Thistle Wars

[Elkaddict]

I’m in need of some help. 3 years ago, we didn’t have a thistle the property. 2 years ago, there were 3, last year a dozen and this year, 50+. I soak with roundup several times and kill some, but mostly knock them back. Is there something more effective? I find myself on constant thistle patrol..... My best guess is they came in in a bag of rye.

 

[THE LLC]

I kill the crap out of them with glyphosate. Works REALLY good when they are in the rosette stage. Cutting them with a shovel just below ground level works too. However it is a war that I don't ever see ending. I think their seed's germination rate is 130%.

 

[Doe Shooter]

I'd sure give 2,4-D a try. Try to keep the mowed down and sprayed before it flowers. Spot spraying 4 oz per gallon, 2,4-D for the stubborn ones. On a positive note ,you should be able to knock back most of your broad leaf problems. You can plant winter wheat in 6 weeks and keep spraying.

 

[farmhunter]

I usually Just mow - sometimes pretty often.
Where I cannot mow- like in my rye plots that I like to leave standing - I grow some pretty good thistles!

 

[FarmerD]

Sometimes we carry seed around on our mowers or tractors, as well. Sweeping or washing off the equipment can be a good idea, between plots.

 

[willy]

Depends on what kind of thistle it is. Gly won't kill them all and some spread by rhizome so if you chop them or dig them, make sure you get all the root out of the ground. Research what ones you have and then go from there.

For ones I have missedI have cut flowers and burned them and then killed the plant.

 

[Elkaddict]

Depends on what kind of thistle it is. Gly won't kill them all and some spread by rhizome so if you chop them or dig them, make sure you get all the root out of the ground. Research what ones you have and then go from there.

For ones I have missedI have cut flowers and burned them and then killed the plant.

Willy, that’s been my experience with gly. I believe these are Canadian thistle.

 

[farmer]

Definitely mix a broad leaf herbicide such as 2-4d in with the gly.

 

[Doe Shooter]

Definitely mix a broad leaf herbicide such as 2-4d in with the gly.

Good choice. But don't add any AMS to the mix. It gunks up.

 

[Lewi B]

I walk the grounds just after hunting season scouting and spraying thistle. Spray a lot in the 3 to 5 inch diameter rosette stage. I spray with a heavy concentration of 2 4D and have never had a thistle come back. Around some of the large plants there maybe smaller plants already growing underneath the canopy of the large Plant and they will green up a week later. Being Vigilant and consistent with a small spray bottle twice a year will control most thistle problems. Also if you have a road coming through make sure to spray the roadsides as the county grows an excellent crop of thistles here each year.

 

[THE LLC]

I have yellow thistle and musk thistle which gly will certainly eliminate. I always carry a hand held sprayer with me when out and about and either spray or pull every one I see---always keep a pair of heavy gloves for the pulling part.

 

[E_308]

Pasture Guard will torch them but it is about $100 a gallon if I remember right. I have also killed some with Crossbow. I would think 2-4D would be your cheapest option.

 

[j-bird]

I spray a rotation of gly and crossbow/crossroad products as well as mowing in plots and the like. I also like to try to kill them as early as possible as the canadian thistle will green up here early in the spring with other cool season plants. I like to spray them as soon as they show up in the spring after I have done a winter burn as well if I can. Preventing them from going to seed is the best thing you can do. I have seen farmers use a homemade torch to burn the seeds as well. I know they tend to have a huge root system and thus huge reserves and thus why they can be so difficult to kill.

 

[bigbluetruck]

What kind of thistles? We have a lot of Musk thistles in this area, and they are a noxious weed. According to the NRCS guy, there are "good thistles". I did find my first Scotch Thistle last year, and I hope its my last, makes Musk thistle look like a baby. We also have Canadian Thistle which are really hard to kill

 

[bigbluetruck]

However it is a war that I don't ever see ending. I think their seed's germination rate is 130%.

That's pretty much the truth

 

[Native Hunter]

Here is some information on thistles that might interest you.

The common Canada Thistle isn't originally from Canada. It was probably introduced to the US from Canada, but it's not native to Canada and was introduced there from Eurasia.

The Bull Thistle is also an introduced species and looks a lot like the native Pasture Thistle. However, the easy way to tell those two apart is that the underside of the native leaves almost look white. The leaves of the Bull Thistle don't look like that. Some environmentalist rave about how we should save the native thistles. I guess they have their place, but I just don't care for thistles. I spray all of them when I see them. There are many native thistles besides the Pasture Thistle, but it is about the only one I see in my NWSGs. I went to war against the Musk Thistle many years ago, and have come very close to eliminating them. I only found 2 on 100 acres this year.

BTW - the native pasture thistle is a hard one for me to see in my NWSGs because of how the color blends in and how late it starts growing. It also flowers very late. My NWSGs will be at full height before it flowers, and you can hardly see the darn things. At least the hated Musk Thistle that we all try to eradicate blooms early and sticks out like a sore thumb with those bright red blooms.

Below are some pictures of the native Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) that I took recently. If you have this one, at least it is native and some environmentalist want them there - but as I said, I still kill them when I see them. I figure that even with me killing them, there will be enough left for the thistle huggers.....

Don't let the short height of the one in the picture fool you. I killed some of those the other day that were 9 feet tall. The pic of the leaf underside illustrates what I was talking about with the white color.

