I have a 1 acre farm property that thistle shows up every year, for the last 20 years I have used Baking soda. Since I have grandchildren that walk barefeet on the grass, what I do is......Cut the thistle at the root, at ground level. Grab it with old pair of tongs and throw it away, then put one or two spoonfulls of baking soda on the root still in the ground. You can also just put baking soda directly on a small thistle and watch it get black and die after several days.Note: the baking soda will disappear after a week or so.I used to dig them too, I discovered this tip from an old garden book.Share with others, it works wonders. The beauty is, it works on giant thistle just as well.I've also made it a twice a year ritual, to walk the property line and look for any that have flowered that I have missed, or they will spread following year.
Thistles contain potassium and grow in soil lacking in potassium this is how pioneer plants improve your soil. Your garden is telling you to increase potassium levels in your soil. As your soil currently lacks potassium you could plant globe artichokes as they too have their own supply of potassium. By all means dig up the thistles but add them to your compost and then use this to add their potassium to the soil. Once you have increased the levels other plants will thrive. All ‘weeds’ bring different nutrients to your soil identify which you have the most of to see how to amend your soil.
Our friend had an area in their field that was full of thistles. Every year she'd pick all the flowers off but leave the plant. (They'd get to 5 get tall! ) but each year they'd get smaller and smaller and soon died out!
Yes I had these thistles and dandelions years ago, when grubs invaded my whole backyard...I spent 2-3 years digging those weeds manually after my retirement...Now year 2022, I'm very proud to say my whole backyard are full of flowers and some veggies...
Uh.. Thistles are edible. Look it up. So are dandelions. When there is nothing at the grocery store in these awful times, you might want to learn about which weeds you can actually eat.
Every single part of the dandelion is edible, infact it is one of the worlds super foods!! It is powerful medicine and tastes great in salads....we can as much low sugar dandelion jelly a season as we can get from our yard! We use whole head and stems and half as much sugar as most recipes call for. We put lemon in ours, sometimes lavender.....it tastes delicious and is very good for you!
Hi Erlinda. (: Sounds like your labor paid off. I hope both of mine will be going soon. I'm just now able to tackle them in MT. For those saying we should eat them, what if your words are taken seriously & that person dies?? I have NO idea what chemicals have been used in my home's yrs. of ungrateful renters. All I do know is it was full of dino dog crap. NO way I'm eating these "edibles" that have been fed from E coli, but I'll happily share so long as you pick them. No one should eat plants from the ground w/o knowing what they are eating 1st & 2nd having full knowledge said plants have NOT been sprayed. I've eaten dandelions in the wild & other edibles, but ONLY because I know these 2 things. Just because we're having to go back to the olden days doesn't mean our current world of chemicals will cease to exist. Many of those chemicals take 3-5 yrs. to leave the ground. I'm all for the old ways in just about every thing, but these chemicals are deadly. They didn't readily exist a century ago.
Thank you for the relaxing explanation on such a spiny topic. I'm in MT & bought a beautiful home w/a big back yard that's sadly over grown w/thistle & dandelions. I'm physically impaired, but I get down to the ground if need be & by the end of the week have 3 or 4 of the 13 gallon bags full of both. When I got here late last October, I noticed the dried pods on thistles that were almost a meter high. It was too cold to pull them so all I could do was cut the pods & hope for the best. Our ground just recently became thaw enough to pull weeds which sadly is the only reason for ANY greenery in either of my fenced yards.....with the exception of 8 rhubarb plants & a Maple Tree....little grass exists. Upon taking my senior dogs for a neighborhood walk last December about 2 blocks over, I found the original gateway for my spiny invaders. This home's yard had 5' extremely spiny thistles right at the edge of the public sidewalk. I haven't been back to the area. I've a new injury & can't walk that far for now, but I'm NOT giving in. This yard looked to be out of a horrific folktale, but it most definitely was lived in. My home was a rental for many years I'm told. Fairly well cared for except the split yards which I'm religiously praying & pulling into victory. My next door neighbors are doing their best to mow my yards because I can't run a mower or hold a weed trimmer right now. I feel their help is a win-win for us both because they're openly witnessing a physically impaired lass spend hours in her yard at least 3 days a week. I'm mostly trying to get my yard in order for my senior dogs. Both are allergic to almost every thing so NO chemicals at my home even if I approved. I'm a nature freak though & believe in a natural garden that's inviting to pollinators which is 2nd to my dogs happy retirement. My neighbor's tilled up a spot away from the thistles & close to the rhubarb which I'm making into a community garden or a very big garden for the dogs & myself. I watched your entire video as every body should. You mentioned it's illegal in some places to allow this spiny weed to grow. I'm not sure MT is on that list, but I will mention this original gateway is not far from our tiny medical center/hospital as well as all 3 levels of grade schools. I know back in December it was already hanging into the public concrete walkway....I'm new to this area of MT & never had this issue. Do you/others have ANY suggestions of how to get this home owner to take care of this community nuisance?? Thanks in advance. ~ Covah
@@amandam5675 In fact, it is not a root, it is a stem, but because its stem is underground, I say it is a root. First, you have to wash and clean the roots and add them to non-industrial yogurts so that they are fermented together and after 3 to 4 days they are ready together in the refrigerator and can be eaten as a delicious yogurt with fresh bread (because industrial Yogurt is sweet and are not fermented). Also You can boil the roots a little in vinegar and add salt, pepper, garlic, black seeds or if you like a little turmeric and put it in a jar as a pickle. If you like that your pickle is not too sour, you can add some water to the vinegar. You can clean the roots and add them to vegetable stew. Believe me, I would like to teach you, but my English is weak, and I will leavy you a video about its stew ruclips.net/video/JjSa7Y_r10c/видео.htmlsi=L37TNa4ehZ8ezI4s
I eat the spring thistle shoots from my organic Permaculture garden also. When you pull the plant, pinch each leaf starting at the bottom and peel it down off the stem, like peeling a banana peel. Once the leaves are removed the tender stem is eaten, and it's delicious. It tastes like a richly flavored green bean. These young stems can be sauted like green beans, or just eaten fresh. I enjoy them fresh as a "nibble" so much I never get around to cooking them. I allow them to stay in my garden, and use the grown stalks, before going to seed, as path or mulch material. Life is too short to fight thistles. Use wild plants in mat-like stacks to clear space you want to plant in next season, or to gain a nice covered walking path. No need for a compost heap, much more efficient. With nature, not against it ~ efficient harmony.
The more I pull out the thistles, the wider they spread. I just ordered 45pc vinegar and will try to spray them, as well as poison ivy that magically appeared about 2 years ago, and which gave me a Terrible reaction all over my body.... I wonder if, after getting thistle out, it's OK to cut off the roots and junk them, but putting the stems, without flowers yet, into the compost right away. Thanks.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, lol as a Canadian you gave me a good laugh! This is the best thistle video I've seen. I'm heading out to may garden right now! Plus, I just subscribed.
I had 3 thistle shoots about 2 feet tall. At first I thought it was so pretty… but then I said, “Wait a minute…” and looked it up. I cut those down so fast and pricked myself in the process. In my mind these three shoots were invading my WHOLE yard… I just have this irrational fear of plants taking over to the point I can’t maintain it. Your video eased that anxiety. Thanks. Loved the Canada Thistle joke!!! Spot on.
