Urtica dioica (&&%%##@@ STING NETTLES)

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Bobs_Yer_Uncle Lewisporte, NL(Zone 4a) Sep 21, 2003

I am blessed(cursed?) with an overabundance of these pesky critters. I have been altenating between pulling up by roots, and cutting close to ground using my electric hedge trimmer.
Does ANYONE have a better solution, such as an organic herbicide that I can use. My patch of the stuff is about 10'feet wide by 90 feet long.

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motts1 south central, WI(Zone 5a) Sep 21, 2003

Ouch, do you have some herbalists near who might want some for supply (no joke)- used in some remedies. Otherwise, the only thing I have done is to cover mowed off plants with black plastic for a LONG time-waiting for the heat to kill down to the roots. I will do some checking around-lots of organic farming people around here and we have lots of nettles.

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KathyJo Fayette, MO(Zone 6a) Sep 22, 2003

Of course, my answer would be goats. They will eat them no problem and leave little organic fertilizer pellets. but, maybe I should just shuffle on back to the farm life forum where I belong.
Isn't this really high in iron? Maybe you should cook some up with a ham hock.

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DeepRoots Willacoochee, GA(Zone 8b) Sep 22, 2003

eat it...
your not cursed, but blessed with an abundance of greens.

i almost prefer urtica to spinach as my fav salad green.

drew

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MaryE Baker City, OR(Zone 5b) Sep 22, 2003

How do you eat 'em? Carefully?

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Bobs_Yer_Uncle Lewisporte, NL(Zone 4a) Sep 22, 2003

Thanks, all for your prompt and good advice. Yes, I have considered the medicinal properties of the weed, and if I suffered from arthritis/rhematism etc, I would dry, steep leaves, and use for infusion.

I don't, and the missus wants a "water feature" out there next year, so I'll cut, cut and cut somemore, with my trusty weed whacker and hedge trimmer. Beleive me, some of these suckers are about 2-2/12 feet tall, having grown free for years. Then I'll probably rent a tiller, and do some more in the spring, and heap the grass seed, plus wildflower seed and see what happens.

On second thought...it IS gonna be HER water feature..Hmmmm?

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