Success with Containing Nettles?

I'm just wondering if anyone has had success with containing stinging nettles into a certain area instead of all over the property. We live in a woodland area, and the stinging nettle is everywhere, including on my hugel mounds and paths. I am harvesting it for medicine and food but it's too much and stops other things from growing. I don't want to get rid of it altogether but would like it to give other things a chance to grow, too. I have heard of people growing a bed of it and was wondering if anyone had personal experience with containing it to one or two places while getting rid of it elsewhere.

I am thinking of trying to contain it somehow but would love to see how that looks from someone else. Pictures would be great if you had them, too. Thanks!  I appreciate any feedback so much.

Here is a picture of it from my property:

Hi Shari,

What a wonderful plant, aye?

Does it rain a lot and the ground fertile?

I don't know your exact situation, but here goes...

With its rhizomes, runners and seeding, I don't think there is a person alive that could overcome it by hand once it's well established short of excavating and replacing the top 12" of soil. Even then it would be a feat to keep it at bay from the surrounding area. You can scorch the earth to dust and it will be back the next week. Containing it would also be a feat but one that is far more achievable. I would say 12-18" minimum depth on a plastic barrier or something that will not rot. The seeding is another battle entirely.
I hate to say it.... You might have to learn to live with it from the way it sounds. Keep the grass mowed down in the area as low as you can. or you can try to cover the ground with cardboard and then 6"+ with wood chips.The more coarse the wood chips the better, takes longer for them to rot and turn into soil.
When trying to deal with it in the beds, I would use a root fork and try to get as much of the rhizomes and runners as possible. And try to follow the runners out of the beds as far as possible. Get a 50gal barrel to toss them in and make some compost tea. If you try to dispose of it any other way short of a bonfire it will be sure to creep right out of wherever it is. You could lay it all out on something like aluminum sheeting or roof panels if you have them. Just don't lay it on anything that can hold moisture, dry them out and burn them. However you choose to try to battle it, it's A LOT of work.

In short, it's a never ending battle, one that we would all lose imo.

Will Wit wrote:With its rhizomes, runners and seeding, I don't think there is a person alive that could overcome it by hand once it's well established ... However you choose to try to battle it, it's A LOT of work. ... In short, it's a never ending battle, one that we would all lose imo.

It is indeed a lot of work. I have been in mortal combat for seven years. I am that person alive that is overcoming it by hand. I am winning.

In areas where it is naturally invasive, stinging nettle can deny you and your animals access to large swaths of your property. It seems to depend on the soil -- it loves sand/silt bases but doesn't go crazy in fertile clay bases.

I thought it was just my property and some dewy-eyed fool had introduced it on purpose. Now that I know my neighbours and have walked through their properties, it's all over the place.

Basically, it was the nettles or me, and I refused to yield. The first year I dug and naively handled the rhizomes without gloves. They burned me. That was it: when you thoroughly piss off a country boy, you can expect that some ass is going to be kicked.

So I dug, burned, and harassed it relentlessly. I would go for walks with a small tine cultivator as my walking stick. This lets you tease out all the roots and rhizomes, and hang them on the fence to dry. Any sneaky ones with seeds went on the burn pile. At first it was the big, fleshy roots that were almost tubers. Now, it's little bits of left over broken rhizome and the last of the viable seeds.

Now, after 7 years, I know all its tricks and habits and hidey nooks. Watch out, nettles. I'm coming for you.

Good to meet you Douglas,

It is indeed a lot of work. I have been in mortal combat for seven years. I am that person alive that is overcoming it by hand. I dug, burned, and harassed it relentlessly. I would go for walks with a small tine cultivator as my walking stick. This lets you tease out all the roots and rhizomes, and hang them on the fence to dry. Any sneaky ones with seeds went on the burn pile. At first it was the big, fleshy roots that were almost tubers. Now, it's little bits of left over broken rhizome and the last of the viable seeds. I am winning.

This is exactly what it takes, years of relentless perseverance. And for the future of your homestead/property I hope there's a successor that's able to contain and enjoy this "weed" as some consider it, like Shari would like to do.

Mother Natures' blueprint outlives us all for good reason. But, only we can teach the future generations the "how" and the "why".

Douglas, you have done quite a bit here on Permies. I think you deserve this more than I do. Have this slice. Enjoy.

Kind words, Will. Much appreciated.

As I understand it, stinging nettle is a species introduced accidentally or deliberately from the European continent. It was fruitful and multiplied.

It is now considered endemic to this continent. But, no design by nature; only some schmo who forgot to wipe his feet before he got off the boat.

Hi Shari,

Just want to reiterate.

By design these rhizomial seeding runners whether foreign or domestic are some of the most prolific and invasive species on Earth. And as you know,  this one bites.

As a steward, I appreciate this particular species for its' qualities. And you for wanting to make your relationship with it more hospitable in your immediate surroundings as you cultivate it and value it as I do.