I love your methods no poisons no herbicides! I remove thistle mechanically too. Eventually their strong root system exhaust itself. They also only concentrate in moist areas around my garden beds.
Have my first and only thistle. Its huge. Was going to let it bloom out of curiousity. Glad I watched your video. Have been digging out wild roses for 20 years. Just because its pretty and smells good doesn't mean it belongs in your garden. Thank you.
We don’t have much thistle in Hawai‘i but this all applies to nutsedge. The biggest difference is the nuts take forever to dry out. I’ve started throwing them in a bucket of water for several weeks to make weed tea which is great fertilizer. Stinks a bit at first. Then let the sludge dry up on the ground before composting. Thank you
These turned up on my allotment last year. I dug out a ton of roots and (what I now know, thanks to you) young plants. But I couldn't identify them, and didn't realize they were thistles. They're back again this year, so I'm digging again, but I am going to be putting in raised beds and weed-suppressed woodchip paths, which I hope will resolve the problem. Thanks for the video, it's nice to know what you're dealing with!
Wow! Great explanation and demonstration on how to remove these. I have been doing it wrong wrong wrong 😑. just ripping them out snapping those roots. . Great idea to use that spade fork thank you
I'm an organic grower. I hate thistle. To combat it, I've found 2 layers of plain brown cardboard topped with a thick layer of compost works. And if some thistle defeats the cardboard-and in my experience some will-I'll keep hoing the leaves, killing them when small. Eventually, the energy stored in the roots is expended, and no more thistle. It takes a few months and a little diligence, but it'll work.
@@fourdayhomestead2839 Cool. From reports, that should work. I use Charles Dowding's method (outlined on his RUclips channel). I make hot compost here, which I spread 1 to 2 inches thick over a double-stacking of cardboard. It's more work, w/ all that compost turning and making sure you have the right mix between carbon and nitrogen, but using finished compost keeps slugs down.
@@robynnbryar1977 they are believed to help with the liver, diabetes, milk production etc. I do believe in herbs so everytime I see a plant I research about it before I destroy it. Many of the plants we see in our gardens and we consider them nuisance, they are good for our health. God gave us everything. I used to have a problem with my liver, arthritis and diabetes and the moment I started using what God has given me I don't feel no pain in my knees and my bloods and liver function has improved. By the way I have never consumed alcohol or smoke in my life but all this with my liver started happening. But thank God for His plants
I've been spotting thistles in my yard and I came across this. Thank you for the information. 10:38 That was so funny! It even managed to make thistles less hostiles and daunting.
Another way to get rid of them is by Juicing the leaves and stems . They are very refreshing and have a neutral taste like a cucumber. I keep the around for that purpose. I just don’t let them get to flower stage.😁
Such a very good video!!! Just want to say, that even if it is easiest to dig the roots up in spring, it is more effective when they start producing flower buds! In that stage the roots are weakest in the yearly cycle. This goes for all plants. In spring the roots are full of vitality, so if you miss a bit down there, it will grow up again. Also, even if thistles produce lots of seeds, I have learned that they are not at all very fertile, so no panic...
This is actually not true for thistles. Their stored carbohydrates are what you're combating. They have to use most of their stored carbohydrates in the spring to push up a new shoot. Once they've reached the fall they go through a minor dip in stored carb to produce flowers, but nothing like the initial dip from the spring push. So getting them small in the spring is the best tactic for small spaces. For larger areas (that can't be hand dug) going fallow with a 3 year alfalfa crop had the best outcome for thistle population reduction. I could see sorghum Sudan grass having good results and I have had some good results with buckwheat.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! Other videos tell you to dig them up, but I like your method and it makes the most sense to get more of the root. They are starting to take pver my little garden and I saw mynfirst one in the lawn yesterday! 😡 Next dry day, I am OUT THERE!!!! Fingers crossed; I'm on a mission!
I had these weeds (Thistle weeds) to come up around my Japanese Maple tree. I ended up getting pricked and (with cloth gloves on) and it did hurt. The next day, I had a low grade fever and was wondering what happened. It was the pricks from the thistle. I'll be more careful when dealing with this particular weed in the future, and will never let them get out of hand again. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been battling these for two years in my front garden. The homeowners put these red brick crumbs all through the soil so it’s so difficult to garden, let alone use tools to dig up these persistent thistles. I’ve been spraying them daily with white vinegar and it’s the first time in ages I don’t see any in the garden. They’re all dying. Just gotta keep it up so no new shoots get a chance 😅
This was very helpful. My flowerbeds were beautiful earlier this summer then over just a few weeks, thistles have taken over. It was mentioned to remove them in the spring. Should I wait? Will I have to take out all of my beautiful flowers and mulch to be able to get to all of the roots?
This is a very thorough video, I've always had a problem with these weeds and I'm going to try this method! Hopefully it works as good for me! Can't wait until next video
my father-in-law got thistle weevils from the local ag extension. He put the bugs on the lower heads and no seeds got away. He didn't do anything else, but his thistles went away from his cow pastures.
While we need to be careful with those painful thorns and invasivenes those weed is a wonderfully medicine. I actually forage for thistle and am grateful for this blessing. It's good to research the benefits. Too many to list here. Need to wear very thick gloves and protective clothes. Because the thorns really.sting. thank you for helping folks to avoid the invasivenes in their lawns and their precious ❤️ gardens. Agape
Great video--bestI've seen on getting rid of these obnoxious weeds. This summer I tried cutting the root and then soaking it and around it with white vinegar. Doesn't appear to have helped much but I've used it in beds that are planted where I don't want to spade.. Looking forward to going out this week with my spade fork and going after all the ones in the garden paths. Be afraid, be very afraid!
These monsters began to show up in my vegetable beds after a number of seedlings were only marginally established, so I couldn't fork them out without damaging my crops. I used a dandelion digging tool, worked it fully around the thistle to loosen the soil, then gently tugged on it while wiggling it around. I think I've been able to eliminate most of them.
Hi Wayne, thanks for watching! You're right in that the thistles show up when all the vegetable seedlings are at their fragile stage. Just keep watching that area and if they show up again, you have to treat it like a surgery. If you use a sharp knife, you can cut the thistle maybe an inch or two under the surface and not hurt your vegetables. Keep doing this and hopefully, in a few months, it'll surrender. Paul.
I get just about every variety of thistle there is and every year they just come back worse and worse. Now this year they are even massively invading my very thick lawn. The ground is too compacted and hard to pull - they break - and digging is not an option. I am trying cutting them off at the ground level and hopefully they will give up. As for those in the garden (have had them there for years), they generally pull easily a day or two after a good rain when the ground is still soft. Using the spading fork will usually take care of the more stubborn ones. For disposal, I try to compose as much as I can, but these I do not want around and put them in the garbage. Even if composted, the thistles burrs seem to survive. They are so bad they even penetrate the heavy leather gardening gloves I use.
using pliers with gloves is a good way to remove Saffron Thistle. Grabbing the stem with pliers gives you much greater pulling strength. I find that 30% will break off at the base, however, leaving the root. But also means that 70% pull out with the root. And its chemical free. The odd root will be too hard to pull out if the plant has matured to an adult (like a small bush)
We are organic growers, thistle is an AMAZING medicine! You may never find a better pain medicine! Everything they tell us is a weed is usually an extremely important medicine that they have synthesized pharma from.
