how do i grow nettles

Work for Clipper teas then Fuggles?

 

The sting's not half as bad as when you're outside and caught short lol, they're always growing behind those trees.

 

On a parallel theme: how do I NOT grow nettles. In my garden, if you want to grow nettles just wait a bit and they will appear, regardless of how much weeding you have done previously.

BTW I gather that nettles enhance the compost heap. I presume that the roots would probably survive in parts of the heap so it would be wise to remove these. Without wishing to be pedantic, where do the roots stop and the stems start? I would guess that the distinctly yellow rooty bits are verboten but nettles seem to generate new roots very happily from the base of the stems so it would be best to only take nettles for composting from a few inches above the ground? Any comments?

 

I have been told that the way to get rid of nettles is to take their tops off on a very regular basis, eventually the root dies-so I'm told.

 

I've heard that too. The trouble is if they've ever been allowed to go to seed, there will be many thousands of seeds in the soil, laying dormant, waiting for the chance.

 

i planted it today

what chance does it have of surviving ? one of the roots was ripped and bent on its journey home, and i planted it in random garden soil , didnt do much else, and added some water

 

Keep its soil moist for the next few days at least. It will survive, but obviously it has had a bit of a trauma so some TLC won't hurt now. When you rip a plant out roots and all, more often than not the tiny fibrous roots get left behind, leaving only the chunky main bit of root. It will recover quickly, but it needs to use energy that is stored in the plant to regrow the damaged roots, and while it is doing that, it won't be photosynthesising very well. In all likelyhood, the top side will appear to be dying over the next few days, as all the resources will be going to into repairing the roots. In a week it will look right as rain, and this time next year you'll be regretting doing it because there will be nettles all over your garden (unless you planted it in a bucket/large pot).

 

cut foliage above the first set of leaves too. Put it in a pot-and NEVER let it set seed-or you will regret this.

 

what does let it seed mean

 

In a plants natural life cycle, it will produce flowers then seeds. On nettles it has gone to seed when you get tall spikes of green knobbles on it. If I'm not mistaken, nettles are one of those plants that flower and produce seeds twice per year (in spring then again in autumn). You need to keep trimming it to prevent it from producing these seed heads, otherwise the first breeze will take the seeds and scatter them all over the neighbourhood, and lots of baby nettles will sprout up all over the place.

 

I dont mind.

However i think that happened to me from my neighbour, i now have about 50 fern plants in my garden growing really fast, dont know where they came from.

The more nettles the better, I like abundance. More nettle tea. Even If it is in a pot, it will still blow into my garden the seeds.

 

If you allow them to go to seed, the flavour of the leaves becomes horribly bitter. Plus although you might not mind a garden full of nettles, your neighbours might not be so keen. Nettle seeds are so fine that one nettle plant will produce enough seeds to spread nettles not just next door, but into gardens several houses away.

I doubt you'd need a garden full of nettles for your own consumption. One plant in a bucket should keep you in nettle tea right throughout the growing season. Remember also that nettles are very high in certain vitamins and minerals (vitamin A and iron in particular). Contrary to popular belief led by the media (who sell vitamin enriched this and iron rich that), you can actually overdose on these things. Too much iron for example will see your liver off. So unless you are a horse, I would be inclined to think that a whole garden full of nettles all for consumption might be a bit excessive.

 

Fuggles are you having a laugh, most people are diggin'g them OUT of there garden not IN :D

 

I reckon the thread post is a prolonged wind up/ trolling session by fuggles, read it back and you'll see the questions become more incredible each post.

Ive yet to meet anyone who doesn't understand the words "let it seed"

 

I have to admit I had considered that myself, but then I have a freind who is very much a towny and didn't know what a nettle was, so you never know. In any case it's been fun