Work smarter not harder.

If I were you....
In this order....

I would concentrate on a barrier below ground on your beds with a minimum depth of 12".  Once you isolate whats in your beds it will be easier to eradicate it from the beds. Start the trench 6" or more away from the beds so you won't disturb the beds or have to move any of your soil. The beds will grow a little, but all the better in the future. Do not put any of that soil in your beds because it might contain the rhizomes and will just create more work for yourself in the future. You will end up with raised beds and the height is totally up to you, I would suggest no less than 6". Use something that is impermeable and will not rot. In the end they might not require the water they do now, depends on your soil that is the same depth as your barrier.
From this point.. I would go ahead and put a suppression layer of cardboard and woodchips down around the bed 3-4', 6" deep so you will have a workspace around the bed nettle free. Double the cardboard immediately around the bed 18" to 2' and 4" or so down the barrier so the nettles cannot start coming up around your barrier and bed. From there you can choose to dbl the cardboard or not. Depends on the supply, I made friends with my local Family Dollar store and they give me all the boxes I need. I also have a sawmill close and get woodchips $30 a load delivered.
Depending on how far apart your beds are and the space that is not cardboard and woodchips between them. You can either continue the suppression layer to include your entire garden area or start working on eradicating the nettle from the bed. The nettle isn't going anywhere, I would continue with the suppression until you have defined the perimeter of your garden space. You could also define the perimeter with a barrier but that's a lot of work as well. As long as you have a good suppression layer of 6" it should last 3-4-5 yrs before you need to add another layer of woodchips a cpl inches deep. If there is one to pop up in the woodchip areas you can scrape them back, try to get the rhizome and then put a fresh piece of cardboard down and cover it with chips.

The area that I decided to do this in is about 70x70, My area was compacted sandy clay loam, totally devoid of any nutrition, filled with various grasses, perennials and rhizomial species consistent with disturbed ground. I could only dig down 4" before I had to use a pick. I didn't want to have to mow or deal with the "weeds" in the area between the beds.
One bed at the time ,i laid the cardboard down making sure to overlap, laid the already made raised bed in place and surrounded it with woodchips 6" deep. Filled the beds with limbs and the best soil I could afford. I'm in my 3rd year. Nothing coming up but the occasion seed blown in that is able to sprout in those conditions. The yellow dock and the wild onions are the only things that have been able to penetrate the woodchips. And that's only in the few areas that I didn't get it as thick as the rest. It took about 6-8mo., 3-4-5 truckloads of boxes and $200-300 in woodchips. Overall it has worked very well. The soil is going to be revitalized, worms are everywhere, i don't expend the energy fighting the grasses and weeds and I can concentrate on the providers. I am so happy and confident with it I'm going to expand it.

Of course the barrier method will also serve to contain the nettle if you choose to have a bed of it. You will have ample around your garden area wild, as much as I appreciate your desire to cultivate it, I wouldn't think it would be necessary and will compromise the area inside your garden space. Besides,,, Foraging is fun

Of course there are other ways and means. The entire purpose of this forum is the exchange of ideas and experiences of what has been tried and what was successful or unsuccessful for them. I don't want to be the person who has tried and although somewhat successful, broke their back or spent years fighting a battle that could have been handled a faster more efficient way and has a greater benefit in the end for that space. That's why I am here, to learn and to share.

For example, I had a space like yours, so I chose this method for that space based on time and efficiency with a desired outcome.. Douglas has an entire property, he chose an entirely different method that worked for him, for that space and is achieving his desired outcome. Neither one is wrong. Both of our methods will deteriorate over time and we will both have to pay our do diligence to keep our space ours.

My best advice, take some time to think about it. What resources do you have or can get that will serve the purpose. Don't let it overwhelm like the nettles and chose your battles wisely to win the war. Start with 1 bed and the area around it. Learn from experience, what is easier and more efficient to do that has the same outcome.

For example, you could start in the very middle and work yourself in a circular square or rectangle until you reach the perimeter of your area. Or do the same from 1 corner to the next. straight lines are easier when working with cardboard. If you have a shovel and are trying to move woodchips into a cart, buy a fork. The right tool for the job can make all the difference in the world. Like Douglas' tine hoe, very nice tool to have, very simple, very effective. A hoop hoe is another very effective, very efficient tool.

Again, don't let it overwhelm, work on it with a starting point and an ending point in the space of say, 2 hrs. Then go have some nettle tea and enjoy the hot part of the day under a nice shade tree. Then another 1-2 hrs to finish the day. Or do something entirely different to break the monotony.