@@marianatapp9120yes, v true! And this humble dandelion is a super good choice for cholesterol treatment! Of course they want it sprayed and killed, you buy cholesterol medicine from pharmacy.. , and with severe secondary effects! pharma companies are v interested in keeping people alive and buying their medicine for life, instead of consuming few leaves of dandelion in your daily smoothie or salads!
This also applies to Stinging Nettle. I tried spot weeding my berry patch for a few years and it just got worse. I finally had to dig up the whole 10' x 80' patch a foot deep. I gave away all berry crowns, and dug up the whole patch a second time the following year. I restarted the patch w/ fresh crowns, and watch for the first sign of weeds now. I also planted Wine Cap Mushroom Spawn in the fresh woodchip mulch, and get a good amount of mushrooms every Spring.
@@jamesbrown99991 I'm talking about Nettle taking over the entire 800 SQ FT Patch. Would you like to get stung by 10,000 hornets while picking berries. The Nettles get over 6' tall and just brushing them can give you 100 stings. They send runners in 10 different directions and also flying seeds that can spread for hundreds of yards, so I would be ruining my 6 other gardens and all my neighbors gardens too.
@@TheTrock121 You must feed them very well for them to get to 6'! I actually planted nettles around the base of my hügelkultur mounds, and I don't mind the stings. If only they grew as well as yours though... I'm thoroughly jealous :)
Been fighting these for 30 years. They get in and among my spring bulbs and perennials. I never seem to have my leather gloves on me when I see them. They go straight to the patio burner to dry and eventually get burned.
I don’t have those kind; mine have small white flowers with yellow centers. Vinegar and salt won’t take them com for long. Like yours, they have long roots and very prickly seeds that cling to everything. I have tried hairspray, but it’s tough to get every seed. I will definitely try your method and keep at it. Thanks so much for making this video.
Funnily enough it is also one of the best pollinators...if you really want to get rid of them long term, ensure you keep the soil as little fertilized as possible, they love nitrogen
I had this thistle all through my back yard and especially in my veggie garden area. All the neighbors around me used weed control in their lawns and gardens so my place was an organic haven to them and they thrived in my yard. They were especially difficult to get out of the lawn with a heavy clay base. Oy. The worst weed I've ever encountered.
When you're organic and your neighbors are using weed killer, if you don't maintain your plot, your neighbors will use EXTRA weed killer and blame you for making them do it. I just bought a place that's about 1 acre. It'll be some time before it's ship-shape.
I bought a piece of land and built a house. In the first spring after, I noticed a few thistles around the base of the utility pole; probably grown from seeds in the poor soil used to secure the pole. I ignored them for a couple of years and they multiplied fast from the original spot. Some research told me that they do best in poor soil and, as they grew around a group of six lilacs I planted for privacy, I decided to enrich the soil with chicken manure pellets. Within two years, the lilacs thrived and the thistle disappeared completely. No digging, no gloves, just the smell of chicken poop for a few days, spring and autumn. Does this apply elsewhere? It's worth a try. Thank you for the video.
I like to use my mattock for everything, -the pointy end is great for going into the soil to loosen around the plant, and when i have it up, and there is compaction and roots, i smack it with the side of the tool so the soil breaks down, releasing the roots so i can collect them and shake off my soil.
When I weed thistels and other weeds with an anoying root, I grab scisors and salt. I cut of the upper part so it creates a wound and then I rub some salt in it. Seems to work. Verry effective for killing plants and even annoying trees that keep coming back. When you have thistels in your lawn I wouldn't choose your approach. Now I know where the saying "rubbing salt in the wound" comes from. But great vid, thanks.
@@blanckieification we cut down a huge tree so it can't fall on my house now. It's growing back. Every time we dig a hole and chip a root a tree grows. The huge sections of the tree are in a pile and they are growing. I did love the tree and miss it but I'll be chopping saplings for years. I'll try the salt.
You could just keep mowing it down, but it's horrible to step on in bare feet. There is a citrus based, non-selective weed control called Avenger that works very well on thistle but it only kills the top growth. There was a comment above about a bulb planter for digging it out, that could work well for the lawn.
I'm not sure if that would work because what if the lawn mower breaks? Doesn't the lawn mower break if the gardener tries to kill thistles with the lawn mower?
On a 400 acre farm - I lend a hand and garden there - there is no practical way to control them except relentless effort. 10% H2O2 would work to some extent, and would mean quite a cost, let alone that the roots would probably just laugh it off ... :) In the garden I've see a few for the first time. I'll use your method when harvest is over if any pop up, or next spring/summer.
Great video! I just ordered the tool you used as I didn't realize how wild those roots were and I was using a gardening knife thing and wasting my time. I have a half acre of these things mixed with dandelions, blackberries and holly so I'm very busy with the weed battle!
I have some of them coming up in the spaces in between where I have rubber mats to keep weeds from coming up. I used to use Roundup weed killer, BUT, now I am trying to not use Roundup. I am now thinking that smothering them would be best. Also, making raised beds will be easier to keep weeds pulled. I no longer garden at the ground surface, so, any of those weeds that grow at the ground level, I can just mow down to the soil surface about 4=-5 inches tall. Thistle weeds have been said to tap down to the deeper soil area and absorb the deeper soils nutrition or soil elements. Maybe those weeds would be best to be composted and add those deeper soils nutrients to your compost.
I really liked your video. Thanks a lot. You are very funny too. I'm left with a smile on my face, thinking of those damn thistles laughing their roots off, make us dig like crazy. But, I just came in from doing exactly that, and it is sort of good for me to see them disappear from the lovely garden we have just taken over, but it was a little neglected, but we must be careful, because lovely plants are hidden amongst the enemies of most gardeners. I don't have time to write long essays, because I have to see more of your videos. I just subscribed. So, keep up the good work!
All thistle are edible; if you harvest them for food, they'll no longer be a problem :) I now almost struggle to find enough weeds for a meal, whereas before, the weeds were overwhelming
This was a very good video. Thank you. I have an 80 acre farm. I have not used poisons for over six years.. Canadian Thistles started about three years ago. I bush hog regularly to get the weeds my cows do not eat. They went to seed before I got to them. Year two - I bush hogged early, but they still came up from the roots. Year three (this year) - I walked 40 acres and cut a large number of thistles by hand with shears. Year four - (next Spring) I am going to follow your ideas
Thanks for the advice, I been using a shovel for years and never thought of using the fork tool and I have one too! LOL another thing I’ve done that works fairly well. Especially with clay soil like I have! Is soak the ground with lots of water softening the soil as much as possible and then I can usually get a lot of the weeds pulled out of the dirt with the roots intact. Still can be a fight with some weeds though. Can’t wait to give your fork tool a try! I have 5 acres and more weeds than I care to think about. I try to keep mine under control. Unfortunately I have many neighbors that don’t care what their property looks like and just let weeds grow and seed. Which just makes more weeds that get started on my property at some point! Never ending battle, especially when neighbors don’t do their share to help control the weeds! Very frustrating!
