"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 08:55:35 +0100, Jeannie wrote:

Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects
including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which
will
all act as natural pest control.

Is it possible to grow nettles in pots so they don't get away
from you? Or do they cannily manage to sneak out the drainholes
and take off?

I don't consider myself an eco-freak of any description, but I
really like the idea of encouraging predatory insects in this
way. And I know where nettles abound, so I can dig male plants
and thereby avoid any seeding around. (Nettles aren't common
locally because it's generally too dry in summer, but they grow
luxuriantly in some damp places -- you have to know where to
look.)

I'm sure you would be able to grow them in pots although I have never tried.
When I took over my allotment they were everywhere, a sea of nettles in
fact. While I cleared most of the allotment, I left a nettle patch at the
back and there are lots of ladybirds on them at the moment. I also cut some
of the nettles down and put them in a water butt to make a foul smelling but
effective plant food.

I've heard that brambles are also good at attracting beneficial insects, but
I could be wrong about that. I'm sure a Google search will turn up loads of
info, like this, snipped from
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/smartli...artgardens.pdf
(Not sure if the link will work on the ng)

snipThe first is to encourage beneficial insects to visit your garden and
feed on the non-beneficial insects.The best plants to grow to attract
beneficial insects are some ofthe traditional cottage garden plants like
Achillea, Anaphalis (Yarrow), Asters,Calendula (Marigold), Eschscholzia
(California Poppy), Helianthus (Sunflower),Limnanthes ("poached egg") and
Solidago (Golden Rod).These may be grown asannuals crops, or the herbaceous
specimens may be grown in permanent plantingpockets.The second approach
involves growing plants that will provide support for non-beneficial
insects.

Planting to support non-beneficial insects may sound a little odd,but
attracting them to your garden by providing a food reserve means you will
also attract predatory beneficial insects like ladybirds and lacewings.The
most suitableplant for this is the common nettle, which is best cultivated
as mint - planted in acontainer to prevent unwanted spreading. This supports
nettle aphid which doesnot attack any other plant but does provide food for
the ladybird and lacewing.snip

HTH
Jeannie