One last thing... when your working with the cardboard. A few tricks I've learned.
When starting an area, layout a good 4'x4' area with it and don't try to dump the chips on it. It might push the cardboard out of place and expose the ground beneath it. Use your fork and hand fork it over the area until it's secure then you can dump the chips on it from a cart. Make a decent pile on the area as high as you can without spilling over to uncovered ground. Then as you lay and tuck more cardboard around the edges you can pull the chips onto the piece you just tucked under. Another way is to tuck around the perimeter or a side the entire length of it then take a hard rake and pull from the pile to cover what you just laid. repeat, repeat repeat  =)
When your coming back to it after a day of rest go ahead and pile chips along the border of where you are going to work. It will save you from having to chase your cardboard on a windy day because you didn't already have the chips there to cover it. And always cover the cardboard not to leave it exposed to the sun or it will curl up or/and blow away.
When your laying out the cardboard make sure to have some small pieces for the little slivers of exposed ground between pieces. You'll see what I mean...If you use this method.  I tuck mine to cover those areas, takes a lot more cardboard, but you will also be doubling the thickness and the suppression will last longer.

I wish you luck, I almost wish I could help, lol

I sure hope this helps someone...i didn't intend for it to be this long and my gardens been calling for an hour...Peace

Despite my earlier rant, I have no doubt they could be contained and controlled, with a strict quarantine discipline on the part of the gardener.

The biggest risk is if they are allowed to set seed. These tiny seeds are viable for perhaps seven years. They're incredibly easy to track around on boots, garden implements, etc.

First of all, thank you so much for this amazing post! This helped me so much, both with a point-of-view and then a practical to-do list. And you are right -- the overwhelm is the thing I am struggling with. Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom.

Will Wit wrote:Hi Shari,

Just want to reiterate.

By design these rhizomial seeding runners whether foreign or domestic are some of the most prolific and invasive species on Earth. And as you know,  this one bites.

As a steward, I appreciate this particular species for its' qualities. And you for wanting to make your relationship with it more hospitable in your immediate surroundings as you cultivate it and value it as I do.

Work smarter not harder.

If I were you....
In this order....

I would concentrate on a barrier below ground on your beds with a minimum depth of 12".  Once you isolate whats in your beds it will be easier to eradicate it from the beds. Start the trench 6" or more away from the beds so you won't disturb the beds or have to move any of your soil. The beds will grow a little, but all the better in the future. Do not put any of that soil in your beds because it might contain the rhizomes and will just create more work for yourself in the future. You will end up with raised beds and the height is totally up to you, I would suggest no less than 6". Use something that is impermeable and will not rot. In the end they might not require the water they do now, depends on your soil that is the same depth as your barrier.
From this point.. I would go ahead and put a suppression layer of cardboard and woodchips down around the bed 3-4', 6" deep so you will have a workspace around the bed nettle free. Double the cardboard immediately around the bed 18" to 2' and 4" or so down the barrier so the nettles cannot start coming up around your barrier and bed. From there you can choose to dbl the cardboard or not. Depends on the supply, I made friends with my local Family Dollar store and they give me all the boxes I need. I also have a sawmill close and get woodchips $30 a load delivered.

Depending on how far apart your beds are and the space that is not cardboard and woodchips between them. You can either continue the suppression layer to include your entire garden area or start working on eradicating the nettle from the bed. The nettle isn't going anywhere, I would continue with the suppression until you have defined the perimeter of your garden space. You could also define the perimeter with a barrier but that's a lot of work as well. As long as you have a good suppression layer of 6" it should last 3-4-5 yrs before you need to add another layer of woodchips a cpl inches deep. If there is one to pop up in the woodchip areas you can scrape them back, try to get the rhizome and then put a fresh piece of cardboard down and cover it with chips.

The beds I'm talking about are actual hugel mounds, so I can't take them apart now. Because most of the garden space is woodlands (in an actual forest), most of my future beds will be hugel mounds, too. The one set of raised beds  we have already created this year are free from any weeds at this point because they are so high. I love your idea of the barrier, though! We did a barrier of wood chips but they were only about 3 inches high and not consistent everywhere. I am hoping to get another drop of wood chips this year and will try to enforce the existing barriers with another couple of inches and make the barriers stronger. I am finding that there is a place between the hugel mounds and the path (the berm, I think it's called?) where the nettles are planting themselves. I think for the place where we put the two hugel mounds where they are the worst, created two years ago, we didn't put enough cardboard down before putting the logs down. They must have crept up between the logs and branches. This tells me I need to be sure to put down a consistent layer of cardboard, too, before creating any future hugel mounds where nettle is growing.

The area that I decided to do this in is about 70x70, My area was compacted sandy clay loam, totally devoid of any nutrition, filled with various grasses, perennials and rhizomial species consistent with disturbed ground. I could only dig down 4" before I had to use a pick. I didn't want to have to mow or deal with the "weeds" in the area between the beds.