Plant some thick hedges (needs to be thick also on the ground) around the fence line. The plants will not come up where it is not sunny and the blowing seeds will get stuck on the hedges as well.
I have quite large thistles already but I'm dealing with clay. Been a really wt spring so far but it's just gumbo that breaks the roots. Hard to stay on top of it - south side of house and gets super hot. And evening and morning we deal with super agrrssive mosquitos. Just not a fun section of garden. We plan to cut them dow dig as much as we can, and spread cardboard and newspapers and mulch. Yes they will come back up but at least I hope the soil will slowly become more workable
God I honestly really super hate those annoying weeds too but I really do love the very pretty flowers that they have on them! If only they weren't a weed and also if only they didn't have all of those super nasty needles on them too!
I’ve got way too many in my garden area right now I might have to wait until the cold winter weather kills them off. I will admit though when they were in full bloom they do look very pretty as long as they’re on the edges of my property which is a few acres so I’ll let those go but the ones in my garden area they are in trouble now.
Thanks for the tip on using the fork to loosen the soil. I'm sure that will help. I've noticed that by keeping them pulled they are getting smaller and less aggressive. Next time I'll use my garden fork and maybe they'll get tired of trying to grow in my flower bed! :)
I agree. I tackled them in early spring. Easier to dig up when they are still young before the thorns develop and soil is damp. Kept on them through the summer. Huge improvement. Will see this spring if they are dwindling. Good video. Thx
I sometimes use 3 quarters vinegar 10 tea doors of salt and some dawn dish soap & let sit to devolve the salt then shake slightly from bottom to top a few times and go out & soak the plant and root bottom. It dries them out but you have to keep to it daily.
Very helpful! Thank you! That said, I’ve managed to allow the thistle to get out of hand in my pollinator garden. The thistle are choking out the plants. Last year, I had to take a second job and was working seven days every week and had even less time to spend combating them. Then in December, I had major shoulder surgery and haven’t been able to do much. I’m getting ready to have another shoulder surgery. I’ve decided to sacrifice the garden and start again next spring. How do I kill off everything this year and be left with soil that’s safe to plant in next year?
Hi @Asher, I would cover the garden with some heavy landscaping fabric and weigh it down in spots with some bricks or large rocks so it stays in place. That will keep the light from penetrating and in a few months, all the plants underneath will be dead. The fabric will still let the rain get through so the organisms in the soil don't die off. Remove it next spring and you should be good to go. Thanks for watching! Paul
@@GardenWellEatWell Thank you, Paul!! I appreciate that so much. And, I very much appreciate you not trying to talk me out of it. This garden was once a labor of love, but now it literally overwhelms me. I’ve battled these thistle for the last several years. Hopefully next spring my strength and mobility are back and I’ll be able to maintain it properly! ⛅️ ☀️ 🌺 🐝 🦋
Nor sure about the Canadian thistle but the spiny thistles we get here in Texas are delicious. We harvest them just like any other vegi. Dandelion is also a great plant to harvest. I see gardeners throw so many great edible plants because they are told its a bad weed. This is just a waste of nutritional food. Especially because they grow wild and natural. God bless just thought this could be helpful.
I once let thistle grow to flower stage coz i was just too busy with other problems. Bees absolutely loved it though. There were sooo many of them hovering. They smell very good too. If only they werent so prickly and invasive id let em stay.
Or trow them in a shredder? You want one to make mulch anyway. What i do i seperate dry material from wets; the dry pile can be use for mulching and the wets go into the compost bin. But the fork idea is a good one. Tnx. And very well edited btw.
I think oriental bittersweet is way harder to get rid of. Bittersweet almost killed my german shepherd, he ate a couple leaves and was so sick and having seizures. We had to rush him to the emergency vet 2x on a Sunday! Its a very evil vine! Ive been attacking it for years and it STILL comes back
I'm in the UK so get thistles alot as they are native to here and grow by ponds , rivers etc and are so hard to get rid of , I find I am digging them out every year and still they come back . I need a way to get rid of them totally , once and for all. We over the past few years got them now growing up on our driveway
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I have a 1 acre farm property that thistle shows up every year, for the last 20 years I have used Baking soda. Since I have grandchildren that walk barefeet on the grass, what I do is......Cut the thistle at the root, at ground level. Grab it with old pair of tongs and throw it away, then put one or two spoonfulls of baking soda on the root still in the ground. You can also just put baking soda directly on a small thistle and watch it get black and die after several days.Note: the baking soda will disappear after a week or so.I used to dig them too, I discovered this tip from an old garden book.Share with others, it works wonders. The beauty is, it works on giant thistle just as well.I've also made it a twice a year ritual, to walk the property line and look for any that have flowered that I have missed, or they will spread following year.
Thistles contain potassium and grow in soil lacking in potassium this is how pioneer plants improve your soil. Your garden is telling you to increase potassium levels in your soil. As your soil currently lacks potassium you could plant globe artichokes as they too have their own supply of potassium. By all means dig up the thistles but add them to your compost and then use this to add their potassium to the soil. Once you have increased the levels other plants will thrive. All ‘weeds’ bring different nutrients to your soil identify which you have the most of to see how to amend your soil.
genius! thank you!
He does mention composting them
It's also edible and very medicinal. Makes a great tea to help relieve chronic pain.
Our friend had an area in their field that was full of thistles. Every year she'd pick all the flowers off but leave the plant. (They'd get to 5 get tall! ) but each year they'd get smaller and smaller and soon died out!
Is this the milk thistle so good for liver problems?
Yes I had these thistles and dandelions years ago, when grubs invaded my whole backyard...I spent 2-3 years digging those weeds manually after my retirement...Now year 2022, I'm very proud to say my whole backyard are full of flowers and some veggies...
Uh.. Thistles are edible. Look it up. So are dandelions. When there is nothing at the grocery store in these awful times, you might want to learn about which weeds you can actually eat.
Every single part of the dandelion is edible, infact it is one of the worlds super foods!! It is powerful medicine and tastes great in salads....we can as much low sugar dandelion jelly a season as we can get from our yard! We use whole head and stems and half as much sugar as most recipes call for. We put lemon in ours, sometimes lavender.....it tastes delicious and is very good for you!
@@marianstew54 you eat them.ate enough weeds when my grandfather was alive.
@@Mikaela777 you sound like my Italian grandfather
Hi Erlinda. (: Sounds like your labor paid off. I hope both of mine will be going soon. I'm just now able to tackle them in MT.
For those saying we should eat them, what if your words are taken seriously & that person dies?? I have NO idea what chemicals have been used in my home's yrs. of ungrateful renters. All I do know is it was full of dino dog crap. NO way I'm eating these "edibles" that have been fed from E coli, but I'll happily share so long as you pick them.
No one should eat plants from the ground w/o knowing what they are eating 1st & 2nd having full knowledge said plants have NOT been sprayed. I've eaten dandelions in the wild & other edibles, but ONLY because I know these 2 things. Just because we're having to go back to the olden days doesn't mean our current world of chemicals will cease to exist. Many of those chemicals take 3-5 yrs. to leave the ground. I'm all for the old ways in just about every thing, but these chemicals are deadly. They didn't readily exist a century ago.
