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

[oakmore2]

Thanks Hanracmum and Barnowl - it's really great to hear that there's light at the end of the tunnel!
Good luck with yours too Hanracmum!

I think I might resort to the Roundup option. Not exactly organic I know, but as a one-off hopefully it's excusable!

[tonybloke]

round-up has been linked to health problems.(autism, cancers etc)  I don't believe monsanto's blurb.Just cut and cover, that way you retain all the nutrient the plants contain. Rgds, Tony

[shambasarfi]

Hi there,

You are getting plenty of sound advice about how to get rid of them, so I thought I would quote from an amusing book I've just got.  It says that nettles take and store nutrients from the soil retaining nitrogen, phosphate, iron, protein and silica.  If you use nettles as a fertiliser, you'll be returning all this goodness to the soil, and many a plant will be smacking its roots in anticipation as it sees you coming with a nice can full of liquid nettle manure.

All you have to do is fill a container with rainwater and let the nettles you've cut or pulled up soak in it for a month.  Then dilute what remains with more rainwater in a ratio of 1:10 and use as a liquid manure to be poured around the roots.  Or you can soak the nettles for only a few days and then use the water as a spray against aphids.  It also says that currant bushes planted in old nettle beds or with the nettles among them allows the currant bushes to share their nutrients and also strengthens their disease resistance.

Nettles make a wonderful ingredient in the compost heap for the reasons given and, like any really useful plant

[Barnowl]

Just a word of warning - cover the container while the nettles are brewing you won't believe how bad it smells :)

[star]

Yeah specially in hot weather. Reminds me of sewage works :-X :-X :-X

[oakmore2]

Thanks everyone! Will let you know how I get on. I'll be able to make about 10 million gallons of nettle liquid manure judging by the huge pile I've got post-strimming!

Really unsure now about the roundup option. Don't want to risk anything nasty health-wise, worried about persistent chemicals in the soil, and also just read a thread about people on neighbouring plots losing plants after someone carelessly sprayed. I was going to choose a day with no breeze and was going to be careful - but really don't want to upset my new allotment neighbours by killing anything inadvertently!!!

Crikey - seems like a bit of a mine field. Think I may just opt for a big cover for the area and dig it bit by bit. Realistically it's going to be a long time til I plant it anyway as there's a big rabbit problem and need to put a fence in - I have no free weekends until September (the year of friends' weddings!) so it's not going to happen in a hurry - might as well take my time doing the digging and keep it covered.

Anyway, thanks everyone for your help and advice!  :)

[Barnowl]

Good Luck.

PS You can just put nettles into the compost heap instead of making feed from them.

[ipt8]

Roundup is widely used and about the safest herbicide you can use. You must use a knapsack so you do not over-dose, which is easy with a watering can. Spray on a still or hardly any wind day preferably when the foliage is moist and not dried up by the sun.
It is left for seven days before you cultivate, this is to allow it to take effect as it has to translocate into the roots to ill them.

OK I hear the comments about not using herbicides, thats your choice. How about just using herbicide on a small area to gat started and cover the rest. :-\

Your tarpaulin will be fine, if its plastic make sure it is well weighed down or it will blow away, also use black not clear colour. Old carpet is good, so long as it does not have a foam or rubber back, its own weight holds it in place. ;)
Happy gardening ;D

[hanracmum]

Hello all

Good luck Oakmore2, me and my friend have just been covering with old carpet and thick black plastic so all will stay nice and short underneathe.

Can anyone help, I have inherited an old oil drum which has water in. When I first started last october the water was murky looking but nothing floating on the surface.  Now I have a thick brown fungus/sludge onto of the water.  Does anyone know what that might be? 

I was hoping to tip it up and pour all the old water out and collect fresh rain water but I don't want to pour something poisnous on my plot.......

Any ideas?

[tonybloke]

It's probably just 'Life, Jim, but not as we know it'. Pour a small amount onto a piece of lawn area, if no problems in a week or so, it is safe.

[hanracmum]

Thanks Tonybloke, if it all goes pete tong I'll ask Scotty to beam me up.  I'll put it on some weeds and see what happens.

Cheers ;D