Thistle Problem...

[Cruise04]

Does anyone have any suggestions of something to use that will get rid of a thistle problem that we have. It's primarily on the east side of my house mixed in with the plants. I have gotten down and pulled the roots out, I have sprayed, I have dug and they keep coming back. I think when they dug the land for our house there must have been a BUNCH of thistles and once they dug they spread the seeds around and this is the place they ended up. I'm frustrated and just am trying to see if there are any other alternatives to use.

Thanks in advance

 

[bananiem]

My Mom used to dig as much of the root out as she could and then would sprinkle salt on the remaining root. It has worked for me on the occasional thistle, but it sounds like you have a bigger thistle problem. How long have you been in your house? Maybe this will be the last year for them?

 

[Cruise04]

This is our 6th summer in our house. It's about 8 or 9 years old. We'll get some once in a while on the south side of the house but the majority are on the east side. I think I'm going to try that salt idea and dig down as far as I can this weekend. Thanks for that suggestion.

 

[shrubber]

The common weed Russian thistle is a biennial. A self seeding plant that takes two years to reach maturity. The first year top growth and root. The second year flowers and seed, living on the food stored up in the root.
That is why they are so hard to control. If you don't get all the root, the plant is all geared up to come back. The best control is to spray Roundup or a weed killer listed for clover control.
If it is a real problem I bet that there is a field upwind. The seed carries very well. Just like the poem. ...and upward his coursers they flew, like the down of a thistle...

 

[Cruise04]

I have used Roundup - I use it every time one pops up and then I dig out the plant to the root. Comes back and usually not only in that spot but in another one. If they at least flowered I wouldn't be so upset but they get no flower, just green.

It reminds me of when my mom was going through treatment for breast cancer and we saw an oncologist at the University of Wisconsin hospital - he said a lumpectomy is treated like a thistle, once you cut it out the "seeds" at the end can spread.