On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:22:44 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

Against large scale 10' high nettles ...

When ever have you seen nettles 10'high? The ones growing around the fruit
bushes will get to 6' to find light but out in the open 3 or 4' is the
maximum.

Nettles don't like being cutdown, even the swathes of nothing but nettles and
a good root matt are much reduced(*) by strimming a couple of times a year.

ie. A few nettles amongst the grass, rather than 100% nettle.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:40:25 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 25/06/2012 10:17, mogga wrote:
We have acquired a weed torch at a car boot yesterday.
The couple used to run a gardening business. They told us it runs on
petrol! It's definitely got petrol in it anyway!

Apart from looking very worn it's much like
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog...me_Weeder.html

Be careful! Whilst it might run on petrol I would be very surprised if
it was designed to do so. Petrol is far too volatile. They are usually
intended for a paraffin fuel. See if you can find a makers mark and look
up the instructions online.


Yes my OH is concerned about the petrol.
Especially having watched a couple of vids!
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

On 25/06/2012 11:18, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:22:44 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

Against large scale 10' high nettles ...

When ever have you seen nettles 10'high? The ones growing around the fruit
bushes will get to 6' to find light but out in the open 3 or 4' is the
maximum.

I have seen them around 8' high in the shade of river banks. But the OPs
claim was for nettles 10' high. I suspect growing under a bridge ;-)

Nettles don't like being cutdown, even the swathes of nothing but nettles and
a good root matt are much reduced(*) by strimming a couple of times a year.

ie. A few nettles amongst the grass, rather than 100% nettle.

I have never had any great bother with nettles myself. I allow them to
grow in the wilder part of the garden to encourage butterflies.

I do have a continuous war of attrition with ground elder which gets
into my herbaceous borders from a neighbouring field and convolvolus
from another but nettles really don't put up much fight if I want rid.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 25/06/2012 09:24, sweetheart wrote:

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message


Against large scale 10' high nettles unless you are standing on a high
step ladder with your watering can you are going to waste most of the
glyphosate on the ground. You did wet the leaves with it didn't you?

Well that is the problem. It is difficult. I have been cutting them down in
patches( using sheers) and then using glyphosate. But the nettles have
almost lethal stings on them! well painful anyway if I get caught.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:22:44 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

Against large scale 10' high nettles ...

When ever have you seen nettles 10'high? The ones growing around the fruit
bushes will get to 6' to find light but out in the open 3 or 4' is the
maximum.

Nettles don't like being cutdown, even the swathes of nothing but nettles
and
a good root matt are much reduced(*) by strimming a couple of times a
year.

ie. A few nettles amongst the grass, rather than 100% nettle.

No its all nettles - and yes, they are taller than the average. Everything
grows oversized here. I have some astors I was told would grow three feet
high in the garden - they are giants at nearly six feet too. But that isn't
so bad.

The nettles have benefitted from the wet weather and the good soil I think.

On 25/06/2012 11:46, sweetheart wrote:

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 25/06/2012 09:24, sweetheart wrote:

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message

Against large scale 10' high nettles unless you are standing on a high
step ladder with your watering can you are going to waste most of the
glyphosate on the ground. You did wet the leaves with it didn't you?

Well that is the problem. It is difficult. I have been cutting them down
in patches( using sheers) and then using glyphosate. But the nettles
have almost lethal stings on them! well painful anyway if I get caught.

It sounds like you are managing to do just about everything wrong!

The combinations that will work are. Lop them off repeatedly at ground
level with a strimmer, machette or scythe. *Or* apply glyphosate to the
entire plant as is and leave it alone for three weeks to take effect.

Cutting them down and then applying glyphosate is just about the least
effective way of using it. Do one or the other but not both at the same
time. The fastest way is a glyphosate hit, then a slash and burn and
finally physical removal of anything that is left. Spot weeding as
needed to remove regrowth (and be aware there will be nettle seeds in
the ground for decades to come). So you will need to hit it every year
with a hoe or weedkiller to prevent new seedlings growing to big plants.

Once it is tinder dry torch it to zap any seed that has been set and
then keep at it with periodic applications of glyphosate to stop the
stuff growing back. Chrome leather gloves and no exposed bare skin makes
sense when fighting brambles and nettles physically.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:35:14 +0200, Martin wrote:



Yes my OH is concerned about the petrol.
Especially having watched a couple of vids!

I'd drain the tank and stick to paraffin or diesel if it will run on

He's looking at emptying the tank on it.
We have paraffin anyway for the greenhouse

that. I bought a second hand Taylor paraffin stove that due to a
misunderstanding by the previous Dutch owner, while he was on a
sailing cruise in Norway, had been filled with terpentine. I had to
replace the burners mainly because he had used dirty fuel too and had
damaged the burners by using the wrong sized prickers. He must have
done it several times as the stove included several damaged spare
burners and two fuel tanks. He had cut the end off one cylindrical
tank and tried to replace the end with a glass window, so that he
could see how much fuel there was in the tank. I solved that problem
by buying a second hand much larger capacity tank.

--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

Martin Brown wrote in news:imWFr.8587
:

On 25/06/2012 10:17, mogga wrote:
We have acquired a weed torch at a car boot yesterday.
The couple used to run a gardening business. They told us it runs on
petrol! It's definitely got petrol in it anyway!

Apart from looking very worn it's much like
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog...me_Weeder.html

Be careful! Whilst it might run on petrol I would be very surprised if
it was designed to do so. Petrol is far too volatile. They are usually
intended for a paraffin fuel. See if you can find a makers mark and look
up the instructions online.


