Hi all,
I'm facing something of a dilema with thistles. Most of the plot is fairly free from thistles (it's nettles, bindweed, couchgrass, etc, in these places lol). There is an area though where the ground is nicely tilled and good for growing but there are absolutely loads of thistles. I've been battling with them growing through the potatoes all year but as I can never find the very end of the root and have to cut as far down as possible, they just keep growing and growing.
Is there a way that I can eradicate them? I thought maybe I ought to use a weed killer, but I think the plants have to be in the growing season for it to work, and as we're nearing winter...
Also, I'd rather not use any chemicals if possible... can anyone suggest a way forward?
Many thanks in advance.
Keep digging out what you can as it will weaken the plant over time if it can't get nutrients throughthe leaf system.
Best time to try digging them out is when it's been raining for days & the soil is soft, then grab the top firmly and gently exert a steady pressure. You may be able to get more of the root up that way.
Alternatively offer the above method to friends in training for martial arts or climbing so they can build up hand and forearm strength.
Shall I leave now?
Hmm, thanks, I think... lol.
How long does it take using this method? I've been doing this all year and there are more if anything.
I'd really like to be able to till the soil again next year but worry about cutting the roots into tiny, re-growable thistles.
Has anyone had success with weed killers for this? Thanks.
I hope someone will have better suggestions than these ...
1) If you're going to keep cutting, do so when the thistle is around 3 inches/7 cm high, apparently this minimises root growth.
2) If you can get some really fresh 'hot' manure and lay it down at least 4 inches thick it might scorch the thistles and if you have membrane on top as well the lack of light should discourage re-growth. Then make sure the next crop is a dense cover crop (again to restrict light availability).
3) If you are in despair, you could make up some glyphosate based weedkiller (Round Up, Tumbledown etc) solution in a used washing up liquid bottle, so that you can squeeze the weedkiller accurately just on to the thistles. This would work best in the early Spring. NB You shouldn't plant anything on the site for a minimum of four weeks afterwards and if there's a dry spell, wait a lot longer.
4) A tethered goat would be good!
No a goat wouldn't help. I used to have a pet goat she was good at spreading thistles and dandelions.
I'll get me coat....
Quote from: froglets on November 07, 2006, 16:00:06
Keep digging out what you can as it will weaken the plant over time if it can't get nutrients throughthe leaf system.
Best time to try digging them out is when it's been raining for days & the soil is soft, then grab the top firmly and gently exert a steady pressure. You may be able to get more of the root up that way.
froglets' way works for me with slight variation for no-dig:
mulch heavily (8")
when thistles poke up pull them out - quite a lot of root comes with when they have made it through the mulch, and they are easy to pull out like annual weeds
eventually they don't pop up any more :)
we covered one of our beds with cardbard and put the 8" mulch on top, covered with weed control, or black plastic, can't remember which, over winter and grew potatoes through next year, when we took the covering off, great potatoes, no more weeds, :)
We put down plantex membrane and then the Polytunnel. The membrane was not watered for the 5 years that the tunnel was in use. All watering was directly into the pots on either side of the path. Just before we removed the tunnel a mound appeared in the middle of the path. "Mole!" I thought. So since the tunnel was being removed I took up the membrane. The mound was a thistle, pure white admittedly, but growing after 5 years of next to no water and no light. So what chance do we stand out in the garden? After the area was cleared and before I could do anything with it, the perennial weed growth was phenomenal. The staggering thing was that a perennial Poppy which had been treated with weedkiller every time it showed green and then covered over with membrane began to grow.
Thanks Palustris for that, I have just given up my plot and hung up my gloves... ;)
Just kidding... thanks though for everyone's comments, hadn't heard of the hot manure scorching method, so thanks.
:)