The message
from contains these words:

Hello, I'm new to newsgroups but not to gardening

I would really
like to know more about the smell of nettle manu specifically, how
does it compare to the smell of comfrey manure? I make a liquid
manure from comfrey but, committed though I am to organic gardening, I
do think it smells really VILE - though still worth making. I don't
have nettles in the garden, but I may go out and pick some this year.
Opinions welcome.

It's a close run race, which smells worse, but I think comfrey wins by
a nose. Both are equally good fertilisers and bad stinks. Once applied
to plants or earth, the smell wears off within a day.

Janet.

The message
from Judy Rigby contains these words:

Alan Gould writes
Nettle infusion is an ideal organic plant feed and insect
repellent, and it is free. I do ours in a 45 gallon plastic drum,
topping up either the water or the herbage as necessary.


I started off somewhat smaller scale last week with a bucket of the
stuff. Now I have a potent-looking brown/black liquid which does smell
somewhat I have to admit, but fortunately it's located where I'm the
only one who's likely to get close enough to get the full effect. What
I am interested in is the fly situation. This open bucket seems to be
attracting them at an incredible rate. I'm wondering would it be better
to decant the lot into a bucket with a lid, or do I just put up with the
flies for the next couple of weeks until I get it bottled up ?

I use a lid. Even then, you'll find that when you take it off to add
more water or leaves, within two minutes every bluebottle within miles
will have homed in on it.

I make it in big plastic drums too. You can get them free second hand
(try food processors, or industrial caterers).

Janet