Fighting a losing battle with thistles...

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Fighting a losing battle with thistles...
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Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 2:29 pm Post subject:
What did I say?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 2:39 pm Post subject:

Just after flowering but before seeding, when they've put everything into the flower the root reserves are most drained. Fencing the worst patches off from the sheep might help too, to let the grass block out some of the sunlight from the cut thistles, and let them back in when the rest of the grass reserves start to wane.

The following year we had a line down the field where the hedge trimmings had been & it hadn't got cut, the cut thistles were half the height in the cut bit & struggling to compete with the grass. This year the sheep have grazed it over winter & the cattle will go in at the end of the week. Last year though was the first time we've made silage from it, always too many thistles before.

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 4:19 pm Post subject:

We've only got sheep and have the thistle problem..... I tend to go round the field with a spade, digging the thistles out at ground level. It doesnt seem to help much as they seem to be increasing rather than decreasing but that could have a lot to do with next door neighbour adjoining ours that is absolutely FULL of thistles which are usually not cut till they've seeded and all the seed has blown right down across our field.

However, this year, for the first time ever he has actually topped the thistles before they seeded ( he did it last night

)

It will be interesting to see if we have less thistles next year.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 5:00 pm Post subject:

Behemoth wrote:

Don't fancy the chances of the poor b*gg*er on the top of the pile.

... and this time at least, I don't think he's intending to refer to Gervase being in Snowdonia...

Isn't a *tethered* goat (or several) the natural answer to a thistle problem? Seriously! IIRC they eat the things for fun. And many goat keepers might be pleased with an offer of some free temporary grazing.

And as regards the overgrazing problem, wouldn't a barbecue be the beginnings of a solution?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 7:32 pm Post subject:

Marionb wrote:

It will be interesting to see if we have less thistles next year.

I doubt it. Not many thistle seeds will not germinate in the first year, most are added to the seedbank to come when they get an opportunity. Most thistle spreading is by the roots, so in chopping the top of the root up you may actually be creating ten times as many plants. The root either needs digging out completely or the top growth managing to weaken the root & remove competitive advantage.

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 7:35 pm Post subject:
So do you mean it would be better to just cut the thistle an inch or two above ground level rather than actually dig in and slice it off right at the root?

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:22 pm Post subject:
My friend, at the abattoir, says you should top thistles in the rain, as this helps rot the plant quicker, weakening it even more.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:33 pm Post subject:
donkeys enjoy thistles, they like to nip the flowers off just as they are at their best and of course tiggers like thistles..you could have a tigger and your problem could be solved hope this helps...... p.s. our problem is docks..........several of oour fields have more docks than grass and until they are properly fenced we can't introduce the goats to deal with them

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:38 pm Post subject:

Nanny wrote:

and of course tiggers like thistles..you could have a tigger and your problem could be solved

No, no, no. Tiggers don't like thistles, or haycorns, or honey. They like extract of malt.

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:38 pm Post subject:
Nanny.... whats a Tigger.....

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:46 pm Post subject:

Marionb wrote:

Nanny.... whats a Tigger.....

ummmmmmmmmm.........................

do you not know your winny the pooh?

they are very bouncy creatures.............ok perhpas they aren't too keen on thistles but i am sure they would have a go till they find out they are too hot...............

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:47 pm Post subject:
Oh, I see..... I thought Tigger was one of your animals....

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 8:50 pm Post subject:

Marionb wrote:

Oh, I see.....

I thought Tigger was one of your animals....

much as rolf would love to have one, no we have no tiggers here....

donkeys yes, tiggers are a different thing

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 9:19 pm Post subject:
Good grief - I go off line for a few hours and when I come back I find you've all been on the dried frog pills in my absence...

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Tue Jun 26, 07 10:06 pm Post subject:
Our horses eat them (how - what's this rubbish about them having soft mouths ) Have I suggested this before M-J...?

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