Those darn Thistles

Cover the thistles with a back and holding the base with a dishcloth for instance cut the plant as close to the ground as possible, and then remove the root. The thing is thistle have complex root systems that will allow new plants to grow when the roots find open spaces so it is essential to remove the root. Since you don't want to risk damaging the coriander and strawberry you could try only doing this when preparing the soil for winter this saves on the pesticides and you can eat the strawberries without worrying if they have been infected by the weed killer. Hope you find a solution, good luck.

Out here in cattle country, we just kick them over (obviously wearing heavy boots, not flip flops ;) Once the stalk is broken, they usually die out pretty quickly.

Hi Suspenseful, Well, we can add this to the list of why I don't garden. No talent or green thumb either. I'd go to the hardware store and buy a pair of those thick gardening gloves. Save your hands, and happy gardening.

If you can't get rid of them without killing the other plants, why not cut them down and keep them short? Then you could see your flowers, pick your vegetables and everything would live. Then next year you can lay down weed cloth and cut out places for the plants you want--the weeds will rarely poke through the cloth.

Cut the thistle off ans spray directly into the stem with the weed killer. A bit of bleach in the stem works as well..Enjoy!

I see that a lot of garden lover posted here showing the anger for the weed plants in the garden. I think it is better to go and consult someone from the agriculture department and ask for the right kind of the weed remover. It is a hard work to take out the single-single plants from the garden.

I don't use weed killers or anything else that may damage my garden or me, since I garden for food, but now and then I have a thistle pop up. The key is to get them while they're young and they pull up easily. If you're afraid that pulling up the thistle will disturb other plants near it, cut it off even with the ground, then watch it and keep it trimmed so it can't grow back. It will eventually give up and die.

I would use a pair of scissors and cut the thistle out of the way and then see if I could spray the roundup just on the thistle without hitting the other plants.You could also try digging up the thistle by the root with a spoon or spade.I wish you luck and have a great day.

A real shame that the only "smart" weed-killer is a human being. LOL Wouldn't it be nice if we had a weed spray, that knew the difference between a weed, and a real plant? I bet if someone invented one of those, they'd make a million dollars!

take a hoe to them

I have a similar problem in my garden and I have just bought some weed killer but it has been too rainy to begin my weed killing. I have got the number one weed in my garden and it is very hard to get rid of. It is called horse tail. I am going to try out the weed sprayer on a bit of land I don't mind losing all the weeds. I fell very nervous with the areas that have beautiful flowers as well as the nasty weed. I will try a bottle with a cut off funnel. Then it will be easy to totally direct the weed killer.

Wrap some cloth round your hands so that when you pull out the weed the thorns do not hurt you. Uprooting the weed is the only way to get rid of it.

Actually, if they are edible, I eat them. (Cardoons and artichokes are nothing but edible thistles.) Otherwise I let them go to seed, harvest the seeds for the birds (if the birds don't get there first), and wait for everything else in the garden to go dormant. Then I cut the thistle off close to the ground and dig up the root. Next year, no more thistle! By the way, I have not used either artificial fertilizers, pesticides or weed killers for over 40 years and I have a gorgeous, lush garden. Organic techniques really work!

Funny you should mention this. I have some bull thistle right now that I have no solution for. It decided to grow in the middle of a grape vine that's enclosed by a small metal fence a yard high. I have another one growing in my herb garden about three yards from that one in the grapes. I don't like to use any weed killers -- if I have time I'd rather pull them up by the roots. I just learned that the milk thistles can be eaten and are very good for you once you peel the thorns off. Mustard and dandelions are nutritious greens, but need to be boiled to get bitterness out I'm told. I also just discovered another prominent garden weed, the mallow, is also edible and it's leaves can be harvested, dried, and ground for use as thickener in soups and stews. I discovered this too late last spring, but these leaves are very nutrious and I did use a few in salads. Purslane, a summer weed, is another very nutritious food that can be used raw in salads or stir-fried. So I discovered I might be just as well off eating the weeds that grow free and aren't bothered by my animal friends than trying to grow a buffet with much labor that will be enjoyed only by these same animal intruders. So I plan to make good use of weeds next spring. What I don't eat I will compost. That leaves me with the problem of the bull thistle. I guess I will wait until fall when the grapes go dormant, put on the gloves, and see how far I can reach to pull it out. The one in the herb garden will be easy. I actually think the thistles are beautiful plants, and if they aren't in the way, I don't mind leaving a few for the flowers. But I like weeds and study them. The only thing I myself will use Round-up on is poison oak or coyote bush I have cut to the ground, and poison hemlock which resists being pulled all the way out. I can live with other weeds.