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Stinging nettle advice

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  • 27-05-2012 4:42pm
    #1
    frogstar
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    Recently we took up some very old paving in our back garden and replaced with grass. We already had grass which was very lush and green..

    The new grass is not half as green ( more pale green/yellow) and the last couple of weeks we've noticed the new grass is covered with stinging nettles. The old grass is fine and still good.

    How did we get these nettles and how can we get rid?

    My partner did this with his friend and to be honest neither are garden experts.

    Appreciate opinions

    Thanks


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    #2
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Nettles usually grow in fertile ground, normally a sign of good sign. If it is only a small area, simply pull the nettles out (wearing gloves of course) and best to do this before they start seeding and spreading. Apply a liquid feed to new grass will restore colour.

    BTW, nettles (pick from top half only) makes an excellent (pureed) soup when mixed with onion, garlic, leek, chives and plain yoghurt.;)
    frogstar wrote: »
    Hi

    Recently we took up some very old paving in our back garden and replaced with grass. We already had grass which was very lush and green..

    The new grass is not half as green ( more pale green/yellow) and the last couple of weeks we've noticed the new grass is covered with stinging nettles. The old grass is fine and still good.

    How did we get these nettles and how can we get rid?

    My partner did this with his friend and to be honest neither are garden experts.

    Appreciate opinions

    Thanks


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    #3
    Oldtree
    Registered Users Posts: 8,104 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    Nettles' roots can creep along under the soil and grow on from those roots so if pulling them up does not get rid of them and they persist, then a Brush on systemic weedkiller will be your answer, which is absorbed through the leaves and goes down and kills the roots as well. Perhaps brush on a little undiluted Roundup or a prepared ready to use brush on systemic weedkiller. While I only resort to chemicals in the failure of other approaches I did have to resort to a brush on to get rid of bindweed in a small garden I used to have.

    Just remembered what I used on the bindweed, tumbleweed! I lovengly grew the bindweed up canes and gently painted on the tumbleweed and watch it dry up and blow away, obviously it was the bane of my garden coming in from the surrounding neighbours gardens and took 5 years to finally control.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/TumbleWeed-Glyphosate-Liquid-Concentrate-Weedkiller/dp/B0017RMJ68


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    #4
    planetX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,441 ✭✭✭planetX


    but surely regularly mowing the grass will kill them.... I always prefer the easy option:D


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    #5
    Oldtree
    Registered Users Posts: 8,104 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    mowing dosn't get rid of the creeping nettle in my garden. I have paths through a "wild area" so I want to retain as many nettles as possible, so I pull up the invaders onto the path and as the kids run barefoot on the paths I have to selectivly spray the nettles that are within about a foot of the path as I have tried leaving them to be mowed but dosnt stop them encroaching.


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    #6
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    planetX wrote: »
    but surely regularly mowing the grass will kill them.... I always prefer the easy option:D


    Not a hope,they can and will pop back up all over the place,as the roots like to creep along and spread out to form new plants.

    If you want to kill them off then use this,but use it very carefully.

    Otherwize you can create a landscape that looks like it belongs in a "nuclear fallout" zone.


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    #7
    planetX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,441 ✭✭✭planetX


    I got the impression the whole area was grassed though, in which case they'd get mowed over and over - but yeah, if they manage to creep underground to a non-mowed area they'd come up. I've got some patches, but they don't spread into lawn because they can't take being constantly chopped... works for me:)


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    #8
    frogstar
    Registered Users Posts: 709 ✭✭✭frogstar


    Thanks all

    Good to know they grow in fertile ground. I think we left it too long and they have spread as there are loads. My partner does mow the grass but it doesn't take them away completely.

    Well start pulling them out. Poor dog stood in one the other day and pulled her foot back with pain, hopefully they aren't too harmful to dogs. She won't do that in a hurry.

    Hopefully they won't spread to the older better grass.

    Will get some grass feed too as the two parts are diff colours, though a bt better today as we cut it this morning.


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