"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
The message from "Bertie Doe"contains these words:

We know that all dead vegetation should be removed from garden and
allotments, as these harbour slugs and snails.

It also harbours and attracts useful predators.

I collect vast quantities of assorted dead vegetation and lay a 6 "
mulch of it on the soil
to rot down. Birds spend a lot of time fossicking in it for food. I
don't have a slug or snail problem.

But what about cut nettles?
We know that slugs avoid nettles. We also know that nettles (when soaked
in
a bucket of water) produce valuable nutrients.

So anyone have any info on how long, cut nettles retain their sting? Who
wants to be a guinea-pig? Don't look at me -

After you cut them, by the time the leaves go limp due to dehydration
there's very little sting.
But that hardly matters; just wear clothes and gloves when cutting
fresh nettles and you won't get stung.
When I had access to a neighbours acre of nettles I used to cut vast
quantities for mulch, composting (very good activator) and making
liquid fertiliser.

Thanks Janet, my wife thought of it as a deterrent against slug&snail
attacks on her late dahlias, which are just coming thru'. There are masses
of nettles on the unused allotments, behind the house. My only concern would
be, if the cut nettles lost their sting after a couple of days, would the
non rotted mulch, become a habitat for S&S's.

What is meant by 'composting activator' BTW. I'm interested as I ordered one
of those DEFRA compostors from the council. One month later, still not
arrived. :-(