One bed at the time ,i laid the cardboard down making sure to overlap, laid the already made raised bed in place and surrounded it with woodchips 6" deep. Filled the beds with limbs and the best soil I could afford. I'm in my 3rd year. Nothing coming up but the occasion seed blown in that is able to sprout in those conditions. The yellow dock and the wild onions are the only things that have been able to penetrate the woodchips. And that's only in the few areas that I didn't get it as thick as the rest. It took about 6-8mo., 3-4-5 truckloads of boxes and $200-300 in woodchips. Overall it has worked very well. The soil is going to be revitalized, worms are everywhere, i don't expend the energy fighting the grasses and weeds and I can concentrate on the providers. I am so happy and confident with it I'm going to expand it.

Wow, lots of work but well-done that your soil is now weed-free. This gives great guidance for any beds going forward. I could also do this to the existing beds early in the spring next year. So, if I understand correctly, you put cardboard down on both the beds and the paths, and then woodchips on the path, correct? I am thinking of making the whole area in between the different beds into one "path-type area," because with all the hugel mounds, it's starting to look kind of confusing and messy.

Of course the barrier method will also serve to contain the nettle if you choose to have a bed of it. You will have ample around your garden area wild, as much as I appreciate your desire to cultivate it, I wouldn't think it would be necessary and will compromise the area inside your garden space. Besides,,, Foraging is fun

Yes, I do need to consider my goals. It's hard to believe that it would ever be in short supply but if the methods you describe were successful for us, then it is possible. So, I need to consider the space and decide if I really want to contain it somewhere or simply leave an area or two where it is still obtainable. It may sound crazy but we are finding it extremely useful in helping both of us with sore muscles.

My best advice, take some time to think about it. What resources do you have or can get that will serve the purpose. Don't let it overwhelm like the nettles and chose your battles wisely to win the war. Start with 1 bed and the area around it. Learn from experience, what is easier and more efficient to do that has the same outcome.

For example, you could start in the very middle and work yourself in a circular square or rectangle until you reach the perimeter of your area. Or do the same from 1 corner to the next. straight lines are easier when working with cardboard. If you have a shovel and are trying to move woodchips into a cart, buy a fork. The right tool for the job can make all the difference in the world. Like Douglas' tine hoe, very nice tool to have, very simple, very effective. A hoop hoe is another very effective, very efficient tool.

Again, don't let it overwhelm, work on it with a starting point and an ending point in the space of say, 2 hrs. Then go have some nettle tea and enjoy the hot part of the day under a nice shade tree. Then another 1-2 hrs to finish the day. Or do something entirely different to break the monotony.

Yes, this. This, to me, was the gold of this post. To not get overwhelmed. That is something I took to heart and am trying to apply to this property. To know it will be work but to take it only a day at a time.

One last thing... when your working with the cardboard. A few tricks I've learned.
When starting an area, layout a good 4'x4' area with it and don't try to dump the chips on it. It might push the cardboard out of place and expose the ground beneath it. Use your fork and hand fork it over the area until it's secure then you can dump the chips on it from a cart. Make a decent pile on the area as high as you can without spilling over to uncovered ground. Then as you lay and tuck more cardboard around the edges you can pull the chips onto the piece you just tucked under. Another way is to tuck around the perimeter or a side the entire length of it then take a hard rake and pull from the pile to cover what you just laid. repeat, repeat repeat  =)

When your coming back to it after a day of rest go ahead and pile chips along the border of where you are going to work. It will save you from having to chase your cardboard on a windy day because you didn't already have the chips there to cover it. And always cover the cardboard not to leave it exposed to the sun or it will curl up or/and blow away.
When your laying out the cardboard make sure to have some small pieces for the little slivers of exposed ground between pieces. You'll see what I mean...If you use this method.  I tuck mine to cover those areas, takes a lot more cardboard, but you will also be doubling the thickness and the suppression will last longer.

Yes, that is very helpful. Blessings! My husband will be doing a lot of the back-breaking labour of carrying the chips and will be most grateful for my clear directions. I will help but he is much stronger with the wheel barrow.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:

Will Wit wrote:With its rhizomes, runners and seeding, I don't think there is a person alive that could overcome it by hand once it's well established ... However you choose to try to battle it, it's A LOT of work. ... In short, it's a never ending battle, one that we would all lose imo.

It is indeed a lot of work. I have been in mortal combat for seven years. I am that person alive that is overcoming it by hand. I am winning.

In areas where it is naturally invasive, stinging nettle can deny you and your animals access to large swaths of your property. It seems to depend on the soil -- it loves sand/silt bases but doesn't go crazy in fertile clay bases.

I thought it was just my property and some dewy-eyed fool had introduced it on purpose. Now that I know my neighbours and have walked through their properties, it's all over the place.

Basically, it was the nettles or me, and I refused to yield. The first year I dug and naively handled the rhizomes without gloves. They burned me. That was it: when you thoroughly piss off a country boy, you can expect that some ass is going to be kicked.

