I can honestly say that I never truly realized the benefits of Stinging Nettle before. I can tell you that I have a pasture fence that borders my garden and the vegetables near that stand of Stinging Nettle always do seem to grow better.
“It is to be hoped in this enlightened age that gardeners will invite this wonderful herb into their garden and not regard it as a weed.
Recent tests in organic gardening have confirmed that nettles make excellent companion plants, helping to produce healthy vegetables such as broccoli and conferring keeping qualities on tomatoes by impeding the fermentation process in the plant’s juices.
Nettles will increase the production of essential oil in peppermint and boost the potency of all nearby herbs. Nettles in your compost heap will not only add nutrients, but also accelerate the breakdown of matter into robust humus.”
On another note, if any of you are cultivating cannabis for its health properties alleviating arthritis, etc., Stinging Nettle is known as being a wonderful companion plant for that crop as well. Lots to be said about it on the internet.
Plus, you can actually steam and eat Stinging Nettle, and it’s pretty tasty! (yes, you read that right)