Nettle patch

 


Hi
I would like to create a nettle patch down in my wood. It would be for
the
benefit of wildlife. I already have several small scattered
patches, too small
to be much benefit, I think and also in quite shady
locations. I was thinking of
something grander.
I have found a source of native British seed were I can get about
70,000 seeds
for less than a tenner. Does anyone have any tips or
experience of doing this?
Ground preparation, I have read that nettles need nitrogen enriched
soil but I
am loathe to bring chemicals into the wood, in fact I
wouldn't do that. Any
suggestions?
Also they would have to compete with existing bracken and brambles,
pretty tough
competition.

Thanks
Colin




--
oaks

 


|>
|> I would like to create a nettle patch down in my wood. It would be for
|> the benefit of wildlife. I already have several small scattered
|> patches, too small to be much benefit, I think and also in quite shady
|> locations. I was thinking of something grander.
|> I have found a source of native British seed were I can get about
|> 70,000 seeds for less than a tenner. Does anyone have any tips or
|> experience of doing this?

Not deliberately :-)  And nettles are not woodland plants - they
prefer disturbed soil in open positions (i.e. with full light).

|> Ground preparation, I have read that nettles need nitrogen enriched
|> soil but I am loathe to bring chemicals into the wood, in fact I
|> wouldn't do that. Any suggestions?

Yes.  It's not nitrogen, but phosphorus.  Bones, dung etc.  Dig
up some skeletons and grind them up :-)  The well-known company of
Burke and Hare springs to mind ....

More seriously, I don't know, but it's still phosphorus.

|> Also they would have to compete with existing bracken and brambles,
|> pretty tough competition.

In suitable conditions, nettles ARE pretty tough competition!
They won't compete successfully in the shade under trees, but will
out in the open.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

 


Nick Maclaren;777866 Wrote:

Thanks Nick,

Thanks for the phosphorus tip, ground up bones, now that's possible.
Also dung,
plenty of boar lesses.

Fully understand about sunshine. It is the clearings in a wood that
make it
interesting and this one is a coppice. The wildlife love that
kind of thing,
woodland edge habitat.

Best regards
Colin




--
oaks

 


A possible alternative that you may wish to consider for a woodland
setting would be Hedge Woundwort, Stachys sylvatica.  Although it has
some similar characteristics of the stinging nettle it is not of the
same family. The reddish purple flowers are quite interesting and
attractive to bees.  It has flourished in the wooded part of our garden
along with a variety of other native woodland/woodland edge plants.
--
Robert

 

robert wrote:
(snip)

The main disadvantage of Hedge Woundwort is its awful smell when bruised.

I suggest that you check what the food plants are of British caterpillars &
moths, and see if any of those (other than stinging nettles) might suit the
situations you have in mind.  However, my feeling is that most of those  -
like stinging nettles - will not like shade.

Of course, it may not be possible to source the seed in large quantity even
if you find something suitable.


--
Jeff
(cut "thetape" to reply)