Winter weeding – stinging nettles

Is there anything more satisfying than pulling out stinging nettle roots? Especially in winter.

This is not a pretty sight I know, but it is fun. I hadn’t intended to do any of this sort of work. But the sun shone and the snow started to melt and I just couldn’t resist. I was actually just plodding down to the stables to admire the new shelving.  One whole side of the large stables now has fantastic deep shelving.

But enough gushing about carpentry. Back to gardening.

This entire area is invaded with nettles. And deep winter is the only time I can get into the soil and pull out the yellow roots. But you have to choose a time when the soil is not so cold your hands freeze and you lose the will to live.

Today was perfect. I did wear gloves of course – some of the nettles had some leaves ready to punish me.  And I had my favourite garden hand fork to lever out the thickest roots.

There are bramble roots in here too that need levering out with a serious fork.  But I didn’t want to stop and go and trudge to the potting shed to get it. I was happier to stay kneeling in the dirt and heaving on huge tangles of nettles.

At some stage in the afternoon I buried by hand fork.  So that meant I had to stay on, sifting a bit of the loose soil and keeping a sharp eye out for my favourite tool. I only found it when the light was fading and I really needed to get indoors.

I must spray paint the handle of the little fork bright orange. That technique works for my secateurs which are always making a bid for freedom.

If I get time over the next few days, I can remove some of this earth and build up the bank by the road.

And fill in more of the gaps in the orchard.  One price I had to pay for the great carpentry was having Bebere’s van reverse into the orchard and dislodge some of my carefully landscaped but not yet securely firmed in patches of soil.