Golden nettle ∗ The 10 best care and planting tips

Planting golden nettles correctly

Pay attention to the following sequence of planting, fulfills one Golden nettle all expectations of an ornamental and useful plant. With a simple horticultural trick you can regulate the spirited urge to spread in the desired ways. This is how you do it:

• In the partially shaded, shady location in humus-moist soil, create planting holes at a distance of 40-50 cm
• Compost and sifted under the excavation Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) Mix
• Line the edge of each planting pit with a Root lock made of geotextile
• Fill the root ball soaked with water, plant in the middle and water

Alternatively, you can keep the growth of the vital runners under control by planting the individual young plants together with a bucket without soil.

Care tips

A golden nettle shows its vigorous growth without much intervention from the gardener. The manageable care program revolves around the following aspects:

• Keep the soil and pot substrate constantly moist
• Fertilize every 4 weeks from March to September
• If necessary, cut off the withered flower whorls in autumn
• Pruning of the evergreen foliage close to the ground in early spring

The only thing the golden nettle demands for winter protection is in the pot and Flower box.(€ 149.00 at Amazon *) So that the root ball does not freeze through, cover the vessel with insulating material and place it on styrofoam or wood. It is important to note a continuous water supply, as the evergreen leaves permanently evaporate water.

Which location is suitable?

As an ornamental plant, the golden nettle is at your side when it comes to decoratively greening problematic areas. In semi-shady to shady locations in the natural garden, in the cottage garden and under trees, the perennial adds pretty yellow splashes of color. In addition, the flower takes pleasure in fresh-moist to sandy-loamy soil, rich in nutrients and deeply humic.

What soil does the plant need?

In the wild, the golden nettle is often used as a pioneer plant in order to conquer previously ungreened areas. This property implies that the perennial gets along well with normal garden soil, as long as the soil is not desert dry. It is also common as a container plant Potting soil completely satisfied on the basis of compost.

When is the flowering time?

The delicate yellow to golden yellow lip flowers flourish from May until well into July. If you take a closer look at a flower, the delicate, three-lobed lower lip is reddish in color. While on pure wild species there are 5-8 flowers per whorl, the hybrids boast 8-16 flowers.
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Cut the golden nettle correctly

Since the evergreen, decoratively sawn leaves fill the otherwise empty garden with green life, creative gardeners leave the golden nettle undisturbed until February. At this point at the latest, the plant will pull in the leaves anyway, so that a pruning now creates space for the fresh shoot. If self-sowing is not desired, cut off the withered flower whorls before the seeds ripen in autumn.

Pour golden nettle

The down-to-earth perennial is satisfied with the average rainfall in terms of water supply. The watering can is only used in the event of prolonged drought. In potted culture, on the other hand, the substrate dries out quickly in summer, so that there is a regular need for water here.

Fertilize golden nettle properly

The gardener pulls with one wheelbarrow if the compost makes its rounds through the garden, the golden nettle is happy about a portion. The golden-yellow Dead nettle with a sip of nettle manure during the growing season. In the limited substrate volume of the bucket, the nutrient reserves are within 6-8 weeks after the Planting consumed, so that until the beginning of autumn, a liquid fertilizer fills the gaps every 4 weeks.

Overwinter

The golden nettle wears its foliage through winter, because the perennial is completely hardy. It is only from January / February that the disused leaves gradually retreat, so that pruning close to the ground now makes sense. Horticultural support for healthy wintering is therefore only required in the planter, due to the exposed position of the root ball behind the thin walls of the planter. Wrap the pot or flower box in bubble wrap, Garden fleece or jute and place the vessel on wood or styrofoam. As the leaves continue to evaporate moisture, water on mild days in case of drought in winter.

Propagate golden nettles

The high-spirited urge to spread of a golden nettle gives hobby gardeners several variants of targeted propagation. Common methods are:

• Cut off the root runners to allow them to take root in the pot in poor substrate
• Division of the rhizome in early spring or autumn
• Cut cuttings grow into adult plants during the flowering period and in a nursery pot

Compared to these 3 methods, the sowing of golden nettle as more demanding and time-consuming. Since the seeds are cold germs, a cold stimulus is required to break the inhibition of germination. After 2-4 weeks at 18-22 degrees Celsius, 4-6 weeks at - 4 to + 4 degrees Celsius, followed by 2 weeks at 5-12 degrees. Only then does the classic sowing procedure begin.

Is golden nettle poisonous?

The golden nettle is bulging with valuable ingredients. Essential oils, vitamins, minerals and numerous trace elements allow the wild shrub to mature into a nutritious food and medicinal plant. Even the dreaded stinging hairs of the widely related nettle are missing from a golden nettle. Thus, this dead nettle species poses no danger to humans or animals.

How can I use the golden nettle?

The golden nettle has a wealth of beneficial attributes that clever gardeners know how to use. We have compiled interesting possible uses for you here:

• As a rustic ornamental plant with wild shrub character
• Spreads a bewitching aroma in the fragrance garden
• Popular bee and butterfly pasture
• Honey-filled flowers as a tasty snack for children
• Prepared as a tea with healing properties for diseases of the bladder and kidneys

The leaves have the highest content of valuable ingredients shortly before flowering. At this time the taste is particularly delicate, while after the flowering period it takes on a bitter aroma.
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Nice varieties

• Florentium: The golden-yellow flowers over the silvery leaves create a picturesque look
• Hermann’s Pride: Small in stature, powerful in the greening of shady areas; a native ground cover
• Silver carpet: The slow-growing golden nettle likes to act as a ground cover in beds with little light
• Pale yellow golden nettle: the light yellow flowers are slightly red; Growth height up to 60 cm without runners
• Mountain gold nettle: Robust, very vigorous species that can be found in the Alps up to 1,500 m