I had 2 ton of topsoil delivered for a rockery type garden - all seemed well till I went on holiday for 2 weeks ....on my return the soil in the rockery is covered with thousands of small nettles everywhere- is this normal for new topsoil? And how do I get rid of them? - we have never had nettles in the garden before, ever
New top soil
- Thread starter kayella
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Well, you have them now courtesy of your soil supplier. What is "normal" depends on what the seller has. You can get all kinds of noxious weeds from soil vendors. Stinging nettles are particularly noxious, but some people actually cultivate them in their gardens for a "natural" approach.
Nettles are prolific growers and spring from underground rhizomes . These underground horizontal root stems can spread 5 feet (1.5 m.) or more in a season, continually re-growing from the rhizomes, even when broken apart. Tilling or cultivating may actually spread the rhizomes, increasing the infestation. Glyphospate works on them but repeated applications over time will be required.
Nettles are prolific growers and spring from underground rhizomes . These underground horizontal root stems can spread 5 feet (1.5 m.) or more in a season, continually re-growing from the rhizomes, even when broken apart. Tilling or cultivating may actually spread the rhizomes, increasing the infestation. Glyphospate works on them but repeated applications over time will be required.
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Keep them cut and don't let them grow any foliage. Use a weedeater or a hoe anything you can chop them down with. If you keep cutting above the ground the rhizomes will lose their energy after a while. If you let the nettles grow you will have an infestation of them in that soil. On a good note, if the soil grows nettles it is very nutritious topsoil
Nettles are good for your garden. I'd have thought you could just hoe the seedlings in and they'll break down and feed the soil life. I actually cutivate a few to provide habitat ffor ladybirds. Apparently this keeps greenfly off your plants.
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Spray it dead for a year or more. Each season awakens that period seed conditions and it does not care one whit about your intentions.
I learned a valuable lesson. Never buy soil from a landscaper. Get it from a garden supply center.
Big differrnce between soil for grass and for a veggie garden. I dont think this @** knew the difference. The soil was full of small pieces of plastic.
With Covid in full swing it was my only choice at the time but didnt notice util I started using it. Never again.
MOD
Big differrnce between soil for grass and for a veggie garden. I dont think this @** knew the difference. The soil was full of small pieces of plastic.
With Covid in full swing it was my only choice at the time but didnt notice util I started using it. Never again.
MOD
I find it impossible to add soil or manure, or compost from anywhere, or even not add anything and expect any of my gardens to be weed free. Only time I ever had a garden without having to continually hoe is when I used that black fabric stuff and put wood chips on top of it. But I find it easier to just hoe the weeds and pull them in the veggie gardens because I usually till it and plant new stuff a couple times during the growing season aside from the peppers, tomatoes and stuff like that. But if I had flower gardens I'd use the black fabric with wood chips to avoid the weeds.