Gaining access - controlling stinging nettle
I don’t mind overgrown grass or weeds, but it does get hard to walk, especially where there is a lot of stinging nettle or brambles. At the moment carrying water to the plants has been particularly hard for me in hot weather. If it was as wet as usual, the length of the weeds would also make it hard to walk on the long wet grass. The solution is to keep it tidy; keep it cut. It doesn't have to be perfect because it’s not a lawn, but keeping it accessible makes life easier.
That’s the view that I have faced for a while and the polytunnel looks further away than it is is because of all the stinging nettle in its way.
I have to use a strimmer.
I know I could also use a scythe or just pull the weeds, but I am not a strong person so I do not count that as a feasible solution for me.
The strimmer is electric so I need to manage and be careful with the cable and an extension. I actually find the preparation for doing the work more complicated than the work itself : too much unravelling of cable and then tidying up cable, but it can't be avoided.
It has generally been very hard work for someone as unfit as I am. I am also trying to 'strengthen my core’ because of back ache. I reckon this is good exercise.
I have used a battery operated strimmer as well, but the charge doesn’t last any more than 15 minutes so with the scale of the work it becomes impractical and frustrating.
I actually can’t really carry a petrol strimmer because I am a weak person on the one hand, but most importantly, I am quite short and as everything they seem to be designed for a standard height.
They are to some extent adjustable, but as I am quite short... the adjustment is not really enough for me.
This is the second electric strimmer we have had. The first one somehow broke recently when I was trying to tidy up the back of the house.
That’s the view of a section I cut on Sunday and still needs to be raked. Behind the chicken wire you can compare the height of the stinging nettle there... I was happy with the result.
During my work I have had the opportunity to test what works better. I started using the green line that is recommended but I get quite annoyed by the fact it leaves bits and pieces of cut plastic all over the place which need to be picked up and, therefore, the line doesn’t last long.
Talking about it with @pennsif we discovered this better option: it's stronger heavy duty line you see in the photo below.
Above you can see the top unused blue line and below the shorter remnant left after 10 minutes of cutting stinging nettle (and brambles)...
Although the heavy duty solution is less annoying than the green line in terms of wastage left lying around afterwards, it doesn’t last that long either…
Below you can see the latest acquisition, the yellow ‘clone’ heavy duty (cheaper) line. I still need to try it to see how effective it is.
It is the same length as the blue one but it comes bent like that… I am hoping it works and I manage to cut that big area on route to the polytunnel before the weather changes.
It is both tiring and fulfilling to see the work done. The work is never finished properly as the raking is also hard to do.
The wonders of a smallholding…
photos by @cryptocariad
Looks like you are making progress. Those are almost universally called weed wackers in the US. Looks like a problem that $20 and a neighborhood kid would fix :)
That would be nice @steven-patrick. I'll keep at it until my back decides otherwise😁
Oh wow @cryptocariad, I feel you. That is a lot to "strim" and rake. How fast do they grow? Another method is to "strim" them before they grow too high, then hopefully, there will be less to "strim" and rake?
Thank you @marblely... This is the first year I attempt to do it all myself as last year we paid someone to do the more difficult sections... I totally agree with you and I think that if caught in time, it will then just become more of a 'maintenance' job.
I learned something new today, that weed eaters/weed whackers are called strimmers across the pond :) I was going to suggest the gasoline version as I read along at first, but then saw that they don't work for you...I can't imagine having to deal with an extension cord while trying to weed whack!
Thank you for the comment @mtnmeadowmomma... Yes... I'm quite short so I strain too much and get backache if I use the other type unfortunately 😂
You got a plankton sized upvote from @worksinsane because your post appeared in the We Curate quality post search tool. It is a web art thingy thing that searches posts which fulfill predetermined guidelines. Upvoting isn't automated, @worksinsane reads posts before upvoting.
For more information read the introduction post.
Thank you very much @worksinsane... It's been quiet today 😊
Hey, It seems that I've been here before! :) I thought that your name looked familiar.
I personally find that it's pretty hard to keeps ones promise about the upvpteplankton / minnowuprising stuff. I hardly have time to read other peoples post and no time to write something of my own to my other account. But hey, when it's quiet, there's even bigger opportunity to be heard for those who are left. Altough if it's too quiet, there's no-one listening.
I really appreciate your visit to my blog @worksinsane, and yes, I agree. I am curretnly trying to 'diversify' what/who I read too 😊.
Hope you didn't end up with too much of an aching back @cryptocariad. I would have that problem too.
It looks like you've done a really good job of it so far. How it was before, it looks practically impossible to get to your polytunnel.
Could you put old carpets down or something to create a path where the nettles can't grow? Is that not something smallholders do? 😁
Something like that might work but I fear carpets would be difficult to walk on when they're wet.
Good point @muscara. I've seen them mostly used by people with allotments so I imagine they remove them once they start planting in Spring. 😊
Thanks @gillianpearce and @muscara. It was actually no problem walking on the wet carpet. We got a nice piece of carpet from the dump / recycling place locally. The main thing is look out for the type of carpet we put on the soil because we try to be organic...
Did you get some today @cryptocariad?
Sorry @gillianpearce, that was when we were preparing the ground for the polytunnel ... It was a very effective method though.
Oh I see @ctyptocariad. I thought you'd rushed out today and bought a carpet. I was feeling quite proud of my suggestion. 😂 😂 😂
Oh yes we've done the carpet trick @gillianpearce 🙂 That helped a lot in the area where the polytunnel is; it's a very effective method, actually even thick cardboard works but it breaks down too much and it's got glue so we avoid that.
I do the cutting in 'batches', so it does hurt a bit but can rest afterwards as well... I've just come in from watering some of the plants and it's easier to walk...
The area I show in the photo was the same height as the area you can see behind the chicken area : very dense though mainly nettles there.
What about using an old fashioned mechanical lawn mower? That way you can keep a path free to the polytunnels. No electricity, no cables etc. and if you mow once a week it should keep the path free without being too difficult or exhausting.
That's a good option @muscara... We will when the ground is more even - that is the objective but it will take time and levelling I would say 🙂
In Hellas we say : "the battle of the grass" never ends...
I would say that nature is clearly winning around here @giosou 😁
Thankfully she wins here too. All plants have a reason of existence I guess !
Have a nice day !