Am I Taking Good Care Of My Spotted Dead Nettles?

Did you planted your spotted dead-nettles in partial to full shade location?

Did you planted your spotted dead-nettles in well-drained, slightly acidic soil?

Are you making sure that the soil is evenly moist?

Do you feed spotted dead-nettles frequently?

Do you trim your dead-nettles to give them a fuller, bushier look?

Do you keep your spotted dead-nettles free of pests and diseases?

Grow spotted dead-nettles in full to partial shade. They will not require much water when grown in full shade, a fact that recommends them to homeowners seeking low-maintenance landscaping. They are one of the best perennials for shade.

Plant spotted dead-nettles in an acidic, well-drained, loamy soil. Add compost if you have clay to improve drainage.

Spotted dead-nettles can tolerate dry soil if planted in shady areas. This ground cover requires very little care if planted in full shade. However, the more sunshine that you give these plants, the more water they will need, since they perform best in evenly moist soil.

Spotted dead-nettles are not heavy feeders. Compost should be sufficient, as the plants do not require rich soil. Manure tea is a good substitute when it is too difficult to work more compost into the soil.

The plant should be pinched back for a fuller, bushier look. However, if left unpinched, the long stems are also attractive as trailing accents in a potted display.

Good job! You are taking good care of your spotted dead nettles.

The only real concern is damage to the ornamental leaves by slugs or snails. Use copper tape around containers and beds or an organic slug pest control product. Spotted dead-nettles may develop problems with leaf-spotting, due to the high humidity. Providing extra spacing between plants can lessen leaf-spotting.