Thistle miraculous natural medicine!
Thank you for the relaxing explanation on such a spiny topic. I'm in MT & bought a beautiful home w/a big back yard that's sadly over grown w/thistle & dandelions. I'm physically impaired, but I get down to the ground if need be & by the end of the week have 3 or 4 of the 13 gallon bags full of both. When I got here late last October, I noticed the dried pods on thistles that were almost a meter high. It was too cold to pull them so all I could do was cut the pods & hope for the best. Our ground just recently became thaw enough to pull weeds which sadly is the only reason for ANY greenery in either of my fenced yards.....with the exception of 8 rhubarb plants & a Maple Tree....little grass exists.
Upon taking my senior dogs for a neighborhood walk last December about 2 blocks over, I found the original gateway for my spiny invaders. This home's yard had 5' extremely spiny thistles right at the edge of the public sidewalk. I haven't been back to the area. I've a new injury & can't walk that far for now, but I'm NOT giving in. This yard looked to be out of a horrific folktale, but it most definitely was lived in. My home was a rental for many years I'm told. Fairly well cared for except the split yards which I'm religiously praying & pulling into victory. My next door neighbors are doing their best to mow my yards because I can't run a mower or hold a weed trimmer right now. I feel their help is a win-win for us both because they're openly witnessing a physically impaired lass spend hours in her yard at least 3 days a week. I'm mostly trying to get my yard in order for my senior dogs. Both are allergic to almost every thing so NO chemicals at my home even if I approved. I'm a nature freak though & believe in a natural garden that's inviting to pollinators which is 2nd to my dogs happy retirement. My neighbor's tilled up a spot away from the thistles & close to the rhubarb which I'm making into a community garden or a very big garden for the dogs & myself.
I watched your entire video as every body should. You mentioned it's illegal in some places to allow this spiny weed to grow. I'm not sure MT is on that list, but I will mention this original gateway is not far from our tiny medical center/hospital as well as all 3 levels of grade schools. I know back in December it was already hanging into the public concrete walkway....I'm new to this area of MT & never had this issue. Do you/others have ANY suggestions of how to get this home owner to take care of this community nuisance?? Thanks in advance. ~ Covah
In Iran We use thistle Roots in our food and is Very Famous and Expensive in Spiring Season
How do you prepare them please?
@@amandam5675
In fact, it is not a root, it is a stem, but because its stem is underground, I say it is a root.
First, you have to wash and clean the roots and add them to non-industrial yogurts so that they are fermented together and after 3 to 4 days they are ready together in the refrigerator and can be eaten as a delicious yogurt with fresh bread (because industrial Yogurt is sweet and are not fermented).
Also You can boil the roots a little in vinegar and add salt, pepper, garlic, black seeds or if you like a little turmeric and put it in a jar as a pickle. If you like that your pickle is not too sour, you can add some water to the vinegar.
You can clean the roots and add them to vegetable stew. Believe me, I would like to teach you, but my English is weak, and I will leavy you a video about its stew
ruclips.net/video/JjSa7Y_r10c/видео.htmlsi=L37TNa4ehZ8ezI4s
Wow, may I please have the recipe. Thank you
I eat the spring thistle shoots from my organic Permaculture garden also. When you pull the plant, pinch each leaf starting at the bottom and peel it down off the stem, like peeling a banana peel. Once the leaves are removed the tender stem is eaten, and it's delicious. It tastes like a richly flavored green bean. These young stems can be sauted like green beans, or just eaten fresh. I enjoy them fresh as a "nibble" so much I never get around to cooking them. I allow them to stay in my garden, and use the grown stalks, before going to seed, as path or mulch material. Life is too short to fight thistles. Use wild plants in mat-like stacks to clear space you want to plant in next season, or to gain a nice covered walking path. No need for a compost heap, much more efficient. With nature, not against it ~ efficient harmony.
The more I pull out the thistles, the wider they spread. I just ordered 45pc vinegar and will try to spray them, as well as poison ivy that magically appeared about 2 years ago, and which gave me a Terrible reaction all over my body....
I wonder if, after getting thistle out, it's OK to cut off the roots and junk them, but putting the stems, without flowers yet, into the compost right away.
Thanks.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, lol as a Canadian you gave me a good laugh! This is the best thistle video I've seen. I'm heading out to may garden right now! Plus, I just subscribed.
I had 3 thistle shoots about 2 feet tall. At first I thought it was so pretty… but then I said, “Wait a minute…” and looked it up. I cut those down so fast and pricked myself in the process. In my mind these three shoots were invading my WHOLE yard… I just have this irrational fear of plants taking over to the point I can’t maintain it. Your video eased that anxiety. Thanks. Loved the Canada Thistle joke!!! Spot on.
Thistle is one of the favorites of honey bees. They make great honey from them. Also my neighbors have plenty of thistles to seed my garden regularly.
I love your methods no poisons no herbicides! I remove thistle mechanically too. Eventually their strong root system exhaust itself. They also only concentrate in moist areas around my garden beds.
This is this first year in our new home. These weeds are all over my backyard and all over the neighborhood. Thanks for the information!
THANK YOU! for this in depth tutorial on proper thistle control
Have my first and only thistle. Its huge. Was going to let it bloom out of curiousity. Glad I watched your video. Have been digging out wild roses for 20 years. Just because its pretty and smells good doesn't mean it belongs in your garden. Thank you.
We don’t have much thistle in Hawai‘i but this all applies to nutsedge. The biggest difference is the nuts take forever to dry out. I’ve started throwing them in a bucket of water for several weeks to make weed tea which is great fertilizer. Stinks a bit at first. Then let the sludge dry up on the ground before composting. Thank you
These turned up on my allotment last year. I dug out a ton of roots and (what I now know, thanks to you) young plants. But I couldn't identify them, and didn't realize they were thistles. They're back again this year, so I'm digging again, but I am going to be putting in raised beds and weed-suppressed woodchip paths, which I hope will resolve the problem. Thanks for the video, it's nice to know what you're dealing with!
Wow! Great explanation and demonstration on how to remove these. I have been doing it wrong wrong wrong 😑. just ripping them out snapping those roots. . Great idea to use that spade fork thank you
I'm an organic grower. I hate thistle. To combat it, I've found 2 layers of plain brown cardboard topped with a thick layer of compost works. And if some thistle defeats the cardboard-and in my experience some will-I'll keep hoing the leaves, killing them when small. Eventually, the energy stored in the roots is expended, and no more thistle. It takes a few months and a little diligence, but it'll work.
I mowed & tarped next year's garden. I'll be doing cardboard & lasagna bed this fall, so I can dig them out easier next year (if any come up).
@@fourdayhomestead2839 Cool. From reports, that should work. I use Charles Dowding's method (outlined on his RUclips channel). I make hot compost here, which I spread 1 to 2 inches thick over a double-stacking of cardboard. It's more work, w/ all that compost turning and making sure you have the right mix between carbon and nitrogen, but using finished compost keeps slugs down.
They are good for your health at the same time
@@juliaherbet2063 why are they good for your health?
