Boar thistle killing late on?

steveR · Nov 3, 2021

I was really rather pee'd when I realised a few weeks ago that my nice herbal ley, has started to grow boar thistles. :-(

I have been successfully been spot treating them with Polo of the back of a mini compact tractor. Best session was when I go my Urban BiL to drive teh wee tractor, and I walked behind covering a 6m swath!

However, it is starting to get cold now, so wondering in anyone has any herbicide recommendation for killing the things as we go into winter? Even belting themn back will be beneficial. I'll weedwipe next year, if I can get the ley bit down hard enough to wipe the thistles.

Frank-the-Wool · Nov 4, 2021

What are Boar thistles?

steveR · Nov 4, 2021

Frank-the-Wool said:
What are Boar thistles?

a native to Shropshire apparently

milkloss · Nov 4, 2021

Spear thistle

hendrebc · Nov 4, 2021

Cut their tops off with a spade. Much easier than it sounds and you can even give your BiL a spade instead of getting him to drive.

steveR · Nov 4, 2021

milkloss said:
Spear thistle

Yep.

hendrebc said:
Cut their tops off with a spade. Much easier than it sounds and you can even give your BiL a spade instead of getting him to drive.

Done many a thistle with a "spud" or a spade, but there are one hell of a lot of thistles.... :-(

hendrebc · Nov 4, 2021

steveR said:
Yep.

Done many a thistle with a "spud" or a spade, but there are one hell of a lot of thistles.... :-(

I don't find it much slower than spot spraying them really. Well I suppose it is but you can do it any time of year compared to spray.

steveR · Nov 5, 2021

hendrebc said:
I don't find it much slower than spot spraying them really. Well I suppose it is but you can do it any time of year compared to spray.

Very good point on timing, and of course, it is rather satisfying chopping them off

I do find work rate to be much higher with a spray mind...

Bury the Trash · Nov 5, 2021

Remember disturbing the soil will increase the chances of encouraging new germination of dormant seed.

Why not chill and leave them till next yr when they get going again, ... later

spring when they will be easier to kill completly , ( just needing vegative growth 'desicated ' from then on),as they are more likely to be in theirsecond year as a biennial.

Cheesehead · Nov 9, 2021

steveR said:
a native to Shropshire apparently

Always called them spear or gore thistle here never heard boar now questioning my hearing found the hedge cutter worked well a couple of days ago at skimming the tops off.

Dad still swears by his pecker (not the one you're thinking of but a 3 or 4 inch hoe) uses it was a walking stick as he checks the sheep then stops and pulls the root out when he sees one.

Werzle · Nov 9, 2021

Always called them boar/bore thistles here but heard them called scotch thistles too. Dig them out by the roots with a spade , not as bad as it seems once you get stuck in.

Frank-the-Wool · Nov 10, 2021

I always have my Gore spud, it has two spikes at an angle with a cross bar which acts as a lever for getting the roots out.
Just dig them up when I see them and as long as you can stop them flowering and seeding they can be eliminated as long as your neighbours keep them under control as well.

steveR · Nov 10, 2021

Cheesehead said:
Always called them spear or gore thistle here never heard boar now questioning my hearing found the hedge cutter worked well a couple of days ago at skimming the tops off.

Dad still swears by his pecker (not the one you're thinking of but a 3 or 4 inch hoe) uses it was a walking stick as he checks the sheep then stops and pulls the root out when he sees one.

I know your "pecker" as a spud, doing the same job

steveR · Nov 10, 2021

Werzle said:
Always called them boar/bore thistles here but heard them called scotch thistles too. Dig them out by the roots with a spade , not as bad as it seems once you get stuck in.

There are a lot... an awful lot of them!

steveR · Nov 10, 2021

Bury the Trash said:
Remember disturbing the soil will increase the chances of encouraging new germination of dormant seed.

Why not chill and leave them till next yr when they get going again, ... later spring when they will be easier to kill completly , ( just needing vegative growth 'desicated ' from then on),as they are more likely to be in theirsecond year as a biennial.

Because at the moment, the herbal ley is low and the thistles are easy to see and get at!

IKWYM about better growing conditions, my agronomist said use Shield, even now.

Bury the Trash · Nov 10, 2021

steveR said:
Because at the moment, the herbal ley is low and the thistles are easy to see and get at!

IKWYM about better growing conditions, my agronomist said use Shield, even now.

Well Its unusually mild here for mid Nov. ?? if your s or whatever are still growing as ours (grass seeds) are then.... so yes should be ok i guess.

but they still struggling to keep up with being grazed by rabbits

Agrivator · Nov 10, 2021

If it's burr thistle, I would spot spray with Thrust, which is a mixture of 2,4D + Dicamba.

Wisconsonian · Nov 11, 2021

Biennial thistles are most vulnerable this time of year, at least they are here. They won't come back in the spring if you get them now with the right chemical.

Boar thistle killing late on?

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