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debrajeanette

Thistles!

debrajeanette
11 years ago

Has anyone had success removing thistles? I have them growing in the garden beds as well as in the lawn. I keep pulling them out but they just keep coming back and seem to be getting worse.

Comments (9)

  • soilent_green
    11 years ago

    Canada thistle is my number two weed in the Weed Hit Parade. Number one for me is purslane (unless I am starving - then purslane will become my number one vegetable).

    First off - never, ever allow any nearby thistles to go to seed. Second, like any plant thistles ultimately need to grow leaves for photosynthesis to produce food to survive. Continue to take away those leaves as they sprout and the plants' roots will eventually run out of their nutrient stores and the plants will die. You will know you are winning when the leaves start coming out of the ground yellowed and stressed. So, prevention and persistence is the organic method.

    Chemical herbicide is the other method. For spot control duct tape a small paintbrush to a stick (so you do not have to keep bending over), put on rubber gloves, dip the paintbrush in a small bottle of herbicide as you go around and swipe a leaf or two of each plant. Kills 'em dead, no over-spray, ground contamination is minimized, and waste of expensive herbicide is minimized.

    I use a combination of the two methods, depending on the situation (no herbicides in or near food production areas for me, period). Thistles do not intimidate me as much as they used to. I learned to never let them get big, and I also learned how to safely grab them and now go in barehanded to pull 'em out. When the young plants are pulled properly, they come out root and all. The young leaves have soft, immature prickers so they do not hurt as much if accidentally grabbed.

    The one thing I never do is leave pulled thistles laying around. There is nothing more painful than unwittingly placing your hand on the ground where there is an old dried thistle leaf or plant, or grabbing one when doing garden cleanup. You will be pulling prickers out of your skin for an hour while using a magnifying glass. Real fun stuff.

    Good Luck!

  • spacetogrow
    11 years ago

    My folks taught me young never to put thistles in the compost. Granted that we did cold composting, but one tiny bit of root can be the start of a huge "forest" of thistles. I have the operating theory that thistles and creeping charlie may actually do some good in the landfill - it's the best place for them.lol

  • debrajeanette
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for your answers. I will continue to pull them out when they are young, and I love the paintbrush idea also.

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    11 years ago

    I have found Stinger to be a very effective herbicide against thistle.

  • thisismelissa
    11 years ago

    I've not heard of Stinger before.... where can you get it?

  • hostaholic2 z 4, MN
    11 years ago

    Out here in the boonies I buy it from out local Cenex. don't know if there is a farm supply store in your area. Be prepared though, that's a spendy one but usually one application kills em.

  • northernmn
    11 years ago

    2,4-D is what I use. One spray and it folds up a thistle plant like a tent in a 100 MPH wind storm. I spray several acres and you can get it @ Fleet Farm in bulk concentrate (2.5 gallon) for under $50. Enough for me to last 3 years spraying 2 to 5 acres per year. That's spot or area spraying. Store where it won't freeze.

  • RpR_
    11 years ago

    I painted the root rhizome system of Canada thistles with systemic weed killer and it takes out an large area without having to spray.

  • Jennifer
    11 years ago

    I have been pouring salt and baking soda on them and it seems to kill them. Not sure if its a lasting method or not.

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