What soil does nettle grow on: reproduction, planting, cultivation

Growing nettles at home is quite simple. If the plant is already found on the site, then the soil here is fertile, so there will be no special problems. But if the soil is depleted, top dressing is added to it, as well as sand (for loosening), since nettle is demanding on the soil.

How nettle breeds

The culture can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively. In the first case, the seed is sown directly into the soil in the second half of April or early May. It is not advisable to grow seedlings, since seedlings will be able to take root well anyway. Seedlings do not require special care. But at the first stage, you need to monitor watering: regularly moisten, while not flooding the soil too much. It is not necessary to create special shelters.

Summer residents often use vegetative propagation of nettles. In this case, new plants completely retain the characteristics of the parent. It is possible to breed a culture vegetatively in the only way – with the help of rhizomes. The procedure can be started in April (before the leaves appear) or in September (a few weeks before the first frost). The algorithm is the following:

1. Plants are carefully dug up.
2. Shake nettle roots off the ground.
3. The rhizomes are cut into several pieces 8–10 cm long.
4. Planted on a pre-prepared site and covered with a layer of earth 5–7 cm.
5. Watered with settled water.

Within 7-8 weeks after germination, the seedlings will look weak and grow slowly. This is normal – the set of green mass will increase in the middle of summer. In order for nettles to take root as quickly as possible, they carry out standard care for them: regular watering, applying organic fertilizers at the beginning of the season, weeding, and loosening the soil as needed.

What soil composition and acidity does nettle grow on

Nettle belongs to weeds, but it is rather whimsical. If this plant is found on the site, it means that almost any crop can grow here – vegetables, garden trees, flowers. Prefers chernozems, light loams rich in nitrogen.

Nettle grows only on fertile soils.

As for the reaction of the environment, nettle prefers neutral or slightly acidic soils (pH 6-7). On acidified or excessively alkaline lands, the culture does not grow.

Where are nettles grown?

Nettle cultivation is carried out not only in private farms, it is also cultivated on an industrial scale. Raw materials are used for the following purposes:

1. For medicine: the leaves of the plant are dried and harvested as herbal tea. Grass is used both in pure form and in mixtures with other components.
2. As a fodder crop: the green part is fed to birds and livestock. Nettle, compared to traditional crops, has a higher yield (1,5–2 times), so it may well become the basis for the production of relevant products.

In Our Country, stinging nettle and hemp are grown almost everywhere: in the Central part, in the Urals, in Siberia and other regions. In the world, culture is cultivated in many countries (including northern ones):

• Belarus;
• Germany;
• Latvia;
• Sweden;
• Lithuania;
• USA.

Nettle cultivation is established as a profitable business. Even without special care, the crop yield is about 8–10 tons per hectare. More thorough agricultural practices (application of nitrogen fertilizers and periodic irrigation) provide a significant increase in the indicator to 20–40 tons from the same area.

Cultivation of nettle as a fodder and medicinal crop is practiced in many countries of the world.

How to plant nettles on the site

There is nothing complicated in planting nettles. But it should be borne in mind that this plant loves fertile and loose soil. If the soil is depleted, it must not only be dug up, but also fertilized, and sand should also be added. It is advisable to do this six months before planting. If this is not possible, you can prepare the site in a few weeks.

Recommended dates

The plant can be planted early enough – the soil should have time to warm up to 5-8 ° C. It is easy to determine this by measuring the temperature with an outdoor thermometer (it is buried in the soil by 5-7 cm and kept for 10 minutes, then the readings are taken).

Usually, a suitable temperature in the Moscow region and neighboring regions is already observed in mid-April, and in the southern regions – at the beginning of the month. In the Urals and Siberia, a delay is possible until the beginning of May. However, it is also not worth postponing the planting of the crop to a later date: the nettle will quite withstand short-term return frosts.

Site selection and preparation

For growing nettles, fertile areas with light soil are suitable. The culture does not take root well on heavy (clay), acidic or alkaline, depleted soils. The site can be both lit and shady – in this sense, the plant is unpretentious. When choosing a place, it is also recommended to pay attention to the level of soil moisture. Low-lying places for nettles are not suitable – a lot of water accumulates here, which can adversely affect the root system of the plant.

If the land is fertile, it is not required to specially prepare it for planting – it is enough to clean and dig the area onto a shovel bayonet. If the soil is depleted, 2–3 kg of humus is added with the addition of 200–300 g of ash per square meter. Heavy soil is loosened with coarse white sand (also 200–300 g per 1 m2).

Before planting, the site is dug up on a spade bayonet, weed roots are removed

nettle planting

Planting nettles is carried out as follows:

1. The site is prepared, several furrows are marked with an interval of 50–60 cm.
2. Rootstocks are planted at a distance of 25–30 cm from each other.
3. Fall asleep with a layer (5–7 cm) of loose soil.
4. Watered with pre-prepared (settled) water.

Then they wait for shoots and make sure that the soil remains moderately moist for the first two months. Over time, the seedlings will get stronger, after which they will begin to actively capture neighboring areas. Therefore, the reproduction of the plant must be monitored especially, otherwise it will turn from the main crop into a weed, which will be very difficult to remove.

How to grow nettles on the site

Although nettle is a weed, it requires some care. If the soil is fertile, it rains relatively regularly, then it is enough to periodically loosen the earth and weed it. It is advisable to observe other rules of agricultural technology:

1. In May and June (with an interval of 3-4 weeks), apply rotted manure or compost. It is not worth adding inorganic fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, azophoska and others).
2. Additional watering is provided during the first two months after planting (on a weekly basis), as well as in the event of a prolonged lack of rain.
3. Loosening the soil should be carried out after each watering (after 1-2 days).
4. It is also advisable to inspect the site and remove weeds, especially rhizomes.

The green part is poured with water (1: 3) and infused for up to 10 days, after which the plants are periodically sprayed.

Nettle pests and diseases

Nettle has a very good immunity to diseases and insects. But in June, an invasion of caterpillars – urticaria can be observed. They are removed manually or washed off with water (but only in the evening so that the leaves do not get sunburned). In this case, be sure to wear gloves made of dense fabric, otherwise the plant will sting badly.

Nettle is used to make an infusion that kills aphid colonies well.

Conclusion

Any summer resident can grow nettles on the site. For planting, the soil must be prepared: dig up, remove weed roots, fertilize, loosen. When the seedlings get stronger, they do not require special care. Plants can be fed 1-2 times per season, watered occasionally, weeded as needed.