Garden help--THISTLES!!!

[Rock'n Robin]

I have been fighting a running battle with thistles for a couple of years now. This year, as in the past, when I went on vacation last week it was dry and they just went nuts. We have a rise towards the back of our yard that is mulch with some rosebushes, etc. and a few thistles are taller than the roses!
I use roundup about once every other week and while it kills the existing thistles, new ones come up. If I pull them out more follow. They only get worse. Is there something better than roundup for this menace???? I hate spending my vacation bent over a bottle of weedkiller!
Robin M.

 

[pkasbohm]

when i use to live on a farm growing up as a child it would be my job to do the thistle cutting. You can imagine how much fun that was!!! In order for them not to come back you have to take a shovel and dig them out--from the roots!!! if you just pull them chances are their roots are still there and will come back. They are very stubborn and can live through spray. If you wait till they seed (the little flower part) they will drop seeds and grow more so try to get them before they grow that little flower. Hope this helps!!!

 

[grinningghost]

The ONLY thing that has ever helped me with thistles is getting the lawn treated with TruGreen chemicals - the kind where the truck comes out and sprays the lawn. And even then, some do find a way to pop up.

I really hate them. They're ugly and they hurt.