@@robynnbryar1977 they are believed to help with the liver, diabetes, milk production etc. I do believe in herbs so everytime I see a plant I research about it before I destroy it. Many of the plants we see in our gardens and we consider them nuisance, they are good for our health. God gave us everything. I used to have a problem with my liver, arthritis and diabetes and the moment I started using what God has given me I don't feel no pain in my knees and my bloods and liver function has improved. By the way I have never consumed alcohol or smoke in my life but all this with my liver started happening. But thank God for His plants
I've been spotting thistles in my yard and I came across this. Thank you for the information.
10:38 That was so funny! It even managed to make thistles less hostiles and daunting.
Thistle’s are the national emblem of Scotland. 🏴
They all have medicinal properties for your health. Im starting to believe that they are so prolific for a reason. We are meant to have and use them.
Another way to get rid of them is by Juicing the leaves and stems . They are very refreshing and have a neutral taste like a cucumber. I keep the around for that purpose. I just don’t let them get to flower stage.😁
Are you kidding or is that real? Do you combine them with anything?
"If you can't beat them, eat them".
Yes! And the very young ones make a great pot herb just boiled. VERY high in nutrition :) Also supposedly a Liver Detox.
Such a very good video!!! Just want to say, that even if it is easiest to dig the roots up in spring, it is more effective when they start producing flower buds! In that stage the roots are weakest in the yearly cycle. This goes for all plants. In spring the roots are full of vitality, so if you miss a bit down there, it will grow up again. Also, even if thistles produce lots of seeds, I have learned that they are not at all very fertile, so no panic...
This is actually not true for thistles. Their stored carbohydrates are what you're combating. They have to use most of their stored carbohydrates in the spring to push up a new shoot. Once they've reached the fall they go through a minor dip in stored carb to produce flowers, but nothing like the initial dip from the spring push. So getting them small in the spring is the best tactic for small spaces.
For larger areas (that can't be hand dug) going fallow with a 3 year alfalfa crop had the best outcome for thistle population reduction.
I could see sorghum Sudan grass having good results and I have had some good results with buckwheat.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤q😊
😂
One of the best videos I've ever seen on RUclips
Thistle and dandelions are amazing medicinal plants.
..and straight up great plants to eat.
And you tube are deleting post about the benefits of dandelion! Shame you tube
Until a bird flys over and deposits a gift with a seed in it. 😁
Don't feed the birds! Sadly, you can't always persuade the neighbors to do this.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! Other videos tell you to dig them up, but I like your method and it makes the most sense to get more of the root. They are starting to take pver my little garden and I saw mynfirst one in the lawn yesterday! 😡 Next dry day, I am OUT THERE!!!! Fingers crossed; I'm on a mission!
Thank you so much.
We just moved to the Black Hills of SD, and they are all over our parcel.
Appreciate your wisdom!
I had these weeds (Thistle weeds) to come up around my Japanese Maple tree. I ended up getting pricked and (with cloth gloves on) and it did hurt. The next day, I had a low grade fever and was wondering what happened. It was the pricks from the thistle. I'll be more careful when dealing with this particular weed in the future, and will never let them get out of hand again. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been battling these for two years in my front garden. The homeowners put these red brick crumbs all through the soil so it’s so difficult to garden, let alone use tools to dig up these persistent thistles. I’ve been spraying them daily with white vinegar and it’s the first time in ages I don’t see any in the garden. They’re all dying. Just gotta keep it up so no new shoots get a chance 😅
You covered absolutely all the vital points! Enjoyed the chuckle at the end. 🤭
Thank you for the very well done video. 🎥
Thanks very much!
Glad you found it helpful.
Paul
This was very helpful. My flowerbeds were beautiful earlier this summer then over just a few weeks, thistles have taken over. It was mentioned to remove them in the spring. Should I wait? Will I have to take out all of my beautiful flowers and mulch to be able to get to all of the roots?
Love your vids! Just found them today and been binge watching 😊 I'm learning alot as a beginner
That's fantastic @Blue, glad you're finding them helpful!
Paul
This is a very thorough video, I've always had a problem with these weeds and I'm going to try this method! Hopefully it works as good for me! Can't wait until next video
Let me know how it works out for you!
my father-in-law got thistle weevils from the local ag extension. He put the bugs on the lower heads and no seeds got away. He didn't do anything else, but his thistles went away from his cow pastures.
While we need to be careful with those painful thorns and invasivenes those weed is a wonderfully medicine. I actually forage for thistle and am grateful for this blessing. It's good to research the benefits. Too many to list here. Need to wear very thick gloves and protective clothes. Because the thorns really.sting. thank you for helping folks to avoid the invasivenes in their lawns and their precious ❤️ gardens. Agape
Great video--bestI've seen on getting rid of these obnoxious weeds. This summer I tried cutting the root and then soaking it and around it with white vinegar. Doesn't appear to have helped much but I've used it in beds that are planted where I don't want to spade.. Looking forward to going out this week with my spade fork and going after all the ones in the garden paths. Be afraid, be very afraid!
Thanks for the information on vinegar use! I was going to combine the two efforts, but if it doesn't help, I don't want to risk my other plants.
We organically home garden…I love thistles…they are not only good to eat but beautiful! So, we all do not think alike! Have a wonderful day!
Staying to the very end was SO worth it. I loved the joke.
LOL! Thanks @Danny D
Glad you liked it...I had fun doing that segment.
Thanks for watching!
Paul
These monsters began to show up in my vegetable beds after a number of seedlings were only marginally established, so I couldn't fork them out without damaging my crops. I used a dandelion digging tool, worked it fully around the thistle to loosen the soil, then gently tugged on it while wiggling it around. I think I've been able to eliminate most of them.
Hi Wayne, thanks for watching! You're right in that the thistles show up when all the vegetable seedlings are at their fragile stage. Just keep watching that area and if they show up again, you have to treat it like a surgery. If you use a sharp knife, you can cut the thistle maybe an inch or two under the surface and not hurt your vegetables. Keep doing this and hopefully, in a few months, it'll surrender. Paul.
I get just about every variety of thistle there is and every year they just come back worse and worse. Now this year they are even massively invading my very thick lawn. The ground is too compacted and hard to pull - they break - and digging is not an option. I am trying cutting them off at the ground level and hopefully they will give up.
As for those in the garden (have had them there for years), they generally pull easily a day or two after a good rain when the ground is still soft. Using the spading fork will usually take care of the more stubborn ones.
For disposal, I try to compose as much as I can, but these I do not want around and put them in the garbage. Even if composted, the thistles burrs seem to survive. They are so bad they even penetrate the heavy leather gardening gloves I use.
Thank u for sharing! You haven’t post for a long time, I enjoy your videos.
using pliers with gloves is a good way to remove Saffron Thistle. Grabbing the stem with pliers gives you much greater pulling strength. I find that 30% will break off at the base, however, leaving the root. But also means that 70% pull out with the root. And its chemical free. The odd root will be too hard to pull out if the plant has matured to an adult (like a small bush)
We are organic growers, thistle is an AMAZING medicine! You may never find a better pain medicine! Everything they tell us is a weed is usually an extremely important medicine that they have synthesized pharma from.
You right. They do not know what they talk about. Like dandelion it’s now the image of weed killer. 😂what a joke , the most beneficial ‘weed’.
