what is it?

[yesididit]

theres something growing in my raspberry patch, i'm not sure what it is. its taller than all of my raspberries so far, and its leaves come single on the stem where the raspberry leaves come in threes. (not sure the right way to say that). can anyone tell me what this is?

Comments

[liminalia]

Stinging nettles. Remove with gloves and long sleeves! The juice causes a nasty sting and itch. The good news is, once cooked they no longer sting and are a very nutritious green.

[yesididit]

thanks! i successfully removed them without getting stung/itchy. and if they come back, now i know what they are and will pull them when they're much smaller!

[calizen]

Oh ouch! Have accidentally put my hand down on them -- wow! Had a week to remember never to do that again.

An English friend said there is an antidote to stinging nettles called mugwort, usually nearby the nettles. Have you ever heard of that.

[yesididit]

no, but then i've never seen stinging nettle before either.

[calizen]

Ach (as my son's professor in St. Andrews says), once you've seen the bloody things, you'll never forget them.

[ladyynara]

Stinging nettles. Dock leaves usually grow near by which you can rub on to reduce the sting, but it's much better to get rid of them. Use thick gloves.

[yesididit]

thanks! i used my heavy duty rubber gloves for paint stripping, and a pair of old garden gloves over them, and that was apparently enough to keep me protected while i pulled them.

[ladyynara]

They may well grow back. Persistant buggers... England is riddled with them.

[yesididit]

i'll be ready to pull them if they do now that i know what they are and how to distinguish them from my raspberries.

[cocoajunkie]

I found this little useful tidbit about using stinging nettles:

Stinging Nettle Tonic: This plant is high in nitrogen so it promotes good leafy growth. Roughly chop up 1.5 kgs of stinging nettle and then add 4.5 litres of water. In a week or so this mixture will have started to ferment. The liquid can then be used diluted or undiluted as a foliar spray.

[yesididit]

my skin is prone to hives and itching, so i just pulled them all up and trashed them. i dont dare touch them any more than necessary.

[lirrin]

I had to point those out (stinging nettles) to my husband on a recent walk at the beach. He'd never seen them, which I find weird since he's always been a hiker.

[yesididit]

i've never seen them before either!