The most famous thistle patch in MN

[S.T.Fanatic]

I can also test to what SD is saying. We do annual burns and have thistle pop up. Most of the time we do nothing and it goes away. My problem is what it gets choked out by. Read canary grass.

Where we have done something about it we just flattened it with the crimper and after a couple of years it’s gone. I don’t think the crimper is killing it but once it is flat the grass grows up through it and is able to compete.


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[farmlegend]

Stop spraying altogether, and stop mowing more than once per year. Frankly, I would mow around the thistles. Every time you spray you're killing everything that is supposed to follow the thistle, and that puts you back to the beginning of the thistle cycle. You're not allowing the evolution cycle to get to year 2 and 3. Canada thistle doesn't need a seed bank. It's already got enough there for the next 50 years.

I know this sounds crazy, but look around. Do you see thistle anywhere you haven't sprayed, packed (trails), or worked up the soil? If it's not endemic in the natural landscape, plant it in a crazy mix and let it go completely. Once it looks like everything is done in late summer and is drying down, broadcast more white clover, rye, and chicory in there, and just flatten it. Pick as many extra perennials and cheap annuals as you want to go with it. Might not hurt to hit those patches with some pelletized gypsum too. A few 40lb bags don't cost much and can really put goodies down for your desirable species.

Yes, canada thistle is exists as a minor component around my farm......EXCEPT in those places I have disturbed, and those are the places where it takes over. I had thought it was just because the thistle was nitrogen-loving of my clover plots.

Love the pics of rolling the thistle down. Gonna grab me some pelletized gypsum today!

 

[SD51555]

Yes, canada thistle is exists as a minor component around my farm......EXCEPT in those places I have disturbed, and those are the places where it takes over. I had thought it was just because the thistle was nitrogen-loving of my clover plots.

Love the pics of rolling the thistle down. Gonna grab me some pelletized gypsum today!

Welcome to the club brother. Ready yourself for greatness.

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[farmlegend]

Welcome to the club brother. Ready yourself for greatness.

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And, once again, I wandered around my farm today looking through brand new lenses!

Will have more when I return home to my desktop.

 

[farmlegend]

Stop spraying altogether, and stop mowing more than once per year. Frankly, I would mow around the thistles. Every time you spray you're killing everything that is supposed to follow the thistle, and that puts you back to the beginning of the thistle cycle. You're not allowing the evolution cycle to get to year 2 and 3. Canada thistle doesn't need a seed bank. It's already got enough there for the next 50 years.

I know this sounds crazy, but look around. Do you see thistle anywhere you haven't sprayed, packed (trails), or worked up the soil? If it's not endemic in the natural landscape, plant it in a crazy mix and let it go completely. Once it looks like everything is done in late summer and is drying down, broadcast more white clover, rye, and chicory in there, and just flatten it. Pick as many extra perennials and cheap annuals as you want to go with it. Might not hurt to hit those patches with some pelletized gypsum too. A few 40lb bags don't cost much and can really put goodies down for your desirable species.

On a related note - on the other end of my farm, I have 18 acre crop field that the farmer was unable to plant this year because the ground didn't dry out enough to plant until it was too late in the calendar. It's likewise heavy dirt that has been in rowcrops since the Coolidge administration. What's growing there now? The ground is presently 30% covered with canada thistle, and 70% covered with foxtail grass.

Brilliant stuff!

 

[SD51555]

I made a quick journey back to the plots to blow leaves off the access trails. Gonna be a crunchy walk in this year if it doesn’t rain.

Anyway, decided to check most famous thistle patch after the throw and roll.

It’s looking real good.

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[Bill]

Can’t believe how much time I wasted trying to kill thistle until reading your explanation and just walking away.

 

[SD51555]

One thing I noticed walking across my plot where this seed was blowing around on roll day, there is a decent stand of new thistles popping up on this plot. This may sound crazy, but I'm fairly excited about it. I've got compaction issues that need to be dealt with, and I'll take a field full of thistles if it means I'm gonna get thousands of pinky width holes punched through my clay later.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Interesting info SD. Thanks for documenting it.