PS - to answer the original question - I find that Crossbow smokes them. I like spraying them with this in the NWSGs because it doesn't hurt the grass. A good strong does of 24D would likely be just as good. Sometimes if I can get to them easy, I cut them off with a shovel and gly treat the stump. That works too.

 

[dogghr]

Here is some information on thistles that might interest you.

The common Canada Thistle isn't originally from Canada. It was probably introduced to the US from Canada, but it's not native to Canada and was introduced there from Eurasia.

The Bull Thistle is also an introduced species and looks a lot like the native Pasture Thistle. However, the easy way to tell those two apart is that the underside of the native leaves almost look white. The leaves of the Bull Thistle don't look like that. Some environmentalist rave about how we should save the native thistles. I guess they have their place, but I just don't care for thistles. I spray all of them when I see them. There are many native thistles besides the Pasture Thistle, but it is about the only one I see in my NWSGs. I went to war against the Musk Thistle many years ago, and have come very close to eliminating them. I only found 2 on 100 acres this year.

BTW - the native pasture thistle is a hard one for me to see in my NWSGs because of how the color blends in and how late it starts growing. It also flowers very late. My NWSGs will be at full height before it flowers, and you can hardly see the darn things. At least the hated Musk Thistle that we all try to eradicate blooms early and sticks out like a sore thumb with those bright red blooms.

Below are some pictures of the native Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) that I took recently. If you have this one, at least it is native and some environmentalist want them there - but as I said, I still kill them when I see them. I figure that even with me killing them, there will be enough left for the thistle huggers.....

Don't let the short height of the one in the picture fool you. I killed some of those the other day that were 9 feet tall. The pic of the leaf underside illustrates what I was talking about with the white color.

PS - to answer the original question - I find that Crossbow smokes them. I like spraying them with this in the NWSGs because it doesn't hurt the grass. A good strong does of 24D would likely be just as good. Sometimes if I can get to them easy, I cut them off with a shovel and gly treat the stump. That works too.

I tried to hug one my native thistles the other day and it was a sticky situation. Just didn't feel the love
Personally I nuke any I see with straight gly and it kills one heck of a patch. What I don't nuke I keep mowed on a timely schedule. Best to mow when they are 6-7 leaves or when or when producing flower buds. Grazing in their early stages both with some browse and trampling of herd is a plus on control. Assuming someone will let you borrow their cattle for a few days. I'm not sure God's purpose for them but I suppose their is some, I do know insecst love the flowers. But the only one I like is a dead one.

 

[Native Hunter]

I tried to hug one my native thistles the other day and it was a sticky situation. Just didn't feel the love
Personally I nuke any I see with straight gly and it kills one heck of a patch. What I don't nuke I keep mowed on a timely schedule. Best to mow when they are 6-7 leaves or when or when producing flower buds. Grazing in their early stages both with some browse and trampling of herd is a plus on control. Assuming someone will let you borrow their cattle for a few days. I'm not sure God's purpose for them but I suppose their is some, I do know insecst love the flowers. But the only one I like is a dead one.

You should be mimicking the trampling of the herd by doing tailspins on that big hog of yours.

Next time you go to loving around on one of those things we want a picture!

 

[bigbluetruck]

Here is some information on thistles that might interest you.

The common Canada Thistle isn't originally from Canada. It was probably introduced to the US from Canada, but it's not native to Canada and was introduced there from Eurasia.

The Bull Thistle is also an introduced species and looks a lot like the native Pasture Thistle. However, the easy way to tell those two apart is that the underside of the native leaves almost look white. The leaves of the Bull Thistle don't look like that. Some environmentalist rave about how we should save the native thistles. I guess they have their place, but I just don't care for thistles. I spray all of them when I see them. There are many native thistles besides the Pasture Thistle, but it is about the only one I see in my NWSGs. I went to war against the Musk Thistle many years ago, and have come very close to eliminating them. I only found 2 on 100 acres this year.

BTW - the native pasture thistle is a hard one for me to see in my NWSGs because of how the color blends in and how late it starts growing. It also flowers very late. My NWSGs will be at full height before it flowers, and you can hardly see the darn things. At least the hated Musk Thistle that we all try to eradicate blooms early and sticks out like a sore thumb with those bright red blooms.

Below are some pictures of the native Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor) that I took recently. If you have this one, at least it is native and some environmentalist want them there - but as I said, I still kill them when I see them. I figure that even with me killing them, there will be enough left for the thistle huggers.....

Don't let the short height of the one in the picture fool you. I killed some of those the other day that were 9 feet tall. The pic of the leaf underside illustrates what I was talking about with the white color.

PS - to answer the original question - I find that Crossbow smokes them. I like spraying them with this in the NWSGs because it doesn't hurt the grass. A good strong does of 24D would likely be just as good. Sometimes if I can get to them easy, I cut them off with a shovel and gly treat the stump. That works too.

You wanna come eradicate Musk Thistles on about 500 acres? I can probably find you work doing 1000s more if you want lol

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[catscratch]

I don't like to use gly on them because it kills a whole patch (pasture, not food plots). Patches of dead grass invites other seeds to germinate and they aren't usually friends. For this reason I like triclopyr and 2,4d on thistles. I've had the best luck hitting them while they are in the rosette stage. Of course this is the hardest stage to see them in grass but it's worth seeking them out. I think milestone is a recommended herbicide for thistles but I've never used it.