Thistles

[indianabuckman]

Is there anything better than round up to kill thistle and if there is will they come back next year.

 

[rusty6]

(quoted from post at 11:19:19 07/06/22) Is there anything better than round up to kill thistle and if there is will they come back next year.

Timing is important if you want a good kill on thistles. Spraying later in the summer when the thistles are in the rosette stage because that is when the plants are taking up everything to store in the root systems. And that is where the roundup needs to go to do a real kill.

 

[paul]

As Rusty says, timing is the thing. Thistles spend the spring and early summer pushing nutrients up from the root mass to put out good seed heads. Then the process reverses and they flow nutrients down to the root mass to build it up again for next year.

You need to spray a good trans locating spray that works slowly (Roundup is one of the best) and spray it at the right time. At budding or later.

Spraying them in spring you mostly just burn the green tops off, you dont damage the root mass. They will come right back. Any of the sprays that show results in just a couple hours also dont work so well. you want a slow acting herbicide that will be carried down into the he root mass before it starts the kill.

If you get the spray to move down into the root mass in late summer -then- you will have an effect on them!

Still, a well established patch will likely take a couple years to eradicate. They are such tough plants.

 

[RodinNS]

A mower. Cut them now just before they set seed. It may not get all of them but it will push them down hard.

Rod

 

[Hayfarmer]

Milestone is what our weed board reccomends. Round up kills everything. Milestone is for broadleaf plants. If you put a little 2-4D in it it will show results quicker.

 

[danofarming]

crossbow

 

[bradley martin]

Any of the chemicals containing clopyralid are far superior to glyphospate (Roundup). Milestone, Crossbow, Lontrel all contain clopyralid and will give longterm control of thistles, whereas Roundup tends to only control top growth.

 

[4520BW]

Bull thistles or the canidian varity? Bull thistle can be mowed before seeding and will not come back the next year.( they have a 2 year life cycle) now if you have Canadian thistles you have to keep after them as they spread by seeds and tillage will drag roots and spread them. Using a 24d base herbicide will kill both of them. I have good luck using enlist herbicide

 

[MARK ROBKE]

It's hard to kill a weed after it starts making a seed head. For iron weeds for example, it is recommended to mow them in July, and when they start growing again, spray them before they start making a seed head/bloom again. The plant is easier to kill when it is vegetive (growing, not making seed). Here in Kentucky the extension service recommends spraying either Oct-Nov or Feb-Mar. They recommend 2-4-d, Weedmaster Crossbow, PastureGard, and Milestone to name a few. Milestone has residual effects-it will stay in hay and go through the cow into their manure and still harm sensitive vegetation, so be aware. I spray with a pull behind broad jet sprayer our county extension office rents. Ask your county extension agent for the best spray and times for your area. Mark.

 

[fastfarmall]

I had some Canadian's, near my apple trees, i let them start to make seed and went in with Big Bertha propane torch, and they burned instantly,[twice in one year] end of thistle there!! The grass all around was,grass green so i wasn't to concerned with fire!!!

 

[JD Dave]

Roundup, - two applications of 2% late August and early October should do the job. Don't play around. Wet the weed thoroughly.

 

[charlie n]

Next to a spade I found this to knock it for a loop. I spray my grass hay,yard ,dit
ditches, even mutiflora rose. Great for nailing white clover too. Good stuff.

 

[dbrase]

Either Milestone or Grazon has worked well for me.