thistle: mow or spray

dcyrilc · Mar 7, 2010

radman1 said:
I would not use round-up because you will kill everything next to the thistle as well and leave a dead spot which will invite other weeds or more thistles. Any drifting of spray will kill stuff in the path. Also round-up costs much more and IMHO there are better and cheaper sprays for that task. I spray canadian thistle and use 2-4-D in a fairly strong mix. A good stand of grass to compete with the thistle is probably the best way to compete for the long term. Don't overgraze or mow to much.

I have to agree here. I prefer Crossbow from Dow Chemicles. It doesn't kill the grass, but be careful if using it around your wifes flowerbeds. It will kill almost all broad leaf plants and most conifers. Pretty much, if it's not grass, it's dead! As others have said though, getting it during the active growing period is the key to success.

jlrsn · Mar 7, 2010

I tried Round-up but it didn't do anything to the thistle. I then read about the toxicity to humans of Round-up and the fact that my well was within 75 feet of the thistle. A lady down the road told me that she was controlling her thistle with paint thinner that she applied with a paint brush. I went over to her place and everything that she had treated was dead!!
Jim

CTW · Mar 7, 2010

Give Remedy a try. Works well on all types of undesirables down here in South Texas, including thistle. Look on the bright side, at least Huisache and Mesquite hasn't made it to your neck of the woods...yet.

forester2 · Mar 8, 2010

You've got to be kidding. Worried about toxicity but would use paint thinner as opposed an EPA labeled and studied to death herbicide. Read the relative material data sheets and tell me about the comparible toxicity.

pitt_md · Mar 8, 2010

I recomend the sprayer. You need to kill the darn things not just cut them off. I have a sprayer that I mount on the back of my ATV that holds about 25 galons. Last year was the first year that I got around to spraying the thistles but I completely cleared them out of my new horse pasture. In my other pasture I have been mowing them for years before they blossom and it has done no good.

IPlayFarmer - I am finding out that the rumor you heard about killing them three times is pretty accurate. The first time I hit the thistles they wilted badly but over a few weeks time I noticed the buds starting to turn up and the plants getting stronger. I sprayed them again and they died. I used a spray that did not kill the grass/clover around the thistles and is supposed to be safe for animals to graze after a couple weeks. I did not put my horses in the new pasture for a couple of months due to the fence not being up yet.

Iplayfarmer · Mar 8, 2010

I'm thinking I'll end up using curtail at some point. So far all I've used is 2-4-D and roundup. I've been targeting other broadleaf with the 2-4-D, and I killed off one pasture with a roundup/2-4-D mix prior to renovating. The only grazing restriction I've seen on 2-4-D is for meat animals. I.e. you can't graze the animal within XX days if you're going to eat it within XX weeks. That being said, I still would keep my horses off the pasture for a week after using 2-4-D.

This spring I'm planning to round-up another few times on the dead pasture, and then prep a seed bed and plant pasture grass. I can witness that tilling only propogates thistle. I tilled last spring, and it seems I have 5 times as much thistle there now.

old8nguy · Mar 8, 2010

Burn your pastures and fencelines, if you can, early in the spring. Then do the mowing and spraying. It takes all 3 for me to keep the upper hand. It could almost be a full time job trying to keep thistles and serecia killed out.

jlrsn · Mar 8, 2010

forester2 said:
You've got to be kidding. Worried about toxicity but would use paint thinner as opposed an EPA labeled and studied to death herbicide. Read the relative material data sheets and tell me about the comparable toxicity.

If you feel that Roundup is environmentally safe and non toxic to humans that is your right. I've been around enough years to see many supposedly safe chemicals banned worldwide. I've been spayed with DDT and any number of chemicals here in the States and Internationally that were supposedly safe.

Then again how could I ever doubt that the manufacturer of Roundup could ever manufacture anything toxic to humans. After all, Monsanto is on record stating that Roundup is "as safe as table salt!". Monsanto also manufactured Agent Orange, Bovine Growth Hormones, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Carcinogenic Herbicides, PCBs, and DDT, all of which we were told were safe!!.

