{"product_id":"1000-graines-d-ortie-sauvage-plante-amie-potager-legumes-semences-paysannes","title":"1000 Wild Nettle Seeds (Urtica dioica)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUrtica dioica\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStinging nettle, great nettle, European nettle, burning nettle: the garden’s most disliked plant is actually one of its most useful. Its stinging hairs are tiny silica ampoules that break on contact—a remarkable defense mechanism that does not prevent it from being cooked or turned into the best free fertilizer for the vegetable garden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharacteristics:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardy perennial:\u003c\/strong\u003e a herbaceous plant native to Eurasia, it forms long-lasting colonies through its rhizomes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTriple use:\u003c\/strong\u003e vegetable, liquid fertilizer, and biodiversity refuge.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRich in nitrogen:\u003c\/strong\u003e its nettle tea is a natural fertilizer well known to gardeners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVery easy:\u003c\/strong\u003e it grows on its own; just give it a corner.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrecautions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIts stinging hairs cause itching on contact: wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting and handling it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooking, drying, or simply passing a rolling pin over it completely destroys its stinging power—once cooked, it no longer stings at all.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is \u003cstrong\u003espreading\u003c\/strong\u003e: its rhizomes colonize areas quickly. Give it a defined corner rather than a place among your crops.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSowing advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExposure:\u003c\/strong\u003e partial shade to full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e rich in organic matter, deep, moist, and well drained. Stinging nettle is a \u003cstrong\u003enitrophilous\u003c\/strong\u003e plant: it seeks nitrogen-rich soils, which explains why it grows spontaneously near compost piles and old manure heaps. Its spontaneous presence is also a good indicator of fertility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMethod:\u003c\/strong\u003e sow in spring, on the surface or barely covered: its tiny seeds need light. Keep moist until germination. It grows just as well in the ground as in a planter, which makes it easier to contain. See \u003ca href=\"\/ja-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/comment-semer-graines-coton-godet-terre\"\u003ehow to sow your seeds\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNone, apart from keeping it contained. Water during dry periods if you want a regular production of tender leaves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCut the clump back after each harvest: it will regrow with younger, more tender shoots.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvesting advice:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePick the \u003cstrong\u003eyoung tips\u003c\/strong\u003e, the first four to six leaves, in spring and after each cutback. Avoid older leaves and plants that have gone to seed, as they are tougher.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor nettle tea: steep 1 kg of fresh leaves in 10 liters of water for one to two weeks, stirring daily, then filter. Diluted to 10%, use it to water the base of nutrient-hungry crops.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBeneficial combinations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlanted along the edge of the garden or near the compost, it speeds decomposition and provides the raw material for nettle tea. See \u003ca href=\"\/ja-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/le-compostage-nourrir-le-sol\"\u003ecomposting\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/ja-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/associations-legumes-potager\"\u003evegetable combinations in the garden\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits for biodiversity:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is the \u003cstrong\u003eexclusive host plant\u003c\/strong\u003e for the caterpillars of several of our most beautiful butterflies: Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, and Map. Without nettles, there are no such butterflies—a patch of nettles at the back of the garden is the most effective gesture we can make for them.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt also shelters specialized aphids and therefore ladybirds, serving as a reservoir for beneficial insects in spring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYoung leaves cooked like spinach, in soup, quiche, pesto, or gnocchi—cooking removes all stinging power. As a fertilizer tea in the vegetable garden.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTraditional medicinal plant, listed in the French Pharmacopoeia. See our \u003ca href=\"\/ja-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/plantes-medicinales-a-semer\"\u003emedicinal plants to sow\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHarvesting your own seeds:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince stinging nettle is dioecious, both male and female plants are needed to obtain seeds. Leave the hanging clusters on the female plants to turn brown, then shake them over a container—with gloves. See \u003ca href=\"\/ja-intl\/blogs\/le-coin-des-graines\/conserver-ses-graines\"\u003ehow to store your seeds\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommitment to Quality:\u003c\/strong\u003e at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe much-maligned plant that feeds your plants, your butterflies, and your soups.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SemiSauvage","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48866974433613,"sku":"3760335361166","price":4.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/1658\/2477\/files\/173-ortie-sauvage-fond-blanc.webp?v=1719995989","url":"https:\/\/semisauvage.com\/ja-intl\/products\/1000-graines-d-ortie-sauvage-plante-amie-potager-legumes-semences-paysannes","provider":"SemiSauvage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}