Stinging Nettles

[Jackleigh]

I'm having problems with the amount of stinging nettles growing in and around the coup and run. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on spraying something on them to kill them. I would prefer to find a natural mix of something, if there is such a thing!

 

[duluthralphie]

They are suppose to make a great Veggie..

Seriously, if you cook them up they are safe to eat and supposedly tasty..If you consider spinach tasty.

Eat your way to a nettle free run!!

https://food52.com/blog/9935-stinging-nettles-and-the-best-ways-to-eat-them

 

[barred2rock]

As well as cooking them for you, they can be given to the chickens as a green. They're supposed to be quite healthy.

https://permacultureglobal.org/post_projects/3797

 

[Jackleigh]

Thank you x I'm looking for a way of getting rid of them as there are so many!

 

[Dayrel]

You can cover up and pull them, but the posts above are correct. They are good for food and medicinally. Cooking and drying both remove the "sting" property. Just not fun to run into unprotected.

http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Urtica+dioica

 

[billygoat162]

They're similar to mint and are very invasive. Standard herbicides like Round Up would likely work, but are poisonous and not good to use around animals. I'm not familiar with any non-poisonous herbicides that are particularly effective.

I would cover as much of my body as I could (wear leather gloves!) and rip them out by roots, wetting the ground first and using a shovel if necessary. Then I would plant something equally invasive to out-compete the nettle, like mint or tall grass. You could also cover the ground with plastic sheeting for a while to kill the remaining roots.

 

[Jackleigh]

They're similar to mint and are very invasive. Standard herbicides like Round Up would likely work, but are poisonous and not good to use around animals. I'm not familiar with any non-poisonous herbicides that are particularly effective.

I would cover as much of my body as I could (wear leather gloves!) and rip them out by roots, wetting the ground first and using a shovel if necessary. Then I would plant something equally invasive to out-compete the nettle, like mint or tall grass. You could also cover the ground with plastic sheeting for a while to kill the remaining roots.

Yes, thank you. I don't seem to be able to find anything non poisonous, so the old fashioned way of pulling up looks to be the only way! But, mint is a good idea though x

 

[Ronnie2]

We use to sprinkle salt all over the nettles, kill them in a few days

 

[Jackleigh]

I haven't heard of this before. Will try it on a small patch to test it out. Thank you x

 

[Ronnie2]

I might have made a mistake, I was thinking of a Bull Nettle, sometimes they also called them stinging nettles, & Nellie Nettles. I looked them up on wikipedia, they don't look anything alike. The bull nettle root, and stalks can also be eaton, boiled down. Has lots of protein, and some calories. Go ahead and sprinkle the leaves, not pouring it on, I'm sure will kill it to. If it doesn't pour some around the base, and over the roots, it will be gone.