Read what I stated. I did not state that I used Paint Thinner to control Thistle. I stated that a lady down the road told me that she was controlling her thistle with paint thinner that she applied with a paint brush. I stated that I pull the thistle out by the root and also don't let them go to seed.

Jim

Iplayfarmer · Mar 8, 2010

jlrsn said:
... I stated that I pull the thistle out by the root and also don't let them go to seed...

That seems to be the biggest step in prevention... Don't let them go to seed! Whether you kill them, mow them, pull them or whatever; keep them from reproducing.

3BPercherons · Mar 8, 2010

Iplayfarmer said:
I'm thinking I'll end up using curtail at some point. So far all I've used is 2-4-D and roundup. I've been targeting other broadleaf with the 2-4-D, and I killed off one pasture with a roundup/2-4-D mix prior to renovating. The only grazing restriction I've seen on 2-4-D is for meat animals. I.e. you can't graze the animal within XX days if you're going to eat it within XX weeks. That being said, I still would keep my horses off the pasture for a week after using 2-4-D.

This spring I'm planning to round-up another few times on the dead pasture, and then prep a seed bed and plant pasture grass. I can witness that tilling only propogates thistle. I tilled last spring, and it seems I have 5 times as much thistle there now.

That's a bit of over-kill (no pun intended) isn't it? On the advice of my local extension agent I used round-up to kill off a pasture in early fall, waited 2 weeks and then used a no-till drill to seed a good pasture mix. By the following spring I had a good pasture started, and by the fall it was ready for the horses.

fishpick · Mar 8, 2010

jlrsn said:
Monsanto also manufactured...Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)...all of which we were told were safe!!.

Just an FYI - the process that makes the insulin that every Type 1 diabetic injects is from engineered bacteria... they are GMO's too...

If you use commercial laundry detergent - the enzymes in there - from engineered bacteria... as in GMO's.

I understand the anti-Monsanto feelings out there - and I'm not taking a side - just don't pitch out the baby with the bathwater...

Iplayfarmer · Mar 8, 2010

3BPercherons said:
That's a bit of over-kill (no pun intended) isn't it? On the advice of my local extension agent I used round-up to kill off a pasture in early fall, waited 2 weeks and then used a no-till drill to seed a good pasture mix. By the following spring I had a good pasture started, and by the fall it was ready for the horses.

Part of my project is specifically to eliminate the thistle (and other noxious weeds). I'm also working up some of the ground where it has been compacted, and I'm leveling the pasture to make watering a little more effective.

It may be overkill, but this pasture is in rough shape. My extension agent suggested that I fallow the pasture for a season and alternate spraying and tilling until weeds quit growing. Then go in with a good pasture mix. I'm not going to fallow it for the whole season, but I'm going to be as aggressive as practical.

Jerry/MT · Mar 8, 2010

skywaterbanjo said:
I was planning on buying a 5' rotary mower to take care of thistle in my vacant lot of about 3 acres. My tractor sales guy says I should think about a sprayer instead. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but I'm looking for some input.

Thanks

You an mow thistles before they bloom abut that will only reduce seed production. You can spray it with Milestone per the label instructions and get a good kill.

3BPercherons · Mar 8, 2010

Iplayfarmer said:
Part of my project is specifically to eliminate the thistle (and other noxious weeds). I'm also working up some of the ground where it has been compacted, and I'm leveling the pasture to make watering a little more effective.

It may be overkill, but this pasture is in rough shape. My extension agent suggested that I fallow the pasture for a season and alternate spraying and tilling until weeds quit growing. Then go in with a good pasture mix. I'm not going to fallow it for the whole season, but I'm going to be as aggressive as practical.

Makes sense. It seemed a bit aggressive, but every field has its own unique issues. For instance, tilling wasn't a good option for me due to the lay of the land, and my weed problem was evidently much smaller than yours. I did have some thistle return the following spring, but spot treatments w/ 2-4D took care of that issue.

jlrsn · Mar 8, 2010

fishpick said:
I understand the anti-Monsanto feelings out there - and I'm not taking a side - just don't pitch out the baby with the bathwater...

