In article ,
Brian wrote:
"Bob Smith" wrote in message
...
ChrisC wrote in message
.. .

Do stinging nettles seed? I would quite like to grow them for tea and
soup purposes. Or would it be advisable to go dig some up at the local
common?

What do nettles taste like? I assume they must be realy good to want them
in your garden.

Young nettles taste similar to spinach. They do need a good rich
soil to thrive. I always knew they had been used for their fibres but was
surprised to hear on the television this week that 1st World war knapsacks
were made from these fibres. Some texts state that they were introduced by
the Romans.

When I tried them, they were strongly reminiscent of boiled cotton
wool. It is the small nettle that was introduced by the Romans.

And they seed themselves like the devil, but need a high-phosphate
soil to thrive (hence their occurrence where livestock have been
kept). While the poxious Whitehall bureaucrats have made it illegal
to dig up nettle stems (they will not regrow from the yellow roots),
nobody sane will give a damn.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.