Thistles? Non-chemical solution?

[FarmerJamie]

As I look out the front window this morning, I can see the annual "thistle battle" is about to begin. For as long as we've lived here, the front beds have been infested with thistles.

DW and I do not agree on a remediation approach. She follows her dad's lead of just keep spraying Roundup to keep them under control.

My approach is use the hand tool we have (long root digger-outer) to pull out the young plants and roots as deep as you can. Personally, I'm okay with spending a couple hours patiently digging through getting up as much as I can, with the theory over time I can knock it down to a manageable level.

Does anyone have any other ideas/solutions?

 

[Javamama]

Goats
I just pull them too unless I can't keep up with how fast they pop up. I do use roundup for thistles :/ I haven't found anything more natural that will get them dead fast.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Goats
I just pull them too unless I can't keep up with how fast they pop up. I do use roundup for thistles :/ I haven't found anything more natural that will get them dead fast.

After I posted, I thought about editting to say that "goats are not an option". DW and I had a "date night" last night and we were talking about critters beyond the hens, and she ruled them out.

 

[Javamama]

They do love a good thistle snack though. I know where you could get a couple of cute little doelings

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

java you beat me to it! actually the thistles are great for my milkers - their production always goes up. so i intentionally let some go to seed

but

the best non chem - other than goats - just keep pulling them. assume its gonna take 2 or 3 years to get rid of them and just keep pulling. i did this at the old farm and it totally worked. of course, right when i got a handle on the situation - we moved.

for heavens sakes!

 

[abifae]

Do any of the goat owners live close enough to bring their goats by for a snack?

There is a sheep rental in Colorado for mowing. You rent them for a day and they mow your lawn and leave you fertilizer!

 

[Wannabefree]

Cut the top off and rub salt into the exposed wound just above ground level and it should dry them out and kill them. I use salt to kill some unwanted plants. So long as the chickens can't get around it, because the salt is bad for them, it should be fine. You don't have to use a lot either as long as it is enough to dehydrate the plants, it should dry out down to the roots and make the dead roots easier to pull later. It generally just takes a few days. Treat on a Wednesday, so you can clean up on Saturday

 

[gettinaclue]

Maybe spraying it with vinegar would do the trick. It's a natural weed killer. Inexpensive and earth friendly. I've never used it on thistles though. I wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

 

[VickiLynn]

I sprayed with vinegar last summer. It killed the tops - took a couple of days - but eventually they did grow back from the roots.

 

[hoosier]

I don't know what type of thistle you have, but I had a DNR employee tell me that Canada Thistle actually likes being disturbed. Since I have been trying to control it by digging, that may explain why I seem to have an ever growing problem. I don't know if other thistles are the same.