might adversely affect my plants.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Inastate View Post
            If it is some kind of weed killer, it might adversely affect my plants.
            It certainly will.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Inastate View Post
              any patch of grass is dead around the edges.
              It could just be drought. All our grass verges are dry, brown and parched, because the council mower man shaves the grass whatever the weather, and whether the grass is long or already short. Every summer we have to look at dry brown deserts everywhere

              My lawn at home is bright green all year, because I don't shave it ultra-short in dry weather
              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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              • #8
                Common.. I get it on mine and I don't use pesticides, neither does anyone else that could spray onto the areas.

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                • #9
                  same here with my comfrey tea asked around and the others are the same..
                  always like that the the old sage said.
                  this will be a battle from the heart
                  cymru am byth

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                  • #10
                    ^Thanks for that

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