Nettles support a surprising amount of beneficial wildlife and predatory insects and are the breeding choice of the much loved red admiral. I have a patch or two (plus comfrey and a buddlia) close to my lottie that I leave for this purpose. Otherwise the nettles are harvested for making feed. Further thwacking them will do no good (however satisfying you may find it) without digging out those yellow roots...they'll be saying 'I'll be back ars*hole' in their best Arnie accent.

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Paul