@@marianatapp9120yes, v true! And this humble dandelion is a super good choice for cholesterol treatment! Of course they want it sprayed and killed, you buy cholesterol medicine from pharmacy.. , and with severe secondary effects! pharma companies are v interested in keeping people alive and buying their medicine for life, instead of consuming few leaves of dandelion in your daily smoothie or salads!
LOL, I could expect only the Canadian Thistle to say sorry! That was funny.
Thanks for the support Robert....glad you enjoyed it!
Paul
"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry pardon me.", hahahahahaha!
This also applies to Stinging Nettle. I tried spot weeding my berry patch for a few years and it just got worse. I finally had to dig up the whole 10' x 80' patch a foot deep. I gave away all berry crowns, and dug up the whole patch a second time the following year. I restarted the patch w/ fresh crowns, and watch for the first sign of weeds now. I also planted Wine Cap Mushroom Spawn in the fresh woodchip mulch, and get a good amount of mushrooms every Spring.
You could just eat the nettle next time. Goes pretty well in soup.
@@jamesbrown99991 I'm talking about Nettle taking over the entire 800 SQ FT Patch. Would you like to get stung by 10,000 hornets while picking berries. The Nettles get over 6' tall and just brushing them can give you 100 stings. They send runners in 10 different directions and also flying seeds that can spread for hundreds of yards, so I would be ruining my 6 other gardens and all my neighbors gardens too.
@@TheTrock121 You must feed them very well for them to get to 6'! I actually planted nettles around the base of my hügelkultur mounds, and I don't mind the stings. If only they grew as well as yours though... I'm thoroughly jealous :)
one of the best RUclips videos ive watched
❤😂❤I LOVE THISTLE! I made a barbed wire fence around my yard & wood fence to keep trespassers out.
Been fighting these for 30 years. They get in and among my spring bulbs and perennials. I never seem to have my leather gloves on me when I see them. They go straight to the patio burner to dry and eventually get burned.
I don’t have those kind; mine have small white flowers with yellow centers. Vinegar and salt won’t take them com for long. Like yours, they have long roots and very prickly seeds that cling to everything. I have tried hairspray, but it’s tough to get every seed. I will definitely try your method and keep at it. Thanks so much for making this video.
Funnily enough it is also one of the best pollinators...if you really want to get rid of them long term, ensure you keep the soil as little fertilized as possible, they love nitrogen
I had this thistle all through my back yard and especially in my veggie garden area. All the neighbors around me used weed control in their lawns and gardens so my place was an organic haven to them and they thrived in my yard. They were especially difficult to get out of the lawn with a heavy clay base. Oy. The worst weed I've ever encountered.
When you're organic and your neighbors are using weed killer, if you don't maintain your plot, your neighbors will use EXTRA weed killer and blame you for making them do it.
I just bought a place that's about 1 acre. It'll be some time before it's ship-shape.
I bought a piece of land and built a house. In the first spring after, I noticed a few thistles around the base of the utility pole; probably grown from seeds in the poor soil used to secure the pole. I ignored them for a couple of years and they multiplied fast from the original spot. Some research told me that they do best in poor soil and, as they grew around a group of six lilacs I planted for privacy, I decided to enrich the soil with chicken manure pellets. Within two years, the lilacs thrived and the thistle disappeared completely. No digging, no gloves, just the smell of chicken poop for a few days, spring and autumn. Does this apply elsewhere? It's worth a try. Thank you for the video.
Another great video, I know what to do now. Newly subscribed and now binge watching.
haha thanks for the chuckle at the end!
Glad you enjoyed it Mary.
Thanks for spending the time to watch the entire video!
Paul
I like to use my mattock for everything, -the pointy end is great for going into the soil to loosen around the plant, and when i have it up, and there is compaction and roots,
i smack it with the side of the tool so the soil breaks down, releasing the roots so i can collect them and shake off my soil.
When I weed thistels and other weeds with an anoying root, I grab scisors and salt. I cut of the upper part so it creates a wound and then I rub some salt in it. Seems to work. Verry effective for killing plants and even annoying trees that keep coming back. When you have thistels in your lawn I wouldn't choose your approach. Now I know where the saying "rubbing salt in the wound" comes from. But great vid, thanks.
I hope that works with sweetgum tree.
@@nancyfahey7518 I suggest to cut a part of the tree, drill a hole in it (vertical if possible), fil it with salt.
@@blanckieification we cut down a huge tree so it can't fall on my house now. It's growing back. Every time we dig a hole and chip a root a tree grows. The huge sections of the tree are in a pile and they are growing. I did love the tree and miss it but I'll be chopping saplings for years. I'll try the salt.
@@nancyfahey7518 everytime weaken them I would say. Don't let them see any sunlight
Informative video. I have thistle growing in my grass. How should I deal with it?
You could just keep mowing it down, but it's horrible to step on in bare feet. There is a citrus based, non-selective weed control called Avenger that works very well on thistle but it only kills the top growth.
There was a comment above about a bulb planter for digging it out, that could work well for the lawn.
I'm not sure if that would work because what if the lawn mower breaks? Doesn't the lawn mower break if the gardener tries to kill thistles with the lawn mower?
I love thistles and keep a few growing on the borders to amuse the goldfinches.
On a 400 acre farm - I lend a hand and garden there - there is no practical way to control them except relentless effort. 10% H2O2 would work to some extent, and would mean quite a cost, let alone that the roots would probably just laugh it off ... :) In the garden I've see a few for the first time. I'll use your method when harvest is over if any pop up, or next spring/summer.
This was a pleasure to watch
Great video! I just ordered the tool you used as I didn't realize how wild those roots were and I was using a gardening knife thing and wasting my time. I have a half acre of these things mixed with dandelions, blackberries and holly so I'm very busy with the weed battle!
I have some of them coming up in the spaces in between where I have rubber mats to keep weeds from coming up. I used to use Roundup weed killer, BUT, now I am trying to not use Roundup.
I am now thinking that smothering them would be best. Also, making raised beds will be easier to keep weeds pulled. I no longer garden at the ground surface, so, any of those weeds that grow at the ground level, I can just mow down to the soil surface about 4=-5 inches tall.
Thistle weeds have been said to tap down to the deeper soil area and absorb the deeper soils nutrition or soil elements. Maybe those weeds would be best to be composted and add those deeper soils nutrients to your compost.
I really liked your video. Thanks a lot. You are very funny too. I'm left with a smile on my face, thinking of those damn thistles laughing their roots off, make us dig like crazy. But, I just came in from doing exactly that, and it is sort of good for me to see them disappear from the lovely garden we have just taken over, but it was a little neglected, but we must be careful, because lovely plants are hidden amongst the enemies of most gardeners.
I don't have time to write long essays, because I have to see more of your videos. I just subscribed. So, keep up the good work!
I have had a spading fork for years, and never knew how or where to use it.Thanks.
All thistle are edible; if you harvest them for food, they'll no longer be a problem :) I now almost struggle to find enough weeds for a meal, whereas before, the weeds were overwhelming
Can’t wait to do this and have a better garden next year! I’ve had lots of issues this year. Ty
That's great Janice!
Good luck and thanks for watching!
Paul
The bees love thistle !