I have a paraffin plumbers blowlamp which has to be warmed up with meths to
ignite. It's a bit of an art getting it started but it works nicely. If you
are prepared to get down on all fours to burn the weeds it works.
I have a week off work so after reading this thread thought it would be a
gas!
Aircraft use paraffin as fuel I hear, modified name as kerosene.(with nowt
taken out) and a bit of extra oil. If thats ok. for Concorde, then it's ok
with me.

Baz

In article ,
says...

We have acquired a weed torch at a car boot yesterday.
The couple used to run a gardening business. They told us it runs on
petrol! It's definitely got petrol in it anyway!

Apart from looking very worn it's much like
http://www.mowermagic.co.uk/acatalog...me_Weeder.html

OMG Do NOT use petrol in it, that would be very dangerous indeed.

They are made to burn parrafin only.

Janet

In article ,
lid says...

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:29:23 +0100, mogga
wrote:

On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:35:14 +0200, Martin wrote:



Yes my OH is concerned about the petrol.
Especially having watched a couple of vids!

I'd drain the tank and stick to paraffin or diesel if it will run on

He's looking at emptying the tank on it.
We have paraffin anyway for the greenhouse

I think people recommended diesel because it is cheaper than the
paraffin sold in hardware stores in 4 litre plastic containers.

They recommended central heating oil.

Janet

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

Cutting them down and then applying glyphosate is just about the least
effective way of using it. Do one or the other but not both at the same
time. The fastest way is a glyphosate hit, then a slash and burn and
finally physical removal of anything that is left. Spot weeding as needed
to remove regrowth (and be aware there will be nettle seeds in the ground
for decades to come). So you will need to hit it every year with a hoe or
weedkiller to prevent new seedlings growing to big plants.

I am learning about glyphosate and I have a question. If one cuts down all
the weeds, and waits for the new shoots and then spray those shoots, would
that be an effective way to treat them?

--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:07:04 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:



"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

Cutting them down and then applying glyphosate is just about the least
effective way of using it. Do one or the other but not both at the same
time. The fastest way is a glyphosate hit, then a slash and burn and
finally physical removal of anything that is left. Spot weeding as
needed
to remove regrowth (and be aware there will be nettle seeds in the
ground
for decades to come). So you will need to hit it every year with a hoe
or
weedkiller to prevent new seedlings growing to big plants.

I am learning about glyphosate and I have a question. If one cuts down
all
the weeds, and waits for the new shoots and then spray those shoots, would
that be an effective way to treat them?

If you wait until they have leaves, yes.

That was my plan g
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On 25/06/2012 15:07, Ophelia wrote:


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

Cutting them down and then applying glyphosate is just about the least
effective way of using it. Do one or the other but not both at the
same time. The fastest way is a glyphosate hit, then a slash and burn
and finally physical removal of anything that is left. Spot weeding as
needed to remove regrowth (and be aware there will be nettle seeds in
the ground for decades to come). So you will need to hit it every year
with a hoe or weedkiller to prevent new seedlings growing to big plants.

I am learning about glyphosate and I have a question. If one cuts down
all the weeds, and waits for the new shoots and then spray those shoots,
would that be an effective way to treat them?

It would work, but so would spraying the leaves and growing points of
the weeds and is less effort. You need to hit actively growing material
and the soft new growth absorbs more weedkiller. Cutting it down just
means you have to wait for some regrowth before using the weedkiller.

I have found that hitting stuff with glyphosate and then leaving them to
become tinder dry followed by a burn is about the most complete way to
regain control of wilderness. Talking waist high and above mixture of
brambles, nettles and miscellaneous thorny shrubs here.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 25/06/2012 15:07, Ophelia wrote:


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...

Cutting them down and then applying glyphosate is just about the least
effective way of using it. Do one or the other but not both at the
same time. The fastest way is a glyphosate hit, then a slash and burn
and finally physical removal of anything that is left. Spot weeding as
needed to remove regrowth (and be aware there will be nettle seeds in
the ground for decades to come). So you will need to hit it every year
with a hoe or weedkiller to prevent new seedlings growing to big plants.

I am learning about glyphosate and I have a question. If one cuts down
all the weeds, and waits for the new shoots and then spray those shoots,
would that be an effective way to treat them?

It would work, but so would spraying the leaves and growing points of the
weeds and is less effort. You need to hit actively growing material and
the soft new growth absorbs more weedkiller. Cutting it down just means
you have to wait for some regrowth before using the weedkiller.

I have found that hitting stuff with glyphosate and then leaving them to
become tinder dry followed by a burn is about the most complete way to
regain control of wilderness. Talking waist high and above mixture of
brambles, nettles and miscellaneous thorny shrubs here.

Thanks, Martin. Noted with appreciation. Ours are not waist high so I
think your method might be easier
--
--

http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

In article , sweetheart
writes
I am trying to get it under control now. I did have a gardener in to
repair fences and cut everything down last autemn and earlier in the
spring. I would call him back but I really do not feel able to ask
him to tackle the jungle at the back. Hence I need it under control
before I ask him to maintain it for me.

Then I wont have a problem.



Rather than weed killer why not hire a good strong strimmer, or rather a
petrol driven one. Then go in and cut all the vegetation down to ground
level. It will stop the seeds falling, the plant spreading very fast and
any young growth you can knock out much easier with wweedkiller then.


nettles make very good compost too.
--
Janet Tweedy