Grown organically at KoruKai Herb Farm, New Zealand. Free of pesticides, herbicides and other agrochemicals.
Benefits of stinging nettle*
Perennial stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) has various uses, including medicinal, culinary, and as a garden resource. It's known for its health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and aiding with hay fever symptoms.
It makes a great addition to your diet as it is a powerhouse of nutrients containing Vitamin A, C, E, F, K, P, Vitamin B- complexes as well as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6 all of which are found in high levels and act as antioxidents, zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, selenium, boron, bromine, calcium, chlorine, chlorophyll, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine, chromium, silicon and sulfur. It also contains sixteen free amino acids have been found in the leaves as well as many carotenoids such as beta-carotene, luteoxanthin and lutein epoxide.
It can also be used in cooking, like in soups or as a vegetable after proper preparation to remove the stinging hairs. Additionally it can attract beneficial insects, in particular the endemic Red Admiral butterfly.
Stinging nettle is an amazing ingredient in compost due to its mineral accumulating properties or as a chop and drop mulch in a food forest or vegetable garden. You can also make a plant extract with it by soaking the stems in a bucket of water for 1-2 weeks and then using the water to fertilise your garden. The spent leaves can go into your compost heap.
Since ancient times the fibres from the common stinging nettle have been used as a substitute for other plant fibres, such as Flax and Hemp, in the making of textiles and papers.
We love it so much due to its many medicinal and culinary benefits, that the nettle leaf is embedded in our KoruKai logo.
Growing Conditions
Perennial nettle’s stems are woody, its flowers are green and its leaves are a lighter green colour than common stinging nettle (Urtica urens). Perennial nettle can grow up to 1.5m high, which is taller than common stinging nettle. The seeds are flat, oval and yellow to greyish in colour. It has a widespread system of underground rhizomes (a continuously growing underground stem) that can spread 2.5m in a season. Common nettle does not have rhizomes. It tolerates a wide range of conditions, soil types and areas from shade and damp, to very dry, but prefers shade and moist conditions to thrive.
In some areas of New Zealand (Otago is one of them) it is prohibited to grow perennial nettle due to its weed status. We always make sure to harvest the plant before it sets seeds as we use it for herbal teas and in soups and stews, which is much tastier and more mineral rich at this stage anyways. No matter in what area of New Zealand you are, make sure to cut it before it sets seeds in summer.
Growing Instructions
You will get 3 dormant rhizomes like in the image below with multiple growing nodes.
Close up of two growing nodes with tiny shoots ready to spring forth in spring, like the buds on a tree in winter. Make sure to plant them horizontally and do not bury them too deeply.
Best to plant in loose, loamy soil in a shady area, where it gets adequate moisture in summer. Scrape away 3cm of soil and lay the rhizomes in horizontally as in the below picture (picture shows skullcap rhizomes, which are plated the same). Any growing tips should face up. If you are unable to plant them straight away or your soil is frozen solid in winter then put them in a pot with moist, rich potting mix and plant them out in spring. Follow the same instructions as below and do not bury them too deeply.
Then cover them up with 3 -5 cm of soil and lightly mulch with woodchips, straw or autumn leaves. Mark the spot and either add branches over the area or cover with bird netting to prevent birds from digging around and disturbing the plants. They will emerge between August and October depending on your climate and the warmth of the soil.
This plants will make a carpet of rhizomes within a couple of years. Highly prolific, easy to grow and abundant.
At the end of winter our plants usually look like those seedlings below, with the fresh shoots growing through the dry stalks from the previous season.
Harvesting
When harvesting, it's crucial to take precautions to avoid the stinging hairs, such as wearing gloves and blanching the leaves before consumption. We cut down the stems to about 10cm above ground level, they will regrow within a few weeks, giving you two cuts per season.
Processing and Drying
Lay the stems out in a single row on a drying tray and dry them at 33-35 degrees C out of direct light with good airflow. We dry it on our lower trays where it is a bit cooler. It dries beautifully with little effort in 1-3 days in good conditions. Once the leaves have lost most of their moisture we increase the temperature to no more than 37 degrees C to get them crunchy dry. To process strip the leaves off the stems and store in paper bags in a dry place. They should be crunchy and fully dry before storage.
Herbal Preparation*
The leaves of stinging nettle can be used in teas, tinctures, cold infusions, and for soups, quiches and in pestos. As well as many garden preparations.
*This information is for educational purposes only. Please do not self-treat disease using herbs alone. Always consult with a qualified and registered herbalist.
