Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

Malcolm.

misskool wrote: »

anyone else playing pacman on the google homepage? It's ace.

Simple minds, simple pleasures.

michaels

Wow - it's like a living history lesson on here - thanks all for making me feel younger...

Davesnave

carolt wrote: »

Loved this post! So glad to hear you are an ex-hippie - I'm definitely a hippy chick.

Feel sad I missed the 60s in some ways; I rather enjoyed the early 80s and early 90s, though the late 80s were pretty dire, musically and politically.

That said, the 70s were definitely a cool time to be a kid. Best kids' TV programmes ever.

Yes, the 60s can't be re-run, so I was glad I was there. So much change in such a short time, especially for me, moving from Devon to Chelsea just as I turned 19. Ended up in Kilburn though!:rotfl:

I'm not sure which I enjoyed more; being a Mod at 16, or a hippie at 19.

The hippie, part-communal thing worked for us because we had rules about the things that matter, but it was a disaster for those who tried to be 'free' in all areas, mainly because there really isn't a free lunch, especially in London. In our house, you got breakfast porridge free and nothing else, unless you chipped-in. We had unlimited work opportunities on a come & go as you please basis, but if people didn't do anything/contribute, they were politely forced to leave.....Err doesn't sound very hippie-ish really, does it? :(

As one of our regulars was VIP's daughter, it appeared that we had some immunity from the usual authority hassles, but the down side was a black car parked near the house at odd times, though security & surveillance was lax by today's standards. After all, that was the era when Princess Anne suffered a kidnap attempt in the Mall!

Anyway, we were all in uni by the time we were 21, considerably wiser than those who went there straight from school, which was still the norm in those days. The hair and the moustache came off pretty soon then, mainly 'cos everyone (male!) seemed to have them. Hated the bloody moustache......:)

carolt

How cool! Shouldn't be surprised, though, as you're obviously someone who went on to live by their ideals...

vivatifosi

As you've all had your gardening heads on lately, need your help. I've got a particularly nasty patch of nettles at the base of my apple tree. The first year they appeared there I pulled them up. Last year when they appeared there were more and I managed to keep them under control, but the roots were deep and I couldn't pull them up. I didn't dig them out because someone stole my spade out of my garden. This year I could go into commercial production of nettles there are so many. I tried to dig them up but they are right where the roots for my apple tree are. It isn't a very big tree, it was only planted 3 years ago and is a flagpole small apple tree that provides full size apples.

I do have some weedkiller that I could put down but am worried that it might poison my tree too, or worse, get poison in my apples which are eaters. Given that lir secretly thinks I'm Snow White, I can't be having any poision apples in my garden!

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone.

tomterm8

vivatifosi wrote: »

. I've got a particularly nasty patch of nettles at the base of my apple tree. ..

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone.

The only thing you can use that would be effective, IMHO, is a glyphosate weedkiller in a gel form (ask your garden centre for your local brand), which you paint on the leaves at regular intervals. You can't spray it. Glyphosate breaks down into a fertaliser, so you will still be able to eat the apples.

The only other way to kill the nettles is to chop them down, put two or three layers of very strong plastic (weed suppressing membrane) from the garden centre, and cover them with bark chippings / soil, and then leave it that way for several years. Every month or two - or however long it takes for them to poke up through it - take it up, and chop the new growth down. The problem is nettles are extremely vigorous and it may take quite a long time to kill the blighters this way.

sss555s

Call in the seven dwarfs to deal with it for you Snow White

Davesnave

If the apple tree is large or large-ish, then glyphosate is fine. If you want to make your own gel, just mix with a bit of wallpaper paste and apply using a pair of old rubber gloves - the 'glove of death' method. It may need more than one go to clear all the nettles, and of course glyphosate takes a week or two to show it's working.

Among other, smaller plants, I've known the glyphosate transfer at root level to subjects not intended for treatment. However, a tree should be safe.

vivatifosi

Thanks everyone! Tree is about 6-7ft tall but is a very compact flagpole type, so it doesn't have a lot of mass. Wanted to run that back past you before I got the glyphosphate.

I did tell my husband I was going to go out and paint some leaves. I think the thought I was planning an Autumn trip to Boston. He is now very, very disappointed...

sss555s

I tried weed killer on nettles before and it will kill them but they come back with vengeance the next year.

I'd be inclined to try and get the roots out the best i could, if it was me.

You could offer hubby a Boston CD if he helped :beer: