Donkey thistles are hardy weeds and if you don't catch them early it can take years to get rid of them. If you persist, however, you can keep them under control without having to resort to drastic measures.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Organic Method
Step 1. Cut it out
Once the donkey thistle matures, cut it at the base. It will pop up again, but after cutting it often enough, the roots will be too stressed and the whole plant will wither.
- While mowing and mowing are important in any season, they are especially important during the first 3-4 weeks.
- Cutting the thistle prevents it from spreading its seeds while drying.
- As for the Canadian thistle, cutting it and mowing the stem causes its death. The rhizomes in the upper portion of the soil multiply quickly making it difficult to eradicate, but continuous attacks manage to stress the roots and make root nourishment impossible.
- For the European thistle, cutting only works if you manage to weed out the rosette formation during the first year. In the second year of this biennial plant, you will need to cut the stems to the ground before it can flower. In fact, if you let it bloom, the thistle will spread its seeds before you know it.
- The field thistle should be cut when the stem reaches 10-15 cm. Usually, we talk about June. Cut it back when you notice new throws.
- If you want to increase the chances of stopping it, wait until the stems are fully ripe before mowing them. Cutting the thistle in early spring doesn't help much, it's hardy and grows back. By waiting for the buds to open, you block the plant enough to inhibit its development for the rest of the season.
- It is equally important to cut the thistle before the buds open. Once formed and opened, it may disperse the seeds. The seeds are carried by the wind very easily, which is why the thistle is considered a weed.
- When cutting the thistle, be sure to throw away the cuttings. Do not use them for compost, as seeds and roots can take root even if the plant has not yet officially gone to seed.
- In addition to causing stress, mowing the lawn where the thistle grows helps keep the grass healthier and the area less hospitable for any new regrowth. This is why it is less likely to spread to a well-kept lawn.
Step 2. Dig the roots
If you only have a few plants, you can dig up the entire root system by hand. It will take some time, as the thistle has a deep and wide root system, but if you manage to weed it out completely you can get rid of the plant permanently.
- Removing the roots is essential if you have European thistle, not Canadian thistle. As useful as it is, the rosette must still be removed during the first year of life to keep it under control.
- Furthermore, this practice is particularly useful if you need to weed out common or marsh thistle plants. They are types of thistle with a smaller root ball, especially when young, so if you can unearth them you may be able to remove the plant completely. The tuber looks like a rosette and is right under the ground fur.
- Always remove any roots that you can get rid of. In fact, even the broken ones can take root giving life to new shoots and therefore to many more plants than there are at the start.
Step 3. Introduce natural predators
Some types of mammals and insects eat thistle, so by bringing them to the lawn or pasture you can keep the plant in check. After a while the thistle will be so stressed that it won't grow any more.
- Insects that naturally attack the thistle include the weevil, the rosette weevil, the carpal pinworm, the flower bug, the betulapion, the eustenopus and the eustenopus villosus.
- Livestock eat most of the non-poisonous thistles. Sheep and ponies tend to feed on young thugs while goats, donkeys and llamas chew on the thistle at any maturity level.
Part 2 of 3: Herbicides
Step 1. Use a non-selective broadleaf herbicide
It is one of the most successful methods of eradicating thistle from the whole area. The downside is that the rest of the vegetation will also die, so this method should be used if you have a lot of thistles.
- Administer the herbicide during the growing season, spring and fall.
- The best time is during a sunny day, when the temperature is between 18.3 and 29.4 ° C.
Step 2. Try a glyphosate herbicide
When targeting thistle plants, it's best to use a glyphosate formula. Apply it directly to the plant by spraying it or by hand.
- Give the herbicide during the growing season, spring and fall.
- Other known herbicides include MSMA, dicamba, MCPA, bromoxynil and 2, 4, -D.
- Although glyphosate and many others are technically non-selective, they can still be given only to thistle to avoid killing nearby plants.
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To administer the herbicide manually:
- Wear sturdy, untouched rubber gloves.
- Put on some cotton gloves.
- Mix the herbicide in a container according to the instructions.
- Put your hands in the container to soak the cotton gloves.
- Clench your fists to drain the excess liquid.
- Take each thistle and apply a generous dose of herbicide from bottom to top.
- Note that you may need to apply it several times before covering the entire thistle.
Step 3. Hire a professional
Professional gardeners have more effective means of exterminating thistles. They can use a more potent herbicide or burn it.
If you want to try to set the thistle on fire, make sure the hired professional has the right equipment. The fire will also burn the rest of the plants in the area, so it should only be used as a last resort
Part 3 of 3: Prevention
Step 1. Plant at close range
To prevent the thistle from spreading, you should plant in the garden or in the area where there are thistles, other plants close to each other. This will limit the space available for rooting, discouraging thistle growth.
- By arranging the other plants nearby, you will attach the thistle from above and below. The root systems of other plants can fight to feed themselves so it will leave the thistle with few nutrients. Tall plants that create shade are perfect as thistle hates shade and therefore will be less prone to growing.
- A good competitor is alfalfa. It germinates earlier than the thistle so it imposes itself before it can mature.
- Amend the soil in your garden to suit the needs of the plants you want to grow instead of those of the thistle. Thistle grows well in poorly fertile soils, so improving the soil with organic material can discourage the growth of most of its throw.
Step 2. Remove shoots and buds
If you can't completely mow the thistle you should at least trim the buds open as soon as you notice them. By removing the flowers you can prevent the thistle from going to seed. When plants fail to seed they do not propagate.
The hard part comes if there is a thistle that you cannot control. For example, if your neighbor has a lawn and refuses to keep it tidy, the seeds can spread in the wind
Step 3. Use mulch
If you recently trimmed the thistle or want to prevent a new one from growing, mulch the ground and empty spots in the lawn thickly. Mulch makes access to sunlight difficult and blocks many of the nutrients the thistle needs to germinate and thrive.
- Mulch can prevent new seeds from sprouting and keep roots in check if you cut by preventing regrowth before spreading.
- You can use pine needles, wood shavings or walnut shells as mulch. Any standard mulch is fine essentially, as long as you apply a layer of at least 5cm.
Step 4. Create the shadow
Thistles want full sun and die if in shade. For long-term management, you can plant trees that cast their shade on areas full of thistles. If you are looking for a short-term solution, build a temporary canopy to cover the infested areas.
An easy temporary structure can be created with tar paper, sheet metal or cardboard
Step 5. Watch out for contaminated material
The organic material you spread in the field can contain thistle roots and cuttings if you buy it from someone you don't know. When you buy the staff, make sure the seller has a good reputation.
The materials to look out for are lawn seeds, mulch material and pet food
Advice
- Wear gloves when touching the thistle. Gardening gloves can be too thin and you may find yourself scratched. In this case, use the welder's ones which are made of strong material.
- To improve your odds, use multiple removal methods instead of relying on just one at a time.
