Controlling Common Nettles

Key Information 

• Common Names: Common nettle, stinging nettle 
• Scientific Name: Urtica Dioica 
• Most commonly seen in: spring to autumn months

What are nettles?

The common nettle is a very familiar sight, many of us being unfortunate enough to brush by their leaves and feel its sting. They spread mainly through their extensive creeping rooting stolons (stems which shoot off of the main plant and then end up rooting elsewhere). The plant itself can grow up to 1m tall and, if left to its own devices, it will eventually spread to fill an entire lawn. 

Why should the common nettle be controlled?

These types of nettles should be controlled for many reasons, the first being that chopping/cutting the plant down would just increase the nettle infestation as any fragments of root left behind will cause a new plant to grow. The second major problem is that as discussed above, when left, nettles can spread rapidly and take over large sections of the garden/lawn.

How should I control the common nettle?

The best time to control the common nettle is when it is still young and actively growing (it should not yet be in flower). At this stage they will be around 15-20cm tall. If you have missed this stage, we would suggest cutting them down and waiting for the regrowth to appear before spraying with weed control.

What is the best weed killer for the common nettle?

At A1 Lawn we have a few products that are ideal for controlling the common nettle. Here are our recommendations which can both be applied using a knapsack/handheld sprayer:

Selective Weed Killer Option

If you have nettles growing in areas surrounded by grass that you are wanting to keep unharmed, then you will need a selective weed killer. These products target the weeds but leave the grass untouched so are ideal for use within gardens and on lawns. SBK Brushwood Killer is the perfect product for this as it is brilliant at tackling tough weeds.

Total Weed Killer Option

Using a glyphosate weed killer such as Gallup Home and Garden is also a great option for controlling nettles. This is only advised, however, if you are not concerned about surrounding plants and grasses as it will control any plant that it touches. If you are using this method, we would also recommend that the glyphosate product is mixed with an adjuvant called Validate This helps the product to penetrate the nettle’s leaves and achieve maximum efficacy of the weed killer.