Growth cycle – Stinging nettle emerges as soon as the ground thaws in late winter or early spring. Stinging nettle dies back to the ground at the first hard freeze of winter. Since it’s a perennial, it comes back in the same spot year after year, spreading via seed and underground runners.
Are nettles year round?
Is there a time of year when Nettles don’t sting? No, they sting year round. Even the baby nettles can give you a nice welt on your ankles.
When should nettles be cut down?
The best time to cut nettles for a liquid plant fertiliser is early spring, as this is when the nitrogen content is at its highest. To ensure that the butterfly larvae are not disturbed it is best to cut in March and again (if you want to) in October.
Are nettles seasonal?
Stinging nettles love the cool, damp weather and are normally in season during the late winter months. At first glance, they might look like ordinary weeds, but these greens have a bright, assertive flavor, with just a hint of pepper.
Do nettles grow in winter UK?
Nettles, stinging nettles or common nettles, are tough, perennial plants that grow in a wide range of soil and weather conditions. They quickly spread to form quite large clumps. They usually die down to their tough yellow roots in autumn and winter, but come back in spring year after year.
Do nettles grow in winter?
Stinging nettles die down to tough yellow roots in autumn, over-wintering to grow up again the following spring.
What’s the difference between stinging nettle and nettle?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
How do you stop nettles from growing back?
Weedkiller control
- Neglected areas can be cleared of established nettles by spraying them with a glyphosate-based weedkiller (such as Roundup Ultra or Doff Weedout Extra Tough Weedkiller) which should be applied as a spray in June, shortly before they flower.
- A second application may be necessary in September.
How do I get rid of stinging nettles permanently?
Nettles produce new shoots from their roots so it is important to use a systemic herbicide such as glyphosate that will move into the root system and kill the entire plant. Applications using a hand-held or backpack sprayer with a 2% glyphosate concentration are effective in nettle control.
How long are nettles in season?
Stinging nettle grows from early spring through the summer. The best time to harvest them is while they’re still a small, no more than a foot tall, because that’s when the leaves are the most tender.
Do nettles sting dogs?
Nettles can sting dogs’ paws leading to intense itching and chewing. Avoid walking through nettles. Again, this would be a time to use an antihistamine recommended by your vet. Some paw waxes might reduce stinging and soothe afterwards.
Can you eat nettles in autumn?
It is not wise to eat nettles when flowering between June and October as they have a laxative effect and the plant will then contain cystolith crystals that can upset the urinary tract. The fresh growth from nettles that grow after being cut back is fine though.
Do nettles spread?
Although nettles produce prodigious amounts of seed, their most reliable means of spread is by rhizomes. Rhizome fragments are readily spread by soil disturbances such as plowing, ditch cleaning and construction. Nettle stems are quite slender, square and grow 6 to 8 feet tall, with occasional thin branches.
How long do stinging nettles last?
Nettle stings can be itchy and you may feel a stinging or burning sensation. This will usually settle down within a few minutes or a few days and you can often treat them yourself.
What is the point of stinging nettles?
The nettle’s sting is an adaptation to provide protection from predators. The sting causes any predator that may eat the plant or uproot it to stay clear.
What animal eats nettles?
Stinging nettles are great wildlife attractors: caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies use them as foodplants; ladybirds feast on the aphids that shelter among them; and seed-eating birds enjoy their autumn spoils.
Are nettles good for the garden?
In the garden, nettle is indispensable as a fertilizer, insecticide, and compost activator. On the farm, nettle’s uses don’t just end there. The farm animals also benefit from all the goodness of nettle as well.
Are nettles invasive?
Although Urtica dioica is distributed widely in many parts of the world, it is considered invasive because of its nuisance value even within its native range, particularly in waste places, especially since its stinging hairs can cause painful welts on human and possibly animal skin.
Do bees like stinging nettles?
This weed is particularly useful to them as that pollen may be in short supply if there are few flowering trees in your area. It’s certainly one of the few herbaceaous plants flowering vigorously and attracting bees at this time.
Who should not drink nettle tea?
Pregnant people
Interactions. Pregnant people should not take nettle or drink nettle tea. Due to a lack of research, children under the age of 12 years should also avoid nettle. It is important that people with existing conditions and those who take certain medications speak with a healthcare professional before trying nettle.
Can you eat nettles after they flower?
The leaves are edible at any stage of the plants’ growth. Cooking or drying them denatures the sting. They are nice and tender earlier in the season when they’re young. If they have already grown flowers and seeds, they’re still perfectly edible – just pick the smaller leaves near the top.