The nettles won't harm them, we all need to learn about nettles!
Um, not to sound argumentative, cause I agree with the second part of this, we *do* all need to learn about nettles. But nettles do harm, that's literally about all they do to inquisitive young boys and girls (for the record they are very much the stinging kind). And even if I shared your views on letting my son play in nettles (I don't), his mum and grandma definitely don't. So even if I wanted to let him out there with the garden as it is (I don't) his mum doesn't, and grandma wouldn't even unlock the back door to let him get out back.
I think the best thing you could do is to strim or mow the nettles all the time as soon as they get a couple of inches high. They should eventually give up the ghost. Once you've done that, you could even lay old carpet, black plastic (turn old compost bags inside out) or weed suppressant membrane pegged down over the clumps - whatever you can lay your hands on at no or low cost. Look on Freecycle for a strimmer or mower if you haven't got one. Good luck.
Nettles are great for wildlife and their stings are a minor irritant, but I was suggesting they will learn NOT to play in the nettles. Perhaps we were tougher in the 50's. My brother and I were always scraped, bruised, stung and bitten. We could be out from dawn to dusk but we were slim, fit, healthy and full of guts. Modern children miss a lot of fun.
I think the best thing you could do is to strim or mow the nettles all the time as soon as they get a couple of inches high. They should eventually give up the ghost. Once you've done that, you could even lay old carpet, black plastic (turn old compost bags inside out) or weed suppressant membrane pegged down over the clumps - whatever you can lay your hands on at no or low cost. Look on Freecycle for a strimmer or mower if you haven't got one. Good luck.
Thanks, tools aren't the problem though, was just weed killing ideas. Which I believe I have enough of to at least make a start on once the weather clears up a bit. Though pegging some old carpet over the nettles to stop them getting any sun between mowings sounds like a good idea too.
Nettles are great for wildlife and their stings are a minor irritant, but I was suggesting they will learn NOT to play in the nettles. Perhaps we were tougher in the 50's. My brother and I were always scraped, bruised, stung and bitten. We could be out from dawn to dusk but we were slim, fit, healthy and full of guts. Modern children miss a lot of fun.
While I'm not gonna disagree they can be good for wildlife, I've been stung any number of times as a kid and an adult, and while I can deal with it as an adult I also recall just how bad I thought it was as a kid, now, while I'm not a 50s kid, born in '86, to a kid it's more than just irritating. Plus I kinda assumed you were suggesting they would learn not to play in nettles, but to do that he has to get stung, at least once, and if rather he not get stung more than necessary.
Also, I know you didn't know, I mean, how could you, but my son has a few health problems, so while I'd absolutely love for him to have the freedom I had as a kid, even if I did prefer to stay inside mostly, he has enough going on at the moment for me not to want to add nettle stings to the mix.
I kind of get where Posy's coming from - l'm was a (very) late 50s early 60s child. We did learn that stinging nettles were to be avoided at all costs. However, this is the 21st century and your mum's garden and your children, so l'm going to ask, did you look at the link l posted, just out of interest? It seems a shame that the garden is there and they can't get out in it.
Yes, Anni, I did, was very informative. Thank you. And while a do see Posy's point myself, even if just because of his other concerns, I'd rather not let him get deliberately stung at this stage.
And it very much is a shame there's a back yard he can't use, that's exactly why I was looking for advice. :-)
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Thanks, tools aren't the problem though, was just weed killing ideas. Which I believe I have enough of to at least make a start on once the weather clears up a bit. Though pegging some old carpet over the nettles to stop them getting any sun between mowings sounds like a good idea too.
While I'm not gonna disagree they can be good for wildlife, I've been stung any number of times as a kid and an adult, and while I can deal with it as an adult I also recall just how bad I thought it was as a kid, now, while I'm not a 50s kid, born in '86, to a kid it's more than just irritating. Plus I kinda assumed you were suggesting they would learn not to play in nettles, but to do that he has to get stung, at least once, and if rather he not get stung more than necessary.
Also, I know you didn't know, I mean, how could you, but my son has a few health problems, so while I'd absolutely love for him to have the freedom I had as a kid, even if I did prefer to stay inside mostly, he has enough going on at the moment for me not to want to add nettle stings to the mix.
It seems a shame that the garden is there and they can't get out in it.
And it very much is a shame there's a back yard he can't use, that's exactly why I was looking for advice. :-)
Don't know why it's posted twice, l can't delete it !