Stinging Nettle – 50 Seeds

Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae.  The plant has pointed leaves and can grow up to 2-4 meters tall.  The plant is well known for it’s medicinal and culinary uses. It has been grown, foraged, and harvested for thousands of years. Documented accounts of its use date as far back as 1200 BC, and its uses are widespread. Nettles are packed with nutrients. High in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and full of calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, they are also a good source of protein.

Culinary Uses

• Used in soups and as a leafy green.
• Also used as a tea.

Medicinal Benefits

The root and above ground parts are used. It contains ingredients that might decrease swelling and increase urination. Stinging nettle is most commonly used for diabetes and osteoarthritis. It is also sometimes used for urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, enlarged prostate, hay fever, and other conditions.

Growing Stinging Nettle

Indoor Sowing: Late Winter and Early Spring.
Direct Sowing: Spring.

• Nettle does especially well on the edges of meadows, pastures, or streams where the soil stays moist but isn’t waterlogged.
• Seeds are very tiny and require light for germination, so barely cover them with soil.
• Sow seeds in flats in late winter or spring.
• Seeds should germinate in approximately 14 days.
• Transplant outdoors in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked. Space seedlings about 8 inches apart.
• Alternatively you can direct sow the seeds outdoors in Spring by broadcasting the seeds and pressing them lightly into the soil or covering them with a very thin layer of soil.