Brennnessel

• Triebspitzen, Blätter, Samen und Wurzeln der Großen und auch der Kleinen Brennnessel ernten für Küche und Heiltee, für Mensch und Tier. Werden die jungen Blätter blanchiert und mit Salatsoße vermischt, verlieren die Brennhaare ihre Wirkung und die jungen Blätter können auch auf diese besonders gesunde Art verspeist werden.
  • Die Brennnessel zählt zu den blutreinigenden Pflanzen und eignet sich bestens für Frühjahrskuren. Sie wirkt u. a. besonders harntreibend und entwässernd. Näheres dazu ist auf dieser Seite unter "Verwendung, Essbarkeit" zu finden!
• Auch Textilfasern und Farbstoff liefert diese tolle Pflanze –
• und Brennnesseljauche und Kaltwasserauszug zur Anwendung als Gartendünger bzw.  zur Schädlingsbekämpfung.
• Bei der Ernte bitte stets einige Pflanzen als Nahrung für die Schmetterlingsvielfalt stehen lassen!

Industrial Crop: Fiber Management: Hay Regional Crop Staple Crop: Protein Prefers a soil rich in phosphates and nitrogen. Plants must be grown in a deep rich soil if good quality fibre is required. Nettles are one of the most undervalued of economic plants. They have a wide range of uses, for food, medicines, fibres etc and are also a very important plant for wildlife. There are at least 30 species of insects that feed on it and the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species are dependant upon it for food. Especially when growing in rich soils, the plant can spread vigorously and is very difficult to eradicate. It is said that cutting the plant down three times a year for three years will kill it. It is a good companion plant to grow in the orchard and amongst soft fruit. So long as it is not allowed to totally over-run the plants, it seems to improve the health of soft fruit that grows nearby and also to protect the fruit from birds, but it makes harvesting very difficult. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 10 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons [1-2]. The root pattern is fibrous dividing into a large number of fine roots [1-2]. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length [1-2]. The leaves and young shoots are typically harvested in spring, before flowering, from early spring to late spring. Stinging nettle usually flowers from late spring to summer, around June to August (Northern Hemisphere). Stinging nettle grows quickly and can reach its full height within a single growing season, making it a vigorous and robust plant.

Edible Parts: Leaves Oil Shoots Edible Uses: Colouring Curdling agent Drink Oil Young leaves - cooked as a potherb and added to soups etc. They can also be dried for winter use. Nettles are a very valuable addition to the diet, they are a very nutritious food that is easily digested and is high in minerals (especially iron) and vitamins (especially A and C). Only use young leaves (see the notes above on toxicity) and wear stout gloves when harvesting them to prevent being stung. Cooking the leaves, or thoroughly drying them, neutralizes the sting, rendering the leaf safe to eat. The young shoots, harvested in the spring when 15 - 20cm long complete with the underground stem are very nice. Old leaves can be laxative. The plants are harvested commercially for extraction of the chlorophyll, which is used as a green colouring agent (E140) in foods and medicines. A tea is made from the dried leaves, it is warming on a winters day. A bland flavour, it can be added as a tonic to China tea. The juice of the leaves, or a decoction of the herb, can be used as a rennet substitute in curdling plant milks. Nettle beer is brewed from the young shoots.

Biomass Compost Dye Fibre Hair Liquid feed Oil Repellent Waterproofing Agroforestry uses: Nettle can serve as a beneficial ground cover, preventing soil erosion and improving soil quality through its ability to accumulate nutrients. It also attracts beneficial insects. A strong flax-like fibre is obtained from the stems. Used for making string and cloth, it also makes a good quality paper. It is harvested as the plant begins to die down in early autumn and is retted before the fibres are extracted. The fibre is produced in less abundance than from flax (Linun usitatissimum) and is also more difficult to extract. The plant matter left over after the fibres have been extracted are a good source of biomass and have been used in the manufacture of sugar, starch, protein and ethyl alcohol. An oil obtained from the seeds is used as an illuminant. An essential ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator. This is a dried and powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make the compost[K]. The leaves are also an excellent addition to the compost heap and they can be soaked for 7 - 21 days in water to make a very nutritious liquid feed for plants. This liquid feed is both insect repellent and a good foliar feed. The growing plant increases the essential oil content of other nearby plants, thus making them more resistant to insect pests. Although many different species of insects feed on nettles, flies are repelled by the plant so a bunch of freshly cut stems has been used as a repellent in food cupboards. The juice of the plant, or a decoction formed by boiling the herb in a strong solution of salt, will curdle milks and thus acts as a rennet substitute. This same juice, if rubbed into small seams of leaky wooden tubs, will coagulate and make the tub watertight again. A hair wash is made from the infused leaves and this is used as a tonic and antidandruff treatment. A beautiful and permanent green dye is obtained from a decoction of the leaves and stems. A yellow dye is obtained from the root when boiled with alum. A dynamic accumulator gathers minerals or nutrients from the soil and stores them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch. 1. Nectary - Flowers rich in nectar and pollen: Yes – Nettle produces small flowers that are attractive to various pollinators, providing nectar and pollen. 2. Wildlife - Food (Fruit, Seeds, Leaf Litter, Shelter, Nesting, Roosting): Yes – Nettle leaves are edible and nutritious for humans and wildlife. They are particularly beneficial for caterpillars and other insects, providing food and habitat. The dense growth can offer shelter but is not typically used for nesting. 3. Invertebrate Shelter (Overwintering sites, Leaf litter, Groundcover): Yes – Nettle can provide a habitat for various invertebrates. Its dense foliage contributes to leaf litter, which can support beneficial insects, and it acts as ground cover in suitable conditions. 4. Pest Confuser (Smell): No – While nettle does have a strong odor, it is not typically used as a pest confuser. Instead, it is more known for its ability to attract beneficial insects that can help control pest populations.

Heimisch: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Assam, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, Central European Russia, China North-Central, China South-Central, Chita, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Finland, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kamchatka, Kazakhstan, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Magadan, Manchuria, Mongolia, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northwest European Russia, Norway Eingeführt: Alabama, Alaska, Argentina Northeast, Bolivia, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, California, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Chile Central, Chile South, Colombia, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Ecuador, Eritrea, Falkland Is., Florida, Georgia, Greenland, Guatemala, Libya, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Michigan, Missouri, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Tristan da Cunha