I appreciate your input as not everything is bad for us.....yet. Like I said, we were told that all those products I mentioned earlier were safe. I grew up on farms in NY and NJ and we sprayed everything!! As I grew older and friends started dying from Cancer I started to become more and more aware of reality.

I fully realize that we have to accept certain things in life that might eventually cause us harm but I've educated myself to be in a position to at least let my family and others who care know the risk.

At least we are protected by the FDA regarding chemical use. Funny thing is that Monsanto's chief lobbyist, Dr. Michael Taylor, has been appointed by Obama as the FDA's new Food Czar. I feel safer knowing that the fox is guarding the hen house.

I'll stick to pulling the thistles by the roots and not letting the thistles go to seed.

Have a great day,
Jim

Iplayfarmer · Mar 8, 2010

jlrsn said:
I appreciate your input as not everything is bad for us.....yet. Like I said, we were told that all those products I mentioned earlier were safe. I grew up on farms in NY and NJ and we sprayed everything!! As I grew older and friends started dying from Cancer I started to become more and more aware of reality.

I fully realize that we have to accept certain things in life that might eventually cause us harm but I've educated myself to be in a position to at least let my family and others who care know the risk.

At least we are protected by the FDA regarding chemical use. Funny thing is that Monsanto's chief lobbyist, Dr. Michael Taylor, has been appointed by Obama as the FDA's new Food Czar. I feel safer knowing that the fox is guarding the hen house.

I'll stick to pulling the thistles by the roots and not letting the thistles go to seed.

Have a great day,
Jim

I have no doubt that your manual labor is likely the most environmentally friendly approach to the thistle control.

I'll say one thing on this and then I'll shut up...

The risks involved with industrial chemicals are real, but I think sometimes the risks from the actions of the well-intentioned do-gooders are even greater.

Just because it's all natural doesn't mean it's all good. I think that it requires an open minded, level headed approach considering the potential risks of all practical options. My favorite case in point is my sister-in-law. When her babies are teething, she doesn't want to feed them any kind of harmful, risky, industrial substance like acetaminophen (tylenol); so she feeds them Vodka instead.

I wonder how the lady down the road would fare if she carefully painted a properly mixed chemical pesticide on the thistles rather than paint thinner. It may be her methods that are superior rather than her medicine.

Okay, I've said my piece. Now I'll shut up.

AKfish · Mar 8, 2010

Moderation in all things...

Using the right tool in the right way... :thumbsup:

(Don't spray when windy, near food crops, close to water, understand the recommended concentrations, and timeframe restrictions).

AKfish

jlrsn · Mar 8, 2010

Iplayfarmer said:
Okay, I've said my piece. Now I'll shut up.

No need to shut up! I enjoy reading everyone's feedback. Not saying that I'm right or wrong but these are my beliefs now. I had my times when my clothing was wet from loading and spraying herbicides, insecticides, and working with jet fuel and industrial chemicals like MEK, Toluene, and whatever. I've lost so many friends that did the same as I did from cancer before we knew better or could afford to do things differently! As time passed I became aware of the dangers and I no longer had to make a living working with chemicals.

Jim

dcyrilc · Mar 8, 2010

jlrsn said:
No need to shut up! I enjoy reading everyone's feedback. Not saying that I'm right or wrong but these are my beliefs now. I had my times when my clothing was wet from loading and spraying herbicides, insecticides, and working with jet fuel and industrial chemicals like MEK, Toluene, and whatever. I've lost so many friends that did the same as I did from cancer before we knew better or could afford to do things differently! As time passed I became aware of the dangers and I no longer had to make a living working with chemicals.

Jim

I have a five acre pasture which seams like it will grow anything but grass. LOL I forgot about it year before last and last year I found around 10K three foot alder trees growing there. I used a 3 gallon backpack sprayer and went through 27 gallons just spraying the little trees. I was amazed, it looked like I had a tree farm rather than a pasture. One of my next purchases, now that I have a tractor this year, will be a brush-hog!