So I dug, burned, and harassed it relentlessly. I would go for walks with a small tine cultivator as my walking stick. This lets you tease out all the roots and rhizomes, and hang them on the fence to dry. Any sneaky ones with seeds went on the burn pile. At first it was the big, fleshy roots that were almost tubers. Now, it's little bits of left over broken rhizome and the last of the viable seeds.

Now, after 7 years, I know all its tricks and habits and hidey nooks. Watch out, nettles. I'm coming for you.

Wow, good for you, Doug! It is so encouraging to hear of someone overcoming a foe that seems impossible. It is good to hear of someone who has been able to get rid of every bit of it by getting rid of the roots and rhizomes. Excuse my ignorance, but how do you tell the difference between the roots and the rhizomes, and how do you get rid of the rhizomes? Thanks so much!!!

The rhizomes are underground runners that pop up new plants. There's rarely only one plant -- it's usually a colony, roughly in a row. The rhizomes are white, so they're easy to spot when you start to tease out the colony.

Hi Shari,

You're welcome, it's my pleasure.

Ok so...from the top..

The beds I'm talking about are actual hugel mounds, so I can't take them apart now. Because most of the garden space is woodlands (in an actual forest), most of my future beds will be hugel mounds, too. The one set of raised beds  we have already created this year are free from any weeds at this point because they are so high. I love your idea of the barrier, though! We did a barrier of wood chips but they were only about 3 inches high and not consistent everywhere. ...will try to enforce the existing barriers with another couple of inches and make the barriers stronger.

I understand they are existing and it would ruin them to take apart. When I say barrier, I am referring to the immediate space around your existing beds, to dig down and around them and place a barrier between the soil underground and the soil underground of the pathway. It can be anything that will provide enough resistance so the roots can't penetrate it from the pathways. Maybe tin sheeting(dangerous unless covered or capped), maybe  weedcloth or plastic that is several layers thick that is at least 8"-12" down into the ground.
When I say suppression layer, I am referring to the cardboard and woodchips. And it needs to be double or even tripled around the bed and needs to go down into the ground beside the barrier, 6" should be good. So that it stops the nettle and others from hitting the barrier and coming up around the bed. Imagine this,,,before you backfill the dirt on the barrier on the pathway side.Take a the cardboard and stick it down beside the barrier 6" to where it is sticking straight up in the air and then backfill the dirt onto the cardboard to existing ground level, then take the cardboard and while holding down pressure so it won't come up out of the dirt beside the barrier, bend it over to the ground in the pathway, then take a another piece and lay it on top of it for a dbl or triple layer. Then, put some woodchips on that to hold it down. Then you can continue to build out the suppression layer from there. That will keep the nettles and weeds from coming up around the beds.

we didn't put enough cardboard down before putting the logs down. They must have crept up between the logs and branches. This tells me I need to be sure to put down a consistent layer of cardboard, too, before creating any future hugel mounds where nettle is growing.

This would also be because there were voids in between the cardboard and the logs. When the cardboard gets wet it becomes weak and easily penetrated unless there is a good layer of something like the woodchips sitting on top. Tough plants like Dock and nettle will penetrate it and slowly work their way through the woodchips too if they aren't a thick enough layer to stop them. It needs a good solid layer of something.

If I am covering grass I mow it down as low as I can before I place the cardboard and chips. If I didn't as the grass dies the cardboard shifts and tears from the process and/or walking on it and the suppression layer is compromised.

So, if I understand correctly, you put cardboard down on both the beds and the paths, and then woodchips on the path, correct? I am thinking of making the whole area in between the different beds into one "path-type area," because with all the hugel mounds, it's starting to look kind of confusing and messy.

Yes,  and that's why I said it will turn your mounds into slightly raised beds if you use something like tin or wood for the barrier underground around the beds. If you don't put the barrier there is a greater chance of the nettles coming underground and into the bed. You could just put a good suppression layer where the bed is going to be before you build the mound. That will last awhile. A transition from pathway to bed will be better defined with a .. 2x6 or something all the way around the bed. It will define the bed and hold the soil. You don't want the soil eroding out and onto the pathway of chips, it gives seeds a place to sprout easier and eventually start to look "messy" again. So in that instance you can go ahead and cardboard and chip a bigger area, let it sit for cpl weeks and settle and then top the low spots and decide where to place the bed. Outline the bed with a 2x6, put a scoop of chips all the way around the outside so it has a good border. On the inside, put cardboard all the way around bent in an "L" with the tall part of the "L" up against the wood and the lower part right on top of the existing chips in the bottom of the bed (this part can be longer than the part up against the wood).. Don't disturb the chips you put on the inside of the bed with that piece of cardboard. I do it this way to hold the soil in and keep it from working its way under the board. To keep it there just use a branch or little pile of soil or chips, make sure the soil is clean of any nettle.

Now, this is the most important part when building your border and mound this way. Make sure your husband reads this.

