Phytostimulant

• Nettles which have not gone to seed, freshly picked on a slope or comfrey (leaves, stems and tops in flower) freshly picked in a garden.
• Spring or rainwater.

For 10L of solution:

• Coarsely chop 1kg of nettles or comfrey leaves and put them in a big wooden or plastic container (a barrel, a big bucket or a dustbin, for example) – but not in a sprayer.

• Cover with 10 litres of spring or rainwater.

• Cover the container with a non-hermetic lid (a jute sack, for example).

• Every 2/3 days, stir the mixture with a stick.

• Fermentation is finished when there are no more bubbles.

• It can take 1-3 weeks depending on the outdoor temperature.

• Filter carefully through a fine mesh strainer or an old stocking and store in bottles.

Once you have made your solution, store it in a dark, cool space in plastic or opaque glass bottles. The solution will remain usable for several months if filtered perfectly.

Use the liquid nettle manure in a dilution of approximately 10% by spraying or watering every 1 to 2 weeks in springtime.

Use the liquid comfrey manure in springtime in a dilution of approximately 10%, by spraying on the foliage of vegetables or 20% by watering the ground every 1 to 2 weeks. Ensure you rinse the sprayer after each use.

To prevent attacks by certain aphids (greenfly, etc.), mites and ticks on all types of plants.

• Liquid black soap (easier to dose). Available in supermarkets, garden-centres and DIY stores.
• Spring or rainwater.

To prepare 1 litre of solution.

• Add 3 tablespoons of black soap to 1 litre of warm water.

• Allow to cool and then pour the preparation into a Hozelock Pure Sprayer.

This preparation is effective for several weeks; it is nevertheless preferable to make it whenever needed, this recipe being so easy to prepare.

Spray on foliage in the morning or evening when the first aphids (greenfly, etc.) appear. Repeat one week later if necessary.

Rinse the sprayer after each use.

Use in the event of attacks of parasites (aphids, greenfly, etc.), carrot bugs, caterpillars on plants.

• Fresh-picked elder tree leaves.

• Spring or rainwater.

To prepare 1 litre of solution.

• Coarsely chop 100g of elder tree leaves and soak in 1 litre of water for 24 hours.

• Cover and boil the solution in a big stew pan for 20 to 30 minutes.

• Allow to cool and set aside for 24 hours.

• Filter carefully through a fine mesh strainer or an old stocking and store in plastic or opaque bottles .

The solution does not stay effective for long; ensure you use in the days following preparation.

• Spray undiluted every 2 to 3 days onto the colonies of plant lice (aphids, greenfly, etc.) and other parasites until the bugs disappear.
• Rinse the sprayer after each use.