Topic: Help - newbie with chest-high nettles all over the plot!!!!

[oakmore2]

I've just taken on a new plot and been to see it this morning. Well, can't see it really cos it's covered in nettles up to my neck!!!
So much for getting into it straight away and eating my own veg shortly!
Strimmer is in the car, ready to go later on today, but turning into the plot I'd dreamed of seems like an unsurmointable task.
Anyone with any advice??
 :-[

[ceres]

Nettles aren't too difficult to deal with.  Strim to take the tops off and start your compost heap with them - nettles make great compost.  Cover most of your area with plastic, membrane, carpet, thick cardboard, whatever you can get your hands on.  Start digging a small bed and get some veg in.  It's not too late to get sowing.  Do a search of the archive here - there are lots of threads over the last couple of weeks with lists of what you can still plant.  Good luck!

[oakmore2]

Thanks Ceres. I'm glad to hear that the battle against the nettles might not be as bad as I anticipate - and hopefully not too late to get growing this year.
Our site has a terrible rabbit problem (they're problem living in my nettles!) and everyone has fenced their plots. Does anyone have any advice on the easiest/cheapest way to do this?
This website is amazing - lovely people with fab advice - thank you all!!

[norfolklass]

I took on an overgrown plot a couple of years ago in a similar state. someone on here told me, and as I keep reminding myself as they grow back on the bits I haven't reached yet, nettles are a sign of fertile soil!

the good news is that they'll have stopped the light reaching the ground and other weeds from growing, so once you get them out you should have decent soil underneath.

we have rabbits on our site too, and everyone's plot is fenced off with a mix of chicken wire and sheets of tin, both sunk into the ground a good few inches.

good luck!

[Baccy Man]

There is a guide to make a rabbit proof fence here: http://www.gcnursery.co.uk/rabbits.html

[oakmore2]

Thanks for the link - will have to get that fence dug in by the looks of things.
Also pleased to hear that nettles aren't quite such a bad omen as I had suspected! Thanks for your help everyone, will let you know how it goes...

[manicscousers]

we go around the plots , looking for nettles  :o
they go into a bucket of water to feed the plants, lovely stuff, good luck with your plot  ;D

[oakmore2]

Thanks everyone for your help. This might sound a bit of a stupid question - but if I've made a plan of the site, and plan to have some paths covered in weed-stop membrane and bark (membrane is left over from delk building project out the back of my house) then would you bother digging these areas to remove the roots etc prior to laying the membrane, or will it be OK to lay it down after strimming and forget about those bits?

Sorry to sound so dim - never done this before!

[manicscousers]

are you raising the beds ?
we covered the paths with thick cardboard, then membrane, then wood chip, meant we didn't walk where the beds were going to be,
if you're not edging the beds with something, the weeds may creep back in, hope that makes sense  ;D
piccies in our gallery if you can't understand my meanderings  ;D

[oakmore2]

I'm planning on raising the beds - so hopefully that means that I don't need to worry too much about the path areas?

[manicscousers]

we took the weed control just under he sides of the bed, couldn't use the soil from the paths as it was sour, wet and infested with marestail and bindweed,
your nettles mean lovely soil, depends if you want to clear it and dig some onto the top of your raised beds

[norfolklass]

would you bother digging these areas to remove the roots etc prior to laying the membrane, or will it be OK to lay it down after strimming and forget about those bits?

depends on your weeds really. if you've got creepers (couch grass, bindweed, creeping thistle, etc.) then you'd be better off getting them out of your path areas too, otherwise they'll lurk under the membrane and bark and sneak back into your beds.

< said in voice of bitter experience >

[oakmore2]

Thanks very much for your help. It's all reall useful stuff. I'm off to strim it now. I wonder what I will find lurking under all those nettles..... ???

[Barnowl]

I'm planning on raising the beds - so hopefully that means that I don't need to worry too much about the path areas?

(This is one of those "don't make the mistake I did" comments...)

Unless you are really convinced that your design is good for the long term, I would start by just raising the beds by piling up the soil, compost and manure on them and treading down the paths.  If you start by establishing all the wooden frames it's more difficult to change your mind - particularly if you want to change the size or shape of a bed. 

Actually a lot of people do use raised beds without edging, on the grounds that the edging provides too good a hiding place for slugs and other nasties.

Best of luck - hope strimming doesn't reveal any horrors

[posie]

Speaking from experience....... I dug up my paths and it's been a nightmare getting it all tread down again so that it doesn't pierce the weed membrane - so my advice would be don't!  Good luck with it though, you'll have it whipped into shape in no time!  ;D

[ipt8]

Cut nettles as low as you can. Wait till they grow nice and lush and zap with Roundup. They may grow again, do the same again.
Buy rabbit netting, 4 ft is usual but you may manage with 3 ft. One foot of the netting should be turned outwards flat on the ground to stop the rabbits burrowing under, Put soil on top to hold it down, or peg it and let grass or nettles grow through to hold it firm. Baby rabbits can get through standard rabbit netting but thats unusual. remember to make the gate rabbit proof as well.
You may get by with temporary rabbit netting around areas you clear untill you sort the nettles out.
The good news is - nettles always grow on very fertile soil :D

[oakmore2]

Thanks for all the help - I like the idea of temporary netting as that will mean I can get something in this year hopefully. Was feeling despondent after spending time on the site yesterday that it would be another year til I can plant anything and that all the plants in pots on my patio will be wasted! Also like the idea of not making permanent raised beds at this stage - knowing me there's a high probability that I'll change my mind about the layout!

Anyway - tis all strimmed - some areas not as low as I would like as the blades were blunt by the end and I ran out of blade changes - but the job is done nevertheless. I'm thinking buy some tarpaulins to cover the area for now, and just peal back as I dig it and plant it up. Does that sound OK?

One crisis that did occur last night - I found some beautiful asparagus....but not until I had already put the strimmer through it!!! Will I have killed it off with the haircut it had, or do you think it's worth me trying to resurrect it?!

Any advice gratefully received!

PS Everything hurts...I never through strimming could be such hard work!

[oakmore2]

Oops, forgot to say - if I use roundup does that stop me from being able to plant those areas this year?

[Barnowl]

Roundup is neutralised on contact with soil. Should be ok. I think th eadvice is to waut 2 to 3 weeks after treatment before planting.

There's a new version out - Roundup Pro Biactive - meant to be more effective than the original but seems very expensive.

[hanracmum]

Hi Oakmore2

This is exactly how I found mine about 3 to 4 weeks ago.  I was like you and thought "What have I taken on?"  But now after a good strim it looks much better.  I have been collecting old carpet from people after putting a plea on my local freecycle website.

Once covered to keep the light out me and my friend will dig over a small patch at a time.  Good luck and enjoy the good and bad of it all.

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