The width of the bed will determine the height of your mound. So, if the bed is 5' wide, the mound cannot be so high that once the mound is complete logs branches and soil and mulch or leaves or whatever you may use, will not erode over the top of your board. AND you want to leave room where the mound and board meet for the settling and erosion. So, if the bed is 5' wide, the mound may only be able to be 2' - 3' tall. The good thing is, you already have existing mounds. So, if you want all your mounds that size you already know how wide your bed and the border needs to be.

simply leave an area or two where it is still obtainable. It may sound crazy but we are finding it extremely useful in helping both of us with sore muscles.

Yes, it is an amazing sub-species and deserves recognition for both it's qualities and prolific nature.

If you have a patch say cpl hundred feet away would be ideal. Mowing will suppress them pretty well, seeds are wind blown or tracked, that's why I say cpl hundred feet away, preferably with a good barrier of brush in between. And when you forage wear nylon and clean your shoes before you leave the patch area. that will help with carrying or tracking them back.

If you have anymore questions just ask.

Take Care

This is good to know because I bought dried nettle leaf for my allergies and love it. So now I have some seeds and was thinking of planting it but now I may reconsider. Is it just not worth it, even to harvest for medicinal use? Not sure it would thrive here enough to spread. I am in the desert.

About 5 years ago I made a small bed, about 5ft. x 10ft., just to plant a few things into. One of them was stinging nettle that I bought from a farmers market. I didn't realize how invasive stinging nettle was considered. I planted it next to comfrey, as well as a type of mint, some thyme, and a couple of other things, I forgot what. I pretty much neglected the bed since. Looking at the bed now, I find there is a lot of healthy nettle, but it didn't even take over the whole bed. The comfrey is there still as well, exactly where I planted it. And the mint is also still there, also having grown into a bigger space of the bed, but also not taking it over. I let the nettle do pretty much whatever it wants, except grow over the comfrey. I cut it back from there. But I don't cut it back otherwise and I do see it go to seed. I have not seen any nettle anywhere else on my property in all these years. Yet the ones in the bed are thriving. I do harvest some to dry and make tea from, but that's about it. I am wondering if planting it in a bed helps it stay put? I guess that doesn't make sense since the seeds can still disperse. I also don't have any barrier around the bed. It's ground level and just goes from bed right to grass. There isn't even an edge of stone or anything. We only mow around the edge of the bed. I wonder why it's staying in the bed and not showing up anywhere else.

Funny how a plant can be invasive in one place and cherished in another!

I live in Scandinaviand we are always happy to see nettles, because they indicate good fertile soil.

We dry the leaves and eat in soups or pancakes. Super healthy. It produces great fertiliset and bug repellant. The fibre is really fine, better than linen.

I bought nettle seeds and planted a big bed of it in my garden.

Good luck trying to contain it while I am watering and fertilising my nettle bed 😄

Betty Garnett wrote:This is good to know because I bought dried nettle leaf for my allergies and love it. So now I have some seeds and was thinking of planting it but now I may reconsider. Is it just not worth it, even to harvest for medicinal use? Not sure it would thrive here enough to spread. I am in the desert.

It's sort of a werewolf plant. My experience is that in some locales it grows exponentially (my sand/silt soil) and in others it just sits there calmly or even dies out (fertile black soil, clay base).

If you find it has medicinal value, then absolutely go ahead and grow it. It can be contained and controlled. But watch out when the moon is full.

Annie Collins

I am wondering if planting it in a bed helps it stay put? I guess that doesn't make sense since the seeds can still disperse. I also don't have any barrier around the bed. It's ground level and just goes from bed right to grass. There isn't even an edge of stone or anything. We only mow around the edge of the bed. I wonder why it's staying in the bed and not showing up anywhere else.

Yes, Shari is swamped in nettle, She is also dealing with a "native" species that thrives in her soil conditions, climate etc. and has probably been there for 100yrs.
And even though it might not be considered by "Science" to be native because of its' supposed origin(who knows) it might as well be. I like to see them get rid of it. How many years does it take, some say never. I say if it thrives and covers large areas, it might as well be.

MInt, all varieties are just as invasive under the right conditions which are similar to nettle. Explains why they are spreading similarly.

There's actually quite a few reasons based on what you have said and that can be logically deducted as to the "why" (Not trying to be a smartass, question or doubt your intelligence)

If you mow regularly that will suppress its growth and you may never actually realize there's baby nettles out in the grassy areas. Certain varieties(thick matting) like centipede grass will keep it down. Many rhizomial/tuber species can travel quite the distance underground until they find "a weak spot" before they emerge. If you cultivated your beds but have compacted soil outside the beds, that can act as a barrier and help keep it in place and the root systems of both the mint and nettle will literally start doing circles under the surface of the bed. Path of least resistance. Because it is doing well in the bed, the soil conditions keep it in the bed, soil it prefers relative to the soil out of the bed.
probably a few more but it's almost 1am and I been on for...All day on and off. I've enjoyed it and I'm sure I made you go, Hmmm.

