# Thistle in the fields what would you do



## Canderson012

Does anyone have problems with thistle? The thorny flowery thing with seeds that float? Last year I hand dug a lot out of the field with a shovel and spot sprayed others with round up, after that sprayed field with Pasture Guard. The plant dies once the summer heat comes on. Well before the first cut of hay. Should I keep hand digging them. Incorporate a herbicide when the nitrogen truck fertilizes or some say you can just clip off the flowering seed head and put them in a bag. What would you do


----------



## vhaby

Used to have problems with thistles but they are rare on our place now. Thistles are best controlled by spraying when they are in the rosette stage, before the stem bolts to form the seed heads. However, they are easily controlled by spot spraying using herbicides that contain 2,4-D like Weedmaster even after bolting has occurred. You are wise to cut, bag, and burn the seedheads before spot spraying. No digging necessary.


----------



## Nitram

Two yrs ago used 24d and dicamba?on the silver headed type ( Canadian ?) I would have to check what date was applied that pasture went from over run to narely a one. For the Musk thistle (purple heads) I cut the heads before they are seeded out bag and burn , the plant I use a sharp shooter and cut below the soil level bout 3-4 inches and pull out then burn them as well. Martin


----------



## Canderson012

I know its not good to have them in my first cut bales but hey at least they die soon! Thanks guys, looks like clipping and bagging and 24-d sport spray or broadcast will do it.


----------



## mlappin

The property to the west of us we bought years ago was infested with canadian thistle (thank you previous BTO). Spray with 2-4d in the spring soon as any growth is noticed then wait two weeks to make sure all chemical is absorbed and has time to work it's magic before even driving on them to spread fertilizer. Took 5 or 6 years of this to totally eradicate them.


----------



## rjmoses

I agree with both Vol and Mlappin. I also go out and cut the whole plant out. Those pesky little suckers will go to seed even though the plant is dead if you spray too late with 2,4D. Took me about 4-5 years to get one pasture cleaned up.

And, when I spray 2,4D, I add a surfactant, like crop oil. Those plants have a very waxy surface and the surfactant helps with plant uptake.

Ralph


----------



## brandenburgcattle42

Use cross bow. You need the dicamba ingreedient to kill canadian thistles. We have lot of problems with them in out pasturesit also wilk get rid of any shrubby plants like multiflora rose, locust trees or other invasive trees or brooadleaves.


----------



## bluefarmer

ya'll may think I'm crazy but spray them jokers in the fall as close to a killin frost as you can.About two years ago I didn't want to carry the little spray I had left over,I mixed it drove two or three circles around the field the next spring I could tell exactly where i had sprayed (no weeds whatsoever).My father-in-law sold out cause of drought last summer he had about 10 acres of the finest thistles I sprayed them with grazon around the middle of october,the only place thats got thistles this spring,is my skippers I just resprayed friday


----------



## Nitram

bluefarmer are you cutting the heads before bloom or letting them go? Here if I waited until october there would be a new set of seed in the ground waiting for me the following yrs. Martin


----------



## urednecku

Nitram said:


> bluefarmer are you cutting the heads before bloom or letting them go? Here if I waited until october there would be a new set of seed in the ground waiting for me the following yrs. Martin


Around here, probably 2 or more crops worth of seed. Thistles around here are already in full bloom, seeds blowing everywhere.


----------



## bluefarmer

No the seed stage was over father-in-law didn't care, but they had all started over growing new growth and everything I sprayed didn't come back. You could tell exactly where my skippers were (ugh).I guess I wasn't completely clear, I also spray in spring some, but you get a better kill in the fall that includes bitter weed,buttercup,and them little purple flower weeds,oh and them sticker careless too, if you pay close attention this fall, you will notice that wherever you had the mature weed after it has been mowed down or growed it's life span, there will be a very small tender plant just like you would see in the spring, and if sprayed won't be back in the spring.


----------



## bluefarmer

No the seed stage was over, father-in-law didn't care, but they had all started over growing new growth and everything I sprayed didn't come back. You could tell exactly where my skippers were (ugh).I guess I wasn't completely clear, I also spray in spring some, but you get a better kill in the fall that includes bitter weed,buttercup,and them little purple flower weeds,oh and them sticker careless too, if you pay close attention this fall, you will notice that wherever you had the mature weed after it has been mowed down or growed it's life span, there will be a very small tender plant just like you would see in the spring, and if sprayed won't be back in the spring.


----------



## CockrellHillFarms

Only thing I would add to this. Round up kills them but it has a tendency to burn the plant up before the roots are killed. Thistles are a rhizome plant. So if you dont kill the roots, you arent actually killing them. Gazon will slowly kill the plant and get the roots are well and it wont kill the grass. However, it will kill broadleafs like clover etc. The worse thing you can do is disc thistles, that will actually split the roots and force them to make new plants.


----------



## mlappin

CockrellHillFarms said:


> Only thing I would add to this. Round up kills them but it has a tendency to burn the plant up before the roots are killed. Thistles are a rhizome plant. So if you dont kill the roots, you arent actually killing them. Gazon will slowly kill the plant and get the roots are well and it wont kill the grass. However, it will kill broadleafs like clover etc. The worse thing you can do is disc thistles, that will actually split the roots and force them to make new plants.


Agreed, on both counts, tillage makes it worse and roundup can kill em too fast which is why we used 2-4d.


----------



## Starvation Plantaton

2-4d has always worked good for me!
Now if I could get the county to spray the right-of-ways I could keep them on the run!


----------



## bluefarmer

Amen to that starvation


----------



## mlappin

Sometimes you just have to do it yourself. I keep the ditches mowed all along the farm for 1/4 of a mile one way and a 3/8 of a mile in the other as I got tired of the weeds spreading from the states half assed twice a year mowing of it. Keep the banks of the dirt road sprayed as well with 2-4d that runs on the other side of the farm as I got tired of burdock, ragweed and thistles going to seed every year before the county got to em.


----------



## rjmoses

Went by my neighbor's CRP ground yesterday--loaded with thistles! Federal Government makes a poor neighbor!

Ralph


----------

