Best time to spray nettles and brambles? Best product

 

I am in Shropshire, England. Last year I sprayed a large swathe of nettles
and brambles on 7 acres of field and woodland we bought. I have knocked 7
bells out of the brambles, the nettles didn't suffer as much. I want to
finish them off this year, when's the best time to spray please? What's the
flavour of the month in regard to stuff to use, I don't want to kill grass
or ferns, if possible? I'll be using a comapct tractor spray and a back
pack spray. Thanks.

 


nettles

knocked 7

What's the

For best effects you need to spray when the nettles are growing freely
and from what I see in Solihull that would need to be in the next week
or two.

You need to use Glyphosate, but that will kill virtually
everything.http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/actives/glyphosa.htm

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

 


It sounds to me as if you need to change your spray, some of the
selective Agricultural sprays work better on brambles whilst others
work better on nettles and thistles. check with your supplier.
Nettles are starting to grow away now :Good time to pick them for
cooking:  I'd wait till they are around 9 to 12 inches tall before
spraying.
Do remember to leave some as food plants for Peacock butterfly
caterpillars which feed on nettles;
David Hill
Abacus Nurseries

 

Dave Hill wrote:

Hi Chris,

I live in Shropshire too and am looking forwarding to having a go at the
nettles this year.  However, ours are only about an inch tall at the
moment.  I agree with David when he see it's best to wait till they're
taller.  I've done a lot of research into how to get the best effect out
of Glyphosate and it seems to me you need to get as much spray on as
much plant surface as you can because then more will be absorbed and get
into each nettle's system - and as you may know the root systems of
nettles are extensive and pretty tough, so there's on hell of a lot of
root to kill off!   Also, I plan to wait till our nettles are 12 inches
tall so that then I can go through them with hand-shears slicing off the
top few inches.  I will spray with Glyphosate immediately after.  This
will get Glyphosate straight into the open wounds and nettles also don't
like their heads being nipped off anyway!

Eddy.

 

Eddy wrote:

There is little point in spraying glyphosate in cold weather.  Wait until
the temp reaches at least 15° for a few days.  It'll be far more effective.

--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)