What is a good spray against thistles?

On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:40:46 GMT, Johannes
wrote:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Not much point in spraying at this time of year as they're going over.
Just cut them down and stop them seeding all over the place.
Next year, if you want to spray earlier in the year, glyphosate is as
good as any.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

I find that spraying with Roundup works any time of year. It helps to
have some green on the weed as the herbicide is absorbed through the
leaves and is carried through the plant to the roots, it attacks the
roots and kills the plant from the root up. About 2 weeks after
spraying the plant will start to shrivel and in another 2 it will be
completely brown. It is quite normal to carry out one application of
the herbicide and then 2 weeks later need to re-apply, this should only
be done if the weed is showing no affect to the herbicide or has
started to green up again.
Hope this helps,

Edd Smith

www.charleylandscapes.com

http://groups.google.com/group/charleylandscapes

Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Johannes contains these
words:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Thistles are too valuable for spraying. Pull them up, they make great
compost.

Maybe, but they grow very fast in this kind of weather with lots of sun and
rain. It's getting out of hand so I need to do something.

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Johannes contains these
words:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Thistles are too valuable for spraying. Pull them up, they make great
compost.

I didn't know that. We get hardly any and they're composted along with other
'weeds'.

Does globe thistle make good compost too? We have a lot of that, Spouse hs
just shredded masses. And I'm growing Miss Willmott's Ghost, it's very
beautiful but no doubt it will have to be controlled.

Mary

Janet

On 26/8/06 23:25, in article ,
"Johannes" wrote:



Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Johannes contains these
words:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Thistles are too valuable for spraying. Pull them up, they make great
compost.

Maybe, but they grow very fast in this kind of weather with lots of sun and
rain. It's getting out of hand so I need to do something.

Leave a few for the birds, won't you? Goldfinches especially love the seed
heads and will thus help to keep the weed population down a bit, too!

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...

Does globe thistle make good compost too?

Haven't tried that, but I'd think so. I harvest loads of thistles
from the adjoining sheep meadow; when they have reached full height and
just before the flowers turn to seed. Like comfrey they are a great
compost-heap activator.

We still use the man-made activator :-)

Mary

Janet.

Sacha wrote:

On 26/8/06 23:25, in article ,
"Johannes" wrote:



Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Johannes contains these
words:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Thistles are too valuable for spraying. Pull them up, they make great
compost.

Maybe, but they grow very fast in this kind of weather with lots of sun and
rain. It's getting out of hand so I need to do something.

Leave a few for the birds, won't you? Goldfinches especially love the seed
heads and will thus help to keep the weed population down a bit, too!

I don't think that it's necessary, the stuff grows anyway at an alarming rate
as soon as I turn my back. But I've notices that after I've cut them down,
the birds get very interested in the exposed undergrowth; perhaps they find
some creepy crawlies for their diner table.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

On 27/8/06 21:46, in article ,
"Johannes" wrote:



Sacha wrote:

On 26/8/06 23:25, in article ,
"Johannes" wrote:



Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from Johannes contains these
words:

What is a good spray against thistles?

Thistles are too valuable for spraying. Pull them up, they make great
compost.

Maybe, but they grow very fast in this kind of weather with lots of sun and
rain. It's getting out of hand so I need to do something.

Leave a few for the birds, won't you? Goldfinches especially love the seed
heads and will thus help to keep the weed population down a bit, too!

I don't think that it's necessary, the stuff grows anyway at an alarming rate
as soon as I turn my back. But I've notices that after I've cut them down,
the birds get very interested in the exposed undergrowth; perhaps they find
some creepy crawlies for their diner table.

I think a lot of birdlife would be interested in that habitat. But
Goldfinches in particular, love thistle heads.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/