The nettle is a plant that many gardeners prefer not to have in their gardens. It is a plant that grows between other plants and gives an awful itch when touched. The itching can even last for several hours. The large nettle and the small nettle occur in the gardens. These nettle species can be controlled in an environmentally friendly way, but also with less environmentally friendly pesticides.
Varieties Of Nettles
The most common nettles are the large nettle and the small nettle. Both stinging nettles can cause itchy skin irritation. The itch is caused by a small barb attached to each fire hair. When touched, this barb gets stuck in the skin. The tip of the fire hair breaks off, releasing liquid. This fluid causes a burning and painful sensation.
The Big Nettle
The large nettle is a perennial plant that can reach a height of 0.30 to 2.5 meters. The leaves of the large nettle are serrated and the stem is square. If you let the plant do its thing, it can overgrow large surfaces.
The Little Nettle
The small nettle grows to about 0.50 meters in height. The plant does not have a root system with offshoots like the large nettle but has a tap root. The leaves can be recognized by their slightly too deeply incised teeth. The small nettle mainly grows on heavily fertilized soils such as manure heaps, waste corners, and chicken coops.
How Do Nettles Multiply?
Nettles multiply underground and by sowing. If you want to prevent multiplication, you must remove the nettles in time. Make sure that the root system is also removed, otherwise, the nettle will grow back.
Limit Or Prevent Nettles
Nettles like to grow in places in the garden with a high nitrogen and phosphate content. When you deposit grass or other garden waste in the garden, areas with a high nitrogen content are created in the soil. This increases the chance that nettles will grow here. So don’t just deposit the grass or other garden waste between the plants, but in a GFT bin or a special compost bin.
Fighting Nettles In An Environmentally Friendly Way
Nettles can be picked manually from the garden. Make sure you have good gloves to prevent skin irritation. Try to pick the nettles before the plant is in bloom. During flowering, the nettle can spread its seeds, creating new nettles.
Nettles can also be controlled by hoeing. Be careful not to damage other plants. When nettles grow between ground cover plants, it is wise to pick them and not to hoe them. This is because underground foothills of the ground cover plants can become damaged, causing the ground cover plants to grow poorly.
Hoeing in dry weather will give you the best result. When you hoe in moist soil, there is a chance that nettles and other weeds will grow back. If you do hoe in moist soil, it is advisable to rake out the border.
If hoeing and picking prove to be pointless, excavation is an option. With a stabbing shovel, you can dig out and remove the nettles with roots. With large surfaces, this can be a time-consuming and intensive job and you can consider using a mini-excavator. A mini digger can remove the nettles with roots without removing too much soil.
Fight Nettles With A Pesticide
Stinging nettles can be controlled with pesticides that are available for private use. Examples include Genoxode ZX and Bayer Tri-But Turbo. With both products, you can make 8 liters of spray liquid with 100 milliliters of pesticide. The use of these pesticides is harmful to the environment. Before use, read the instructions for use and use the correct dosage.
Genoxone Zx
The agent Genoxone ZX combats common weeds such as thistles, nettles, sorrel species, horsetail, blackberries, and seven leaves. Grasses are not controlled with this product. The product can be used between shrubs.
Bayer Tri-But Turbo
The agent Bayer Tri-But Turbo tackles weeds such as thistles, blackberries, nettles, seven leaves, and horsetail. The product can be used between shrubs and on lawns.
Application Of Pesticides
The pesticides can best be applied during the following conditions.
- In growing weather
- Do not use it in bright sunlight
- In dry weather
- Weeds should be dry
- Windy weather
In unfavorable circumstances, the product does not give the desired effect. The use of pesticides is harmful to the environment. Before use, read the instructions for use and use the correct dosage.
Remedy Itching Caused By Nettles
While fighting the nettles, the nettles can cause skin irritation in the form of itching. The itching can be neutralized by other plants such as trot and plantain. Often these plants also grow near nettles. You can bruise the leaves of the trot and plantain until juice comes out. You can then rub the leaf over the bumps. The itch then quickly disappeared.
Valuation Of Nettles
There are garden enthusiasts who appreciate the arrival of nettles in the garden and prefer not to fight them, because they use nettles for consumption. You can use nettles in various recipes or drinks. Examples include nettle tea, boiled nettles, and nettle noodles. In addition, nettles can also be used for medical purposes such as hives, rheumatism, gout, and gall.
