Talkback: Nettles

Gardeners' World Web User · February 2017

If you want the dock leaf trick to work you need to crush the leaves and squeeze the juice into the problem area. So says Ray Mears anyway. I kind of like nettles. Lets face it they are the first plant you learn as a child and i get to look like a Samaritan clearing up great clumps of public nettles when actually i am just feeding my rather woody compost.

Gardeners' World Web User · July 2008

I have to say nettles the English type give me a sting that lasts for at least a week but I also have the very pretty dead nettle in my garden and this has no sting at all, also has a pretty white flower.

Gardeners' World Web User · July 2008

I love the dead nettle too - I have pink and purple ones. I regularly put the nettles leaves in my compost - but not the roots.

Gardeners' World Web User · August 2008

OK - so to make a nettle feed, how much nettle in how much water for a month before then diluting 1:10, please...?

Gardeners' World Web User · September 2008

A daft question.............can you buy NETTLE seeds from garden centres. I rather like the idea of growing pots of the stuff, to make up a liquid feed, after the butterflys have done their thing with them!

Gardeners' World Web User · February 2009

Stinging nettles! At first sight a nuisance, and not really welcome in the garden, but a useful plant nevertheless ----
Pick nettle leaves at the fully-formed but young, dark green stage. Boiled 50/50 with spinach is a v. good green veg., and apparently high in iron.
Pick anytime, but preferably before the mature "catkin" stage, loosely fill a bucket with the complete stem+leaves, and pour over boiling water. When cooled to tepid, soak your tired feet in the liquid - you'll be 'walking on air' afterwards, and it doesn't sting!
If you can gradually immunise yourself to the sting, it's not painful after a couple of years. The 'sting' is still there tho', but like beestings, promotes circulation and relieves rheumatism.

Gardeners' World Web User · February 2009

I'm not convinced that I have the tenacity to spend a couple of years getting used to nettle stings!
Roman soldiers, apparently, used to sting themselves with nettles to keep warm in cold winters: some would say that it served them right for running around the place wearing leather skirts

Gardeners' World Web User · November 2011

A relative with similar roots, leaves without the sting, also useful to butterflies, can cover an old shed and an ingredient of beer. Is of course the hop?

young codger · February 2017

Gardeners' World Web User says:
A daft question.............can you buy NETTLE seeds from garden centres. I rather like the idea of growing pots of the stuff, to make up a liquid feed, after the butterflys have done their thing with them! See original post

I would say it is not a daft question at all. What I would say is, it is much easier to dig up some established plants ensuring you get the root of course. If you can get them with soil still attached it is even better. Sometimes it is possible to simply pull them from their growing location without the roots snapping, without the need for a spade.

Trim the tops if they are long.The tops will invariably die off regardless, but that is not an issue at all. Put each plant in a pot (I use 2Lt size) of basic garden soil. Water from the bottom, and keep them in a light area, (but out of the sun until the new shoots start growing).

For your purpose, once well established in the plant pots I would transfer in to planters. Keep damp throughout the hot weather of course.

Talkback: Nettles

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