Give it 10- 20yrs =) It will be somewhere else besides your bed

You will be trying to find this thread, better bookmark it now,  lol

Kaarina Kreus wrote:Funny how a plant can be invasive in one place and cherished in another!

I live in Scandinaviand we are always happy to see nettles, because they indicate good fertile soil.

We dry the leaves and eat in soups or pancakes. Super healthy. It produces great fertiliset and bug repellant. The fibre is really fine, better than linen.

I bought nettle seeds and planted a big bed of it in my garden.

Good luck trying to contain it while I am watering and fertilising my nettle bed 😄

Oh it's cherished in my yard, to hell with what the neighbors think.

I'll share a little of my experiences with stinging nettle. I have to growing in a few places in my garden and tree field and like mentioned above it likes damp fertile soil. So in a way I'm happy to see it, because it means the soil is good growing soil. The main issue with it is it stings! so you don't want it close to paths where you are likely to walk, or in garden beds where you may be weeding. I've found it more rewarding to concentrate on getting rid of it in patches where I want something else, rather than worrying about getting rid of it all, although be warned a small patch can get to be a big tangled mass in just a few years if it is happy.
My method is to dig/pull it up if it is not well established - like seedlings. They will come up easily the first year. If you miss them, the second year they are likely to have a tough string like rhizome root (actually can be used like string in the garden) and the stem may snap and leave the root to regrow, so make sure you dig that up too.
A neglected happy patch will be a mass of tough roots all tangled up, and in my case usually with couch grass too, which seems to like nettles. I have (almost) succeeded in removing it from my secret garden, by mulching thickly with cardboard for one complete year, and then thoroughly digging the roots out. I did miss some roots and they are still coming back 4 years later, although much reduced and I am happy that I have nearly removed them from that area.
In other places I am happy to let them be. They are a good food source for Peacock butterfly larvae.

source

Beavers helped me beat back my nettle infestation (though in my case it hurt, I love nettles).  I only really try to remove them from where I regularly walk or poke my hands (berry patches, paths, etc.) and my internet searches have been more about how to get more of it in my specific woodland, which has quite a lot already. So far, there's no such thing as enough nettle for me. But my pain might help you!

The beavers built a dam on our little creek that later flooded my densest nettle patch, for one season only- the area was swampy for a maximum of three months. The beavers did not stay at their new digs and the dam blew out the next spring, leaving my patch once again higher and a tad dryer... but where once a literal sea of nettle waited to sting the unwary, now several years later, only a few persist.

That sort of saturation isn't achievable for many, but if prolonged flooding is something you can incorporate into your anti-nettle toolbox, I can attest that it works.  At any rate, there is such a thing as too wet for nettles.

Funny to see different echoes from the other side of the planet !

I accidentally nearly killed one of my few patches of nettles, by harvesting it completely for a big jug of soup in the spring two years ago. Then I learned the rule 'never harvest more than a third', and installed a compost pile on top of it.
Wherever it comes, I try to let it grow a little before harvesting it ... If I had a problem I could not eat, I could still bring the scythe to the same effect, before the first flowers.
Gluttony might be a good way to control it on a few square meters.

I welcome it as a sign of  better soil fertility, and the first vegetable of the year in my yard.

Make it your #1 crop, value-added: dry for tea, compost etc. Cut it before seed sets. But, as noted, you are maintaining the ideal environment for it. Dunno if my first attempt worked, but nettle urtication (applying to the arthritic joints) helped me better than the drugstore. Chickens like it, and the Red Admiral butterfly larva eat it.

I just wanted to update this thread from last year, where I was unsure what I should do with the proliferation of nettles in our yard.

This year, I have made a decision. I am keeping the nettles contained to an area within the garden, one being a hugel mound, and a patch adjacent to it. This is where most of them are growing right now. I will try to grow some flowers in there with them (for now, some giant poppies.) If I see them anywhere else, I will pull them up.

This year, to me, the nettles are definitely not weeds but a desired crop, albeit one that must be controlled.

One reason for my decision is that the other night I tried some of the dried nettle tea harvested from last year (I only did a bit of it) and it gave me a complete energy boost. I was up late working and it allowed me to keep going. That convinced me that all the hype about nettles is true and I want everyone to try it! I know it's good for so many things but I hadn't tried it as an energy boost. To me, it was life-changing!

If you had told the child me who was forever scampering creekside with bare legs, that my love of nettle would one day far overpower the ferocity of their fiery bite, I'd have dismissed your words as ravings from a demented fool. Nettle was clearly an enemy of the highest order.

But, here we sit. Like you Shari, the first time I tried nettle, (and later its green seed!!) I ended up cleaning the house until 11PM, and I am the sort that tends to go to bed and rise with the sun. It was like the cleanest cup of coffee I've ever had.

