Nettles abound in the strawberry beds - too huge an area to deal with by
hand - is there a weed killer that I can use without harming the
strawberry plants?
--
Judith Lea

"Judith Lea" wrote in message
...
Nettles abound in the strawberry beds - too huge an area to deal with by
hand - is there a weed killer that I can use without harming the
strawberry plants?

If you do deal with them by hand, you should collect them up.
They contain high levels of nutrients, shove them in a barrel and make
liquid fertiliser, and add some comfrey too.

One year I did this and grew the best tomatoes ever!

Watch it, though, it really stinks! Put a lid on it!! :@)

You can also eat them. Blanch them before using, to kill the sting.

Stuff ravioli with them, or even make sheet pasta with them.

Quite a few other culinary uses for them, but can't think right now.

--
J.P. in London.

In article , JP in Lon
writes

As I said, the area is too large to do by hand - what chemical help is
there available?

If you do deal with them by hand, you should collect them up.
They contain high levels of nutrients, shove them in a barrel and make
liquid fertiliser, and add some comfrey too.


--
Judith Lea

In article ,
udith Lea writes:
|
| Nettles abound in the strawberry beds - too huge an area to deal with by
| hand - is there a weed killer that I can use without harming the
| strawberry plants?

No.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The Invalid wrote:
On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:29:13 +0100, Judith Lea
wrote:

Nettles abound in the strawberry beds - too huge an area to deal
with by hand - is there a weed killer that I can use without harming
the strawberry plants?

I've found that ordinary pee seems to sort them out.
We used to have a very large patch at the bottom of our garden and
late at night I would wander down and pee on them. They were dead
within a week or two.


The thought of wandering down in the dark and discovering that they had
grown taller than anticipated springs to mind!

pk

In article ,
"p.k." writes:
|
| The thought of wandering down in the dark and discovering that they had
| grown taller than anticipated springs to mind!

They are a traditional stimulant of peripheral blood flow - see Cleland's
Fanny Hill for the use of light flagellation for the purpose.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nettles just love high nitrogen feeds, makes them grow real well.
Strawberries are broadleaved plants as are nettles, so any weedkiller
that would kill the nettles will do the same to the strawberries.
Sorry..

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
"p.k." writes:

The thought of wandering down in the dark and discovering that they
had grown taller than anticipated springs to mind!

They are a traditional stimulant of peripheral blood flow - see
Cleland's Fanny Hill for the use of light flagellation for the
purpose.

Ooh, Missis! I'd bet on the strawberries succumbing to the urinary
treatment before the nettles, though.

Judith, if you can't get them out by hand, you could cover each
strawberry plant with plastic or even cardboard and then sprinkle the
nettles with glyphosate before they get too tall. If this isn't
practicable, it's a question of digging up all the strawberries, then
killing the nettles, then try putting the strawberries back. It may even
do some good if they're old enough to need replacing with fresh runners
in the summer. You won't be able to harvest your crop this year anyway
if they're guarded by a barrier of nettles -- and with that many nettles
you may not get a good crop, so you haven't got much to lose. (I imagine
you'll be able to get enough runners to replace the bed simply by
leaving in the row nearest the edge: easy enough to cover a single row
with plastic and hand weed it later.)

There will be seeds in the ground, so you'll need to watch carefully for
a couple of years at least: the seedlings are easy to pull up or hoe.

A ghastly spot to be in.

--
Mike.

In article .com,
wrote:
Nettles just love high nitrogen feeds, makes them grow real well.
Strawberries are broadleaved plants as are nettles, so any weedkiller
that would kill the nettles will do the same to the strawberries.
Sorry..

It's phosphate, primarily, actually. That is why they grow most
vigorously where animals were kept for a long time.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Judith Lea" wrote in message
...
Nettles abound in the strawberry beds - too huge an area to deal with by
hand - is there a weed killer that I can use without harming the
strawberry plants?

I'm genuinely surprised that you think there might be.

Come back in fifty years or so.

:-)

--
Brian

In article , Brian Watson
writes
I'm genuinely surprised that you think there might be.

Come back in fifty years or so.

I have just spoken to my husband; who is in France, and he has purchased
a weedkiller for broad-leaved weeds in strawberry beds and for beetroot
only. I mentioned all of your comments and he quite agrees that, in
principle, it should kill the leaves on the strawberries - however, he
says the details are quite rigid as to at what stage it can be used on
the strawberries but it can be used at all times on beetroot!!

He will be arriving home this weekend and I will post Monday with the
name of it and the chemical component.

Thanks to all who gave helpful advice.

--
Judith Lea

"Judith Lea" wrote in message
...
In article , Brian Watson
writes
I'm genuinely surprised that you think there might be.

Come back in fifty years or so.

I have just spoken to my husband; who is in France, and he has purchased a
weedkiller for broad-leaved weeds in strawberry beds and for beetroot
only. I mentioned all of your comments and he quite agrees that, in
principle, it should kill the leaves on the strawberries - however, he
says the details are quite rigid as to at what stage it can be used on the
strawberries but it can be used at all times on beetroot!!

Coo. I'm impressed.
--
Brian

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:19:48 +0100, "Brian Watson"
wrote:


"Judith Lea" wrote in message
...
In article , Brian Watson
writes
I'm genuinely surprised that you think there might be.

Come back in fifty years or so.

I have just spoken to my husband; who is in France, and he has purchased a
weedkiller for broad-leaved weeds in strawberry beds and for beetroot
only. I mentioned all of your comments and he quite agrees that, in
principle, it should kill the leaves on the strawberries - however, he
says the details are quite rigid as to at what stage it can be used on the
strawberries but it can be used at all times on beetroot!!

Coo. I'm impressed.

I wouldn't assume that because it was bought in France it is "legal"
here - I wonder what customs will make of it if they see it?

Once you know what the chemical is, you could go to the Pesticide safey
Directorates web site which lists all approved chemicals and there
uses, as listed in the Blue book - the annual book covering all these
things.
The address is https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/pestreg/default.asp
select the first option -products by features, then you can enter the
chemicals active ingredient. Just click the search, adding too much
info can throw no results, where there are some.
Clifford
Bawtry, Doncaster, South Yorkshire