Best Crop of Thistles

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
Reseeded this field last year for the first time in possibly 30 years. Obviously awakened 30 years of thistles too. Grazed tightly for 2 weeks, reasonable catch of clover.
Spray or cut?
IMG_20220608_143544_364.jpg
IMG_20220608_143623_448.jpg
 

JSmith

Member
Livestock Farmer
So glad it’s not just me then!! I did exactly what you’ve done an had the same result!! I’ve topped mine before they seed cus they’d got that strong, they’ll need spraying to get rid of them at some point
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
They look like they are about to come in flower, which is why I would top now., And again on regrowth. It will allow the grass and clover to establish better before tackling them with chemicals next year.

They do seem to be coming into flower early this year, so leaving them to ‘cut in July so they soon die’ will be too late and they’ll have set seed.
Topping now will thin them out a bit by killing some, but some will also come back and need sorting again, one way or another.
 
wait until mid july before cutting....the plant will be at maximum effort by then.......cut it to exhaust it,,,, then repeat early october before frost tells the plant to send nutrition back to roots.....any spray that kills thistles will kill your clover
Top in may,back in the hay
Top in June is a month too soon
Top in July they lay down and die
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Top in may,back in the hay
Top in June is a month too soon
Top in July they lay down and die
Around here if you left topping until July you’d be wasting diesel as they’d all have flowered and seeded by then!

saying I’ve been told many times - “if you haven’t enough thistles too spray this year, top them. That way you’ll be certain of having enough thistles too spray next year!!”
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
Reseeded this field last year for the first time in possibly 30 years. Obviously awakened 30 years of thistles too. Grazed tightly for 2 weeks, reasonable catch of clover.
Spray or cut?View attachment 1041503View attachment 1041504
Same here...


20220508_095414.jpg


...had a pipeline through here and after we reseeded it got these :banghead:
Topped them. Nearly needed the chainsaw for the biggest of them :facepalm:
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
Around here if you left topping until July you’d be wasting diesel as they’d all have flowered and seeded by then!

saying I’ve been told many times - “if you haven’t enough thistles too spray this year, top them. That way you’ll be certain of having enough thistles too spray next year!!”


i know...i had some set aside yrs ago and you wern't allowed to top until july 15th....it was full of creeping thistle all flowering/seeding as i cut it.....but within a coupla years they were gone....it takes a lotta faith to do it i admit.... but it does work......much prefer thistlex but if you want clover

@yellowbelly ...if it's only a small area....top them then a handful of salt on each centre ;)
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Can you weed wipe them ?
Definitely weed wipe

Only effective way if you want to keep clover, and with fertiliser prices where they are, who doesn't?

Spent many an hour running over thistles with the topper. I've a field that took 3 years to be rid of them, and while the diesel was (then) far cheaper than spraying and over sowing clover, it's tedious!

Bought a lovely used weed wiper, and revolutionised the job 👍
 
creeping thistles - mix up a strong 36g/l (100ml in 1l) glyph mix and knapsack spot spray a load of the stems. you dont need to get all of them as they creeping so linked.

You may only spray 10 to 15 stems and a week later 50sqm of the buggers will be yellow ,
glyph knocks creeping thistle for 6 and it can wipe out huge areas quickly, top after yellowing to force them to use any reserves remaining to regrow, then MCPA to finish them off.
MCPA and GLyph have complimentary modes of action - Glyph ffs up the thistles synthesis of vital proteins weakening or killing it, toppping it forces it to use up any reserves not used repairing the glyph damage and MCPA makes it grow like crazy further weakening it by uncontrolled growth.
 

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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