This was a very good video. Thank you. I have an 80 acre farm. I have not used poisons for over six years..
Canadian Thistles started about three years ago. I bush hog regularly to get the weeds my cows do not eat. They went to seed before I got to them.
Year two - I bush hogged early, but they still came up from the roots.
Year three (this year) - I walked 40 acres and cut a large number of thistles by hand with shears.
Year four - (next Spring) I am going to follow your ideas
Thanks for the advice, I been using a shovel for years and never thought of using the fork tool and I have one too! LOL another thing I’ve done that works fairly well. Especially with clay soil like I have! Is soak the ground with lots of water softening the soil as much as possible and then I can usually get a lot of the weeds pulled out of the dirt with the roots intact. Still can be a fight with some weeds though. Can’t wait to give your fork tool a try! I have 5 acres and more weeds than I care to think about. I try to keep mine under control. Unfortunately I have many neighbors that don’t care what their property looks like and just let weeds grow and seed. Which just makes more weeds that get started on my property at some point! Never ending battle, especially when neighbors don’t do their share to help control the weeds! Very frustrating!
You may want to consider using a silo tarp. 5 acres is way too much to do one weed at a time.
😎..just discovered..How to use This Tool too!🙂
Plant some thick hedges (needs to be thick also on the ground) around the fence line. The plants will not come up where it is not sunny and the blowing seeds will get stuck on the hedges as well.
I have quite large thistles already but I'm dealing with clay. Been a really wt spring so far but it's just gumbo that breaks the roots. Hard to stay on top of it - south side of house and gets super hot. And evening and morning we deal with super agrrssive mosquitos. Just not a fun section of garden. We plan to cut them dow dig as much as we can, and spread cardboard and newspapers and mulch. Yes they will come back up but at least I hope the soil will slowly become more workable
9:10 are there no green bins in north america? (bins dedicated only for compostable and biodegradable things)
Cara penanganan tumbuhan gulma dengan ramah lingkungan , tx info nya 🙏❤
I used a broad fork and a garden fork. Blackberry vines too. Quack grass too! Never leave a root piece..
God I honestly really super hate those annoying weeds too but I really do love the very pretty flowers that they have on them! If only they weren't a weed and also if only they didn't have all of those super nasty needles on them too!
I love thistle. I use this sow thistle (extremely nutritious) for fermented plant juice (foliar feed my veggies and trees).
I’ve got way too many in my garden area right now I might have to wait until the cold winter weather kills them off. I will admit though when they were in full bloom they do look very pretty as long as they’re on the edges of my property which is a few acres so I’ll let those go but the ones in my garden area they are in trouble now.
Thank you! I’m trying to get rid of a lot of plantain in my yard.🥵 Will try drying on the sun and compost them.?
I got an ad for Roundup during this! 🙄
Thanks for the tip on using the fork to loosen the soil. I'm sure that will help. I've noticed that by keeping them pulled they are getting smaller and less aggressive. Next time I'll use my garden fork and maybe they'll get tired of trying to grow in my flower bed! :)
Because in pulling the leaves you rob the plant of sun which starves even the roots.
I agree. I tackled them in early spring. Easier to dig up when they are still young before the thorns develop and soil is damp. Kept on them through the summer. Huge improvement. Will see this spring if they are dwindling. Good video. Thx
Hi Mo....they're a tough weed but it sounds like you're getting them under control. Good luck this season!
Thanks for watching!
Paul
For the UK, bindweed is far and away the worst weed, with couch grass some way behind. We have very few thistles indeed.
I have all three 😓 and Himalayan balsam..
Thistle make a health tea. These deep roots fill the leaves with rich nutrients .
Most informative so far! But I did see another video where the guy used a bulb planter to reach the tap root. 👍
I sometimes use 3 quarters vinegar 10 tea
doors of salt and some dawn dish soap & let
sit to devolve the salt then shake slightly from bottom to top a few times and go out &
soak the plant and root bottom. It dries them out but you have to keep to it daily.
You have a manner of speaking similar to Joe Pera, and I love that.
Grew up on a wheat seed farm had to go out and spray the thistle with roundup Glyphosate
Glyphosate ruined my health
The most informative video on thistles! Thanks 😊
I'm glad you found it helpful @K Biggs and thanks for the great support!
Paul
Very helpful! Thank you!
That said, I’ve managed to allow the thistle to get out of hand in my pollinator garden. The thistle are choking out the plants. Last year, I had to take a second job and was working seven days every week and had even less time to spend combating them. Then in December, I had major shoulder surgery and haven’t been able to do much. I’m getting ready to have another shoulder surgery. I’ve decided to sacrifice the garden and start again next spring. How do I kill off everything this year and be left with soil that’s safe to plant in next year?
Hi @Asher, I would cover the garden with some heavy landscaping fabric and weigh it down in spots with some bricks or large rocks so it stays in place. That will keep the light from penetrating and in a few months, all the plants underneath will be dead. The fabric will still let the rain get through so the organisms in the soil don't die off. Remove it next spring and you should be good to go.
Thanks for watching!
Paul
@@GardenWellEatWell Thank you, Paul!! I appreciate that so much. And, I very much appreciate you not trying to talk me out of it. This garden was once a labor of love, but now it literally overwhelms me. I’ve battled these thistle for the last several years. Hopefully next spring my strength and mobility are back and I’ll be able to maintain it properly! ⛅️ ☀️ 🌺 🐝 🦋
Nor sure about the Canadian thistle but the spiny thistles we get here in Texas are delicious. We harvest them just like any other vegi. Dandelion is also a great plant to harvest. I see gardeners throw so many great edible plants because they are told its a bad weed. This is just a waste of nutritional food. Especially because they grow wild and natural. God bless just thought this could be helpful.
I once let thistle grow to flower stage coz i was just too busy with other problems. Bees absolutely loved it though. There were sooo many of them hovering. They smell very good too. If only they werent so prickly and invasive id let em stay.
So Coach Z grew up to be a gardener. "Okay, den. Hey, dere, Homestray."
Or trow them in a shredder? You want one to make mulch anyway. What i do i seperate dry material from wets; the dry pile can be use for mulching and the wets go into the compost bin. But the fork idea is a good one. Tnx. And very well edited btw.
I think oriental bittersweet is way harder to get rid of. Bittersweet almost killed my german shepherd, he ate a couple leaves and was so sick and having seizures. We had to rush him to the emergency vet 2x on a Sunday! Its a very evil vine! Ive been attacking it for years and it STILL comes back
I like them, leting them grow around the yard.
Good video. My granddaughter agrees. Sisells as she calls them are bad..
I LOVE THISTLE AND DANDELIONS! Both are edible and were probably brought here on purpose. They are not weeds. They are attempting to help your garden.
I'm in the UK so get thistles alot as they are native to here and grow by ponds , rivers etc and are so hard to get rid of , I find I am digging them out every year and still they come back . I need a way to get rid of them totally , once and for all. We over the past few years got them now growing up on our driveway
Ok, the over apologizing at the end got me 😂😂😂😂
I enjoyed watching, very entertaining, thanks for sharing❤️
Thanks very much for supporting my channel @redredwine1277 !
Paul
Thank you for an excellent explanation.