I currently have ten pounds of blanched nettle in the freezer and I feel woefully impoverished to last the coming year with so little (!!!), headed out for more later today. My green security blanket, is stinging nettle. May it be yours too. ❤️

I have been spreading my nettles all around my rewilding project on the back half of my suburban lot. I planted a couple patches in my front yard pollinator garden and they like to try to take over. My strategy is to go around and collect the plants when they are around two feet tall. Just to thin the herd and keep them localized to the area where they are welcome. I cut off the tops and dry for tea. Then I go around and plant the rhizomes in locations in the meadow where I think they can do some good. I love to clip fresh sprouts in the early spring for cooking. I treat many other spreading species in a similar fashion. Mint, Bergamot, Yarrow, and so on.

I am also finding that I have a higher tolerance for the sting after constant exposure. Still has a kick when it gets me on more tender skin, yet my fingers are getting nearly immune. I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy having nettles here. The tea is supposed to be good for arthritis, so I am testing that out. I mix with Creeping Charlie, another abundant ground cover here in the meadow. My morning blend has been a little jasmine green tea with the additions of a blend of mint, nettles, and creeping charlie. So far, the flavor is pleasant and it is too soon to tell if there is a health benefit. All in all, one of the best plants to grow.

Rio Rose wrote:

It was like the cleanest cup of coffee I've ever had.

I currently have ten pounds of blanched nettle in the freezer and I feel woefully impoverished to last the coming year with so little (!!!), headed out for more later today. My green security blanket, is stinging nettle. May it be yours too. ❤️

Rio, thank you so much! Yes,  love your description: "the cleanest cup of coffee I've ever had"  and your "green security blanket." So poetic! I knew it was good for medicine but had no idea it was good for something so immediate: energy, a much-needed commodity!  I gave away my second sample of it today to a lady at work.   <3

Marco Zolow wrote:I have been spreading my nettles all around my rewilding project on the back half of my suburban lot. I planted a couple patches in my front yard pollinator garden and they like to try to take over. My strategy is to go around and collect the plants when they are around two feet tall. Just to thin the herd and keep them localized to the area where they are welcome.

I am also finding that I have a higher tolerance for the sting after constant exposure. Still has a kick when it gets me on more tender skin, yet my fingers are getting nearly immune. I had no idea how much I was going to enjoy having nettles here. The tea is supposed to be good for arthritis, so I am testing that out.

Marco, great strategy! Can you say more about the "rewilding project?" That sounds interesting.

I also find I am quite tolerant to the sting now, too. My husband and use it directly on sore muscles in the summer, just rubbing the fresh leaves on the aching area. It is an immediate relief, kind of like a Tiger Balm idea. I did try sending some to my sister for her arthritis last year but it was ruined in-transit, so will be trying it again this year. I would love to hear if it seems to help for your arthritis.

My wife and I moved back to Ohio in August 2001. She grew up out here in the Cincinnati area. We bought a house that is on a 50 by 270 foot lot, or thereabout.  One of the finer features of the lot is that it backs up to a wooded stretch that separates the houses on the next street over. It was declared a "wetland" and that has kept developers out of the area.

Since the entire lot had been clear cut, I had a blank slate to work with. The first thing I did was draw a line in the backyard and stop mowing. I did create a footpath that curves up the center that I keep mowed. I also mow the edges to keep things from overflowing into my neighbors lawn. Oh! Another fine feature of this property is the empty lot on the south side. The house that used to be there was torn down, and it hasn't been developed yet. Hopefully never! In between the "meadow" and the back of the house, I fenced a 25 by 50 foot garden space. I started beds using the Dowding no-dig approach. Three years later, I think I am seeing very good results. Though the extra clouds and rain this year are making the slugs very happy.

I spent three years winter sowing seed that I collected from the local parks. Mostly perennial wildflowers and herbs. My wife and I made seed bombs the first year and I ended up with a lot of goldenrod and a small shrubby aster that covers the meadow in the fall. I have planted willow along the north and south edges. I dug a little mini pond and planted some Fuki on the edge. Trying to grow some horsetail there also, though the deer seem to love it. I have all sorts of perennial local characters that are coming back each year. The ironweeds, both yellow and purple, are getting well established.

I use fencing and tree cages to get things tall enough to survive. Also, I have figured out what the deer usually don't want to eat, so I lean into those plants. Bergamot seems bulletproof, and such a beautiful pollinator friendly plant. I have removed almost all the grass in the front yard as well using no-dig approach with cardboard and woodchip. Violets and plantain don't seem to mind being covered up, so I encourage their presence and keep other plants minimized. I keep the sedge and grass pulled up when they show up.

Way too much to tell. I will add a couple of pics to save me a few thousand words. Thanks for the interest.

Oh, yeah. I have just started the tea blend this month, so I can't comment on effects. I really enjoy the flavor of the nettles, charlie, and mint combo. Seems to be a good fit for my palette.