Two very good answers to this question. Read on!
Q. Thistles have taken over one of my flowerbeds. I have pulled them, sprayed them and even tried preen. Nothing stops them from coming back. Help! Does anyone know how to rid a bed from thistles? Thank you!
-Southborough, Massachusetts
A. The only thing I’ve found that controls thistle, and it does it outstandingly, is Lontrel. I don’t know if this is available on the consumer market or not. Look for Lontrel or Confront (same compound: maybe different formulation: I don’t know). Anyway, just a little spritz on the leaves from a spray bottle knocked mine out totally, never to return. Don’t put it on anything else, although it doesn’t seem to harm my turfgrass. If I get it where there are other good plants under it or next to it, I don’t spray it: I don nitrile gloves and rub it on the thistle leaves.
-Denny Blew, BlewLabel Perennials
Bridgeton, New Jersey
A. Next to rabbits, thistle is my garden nemesis No. 2. Thistle is very resistant to all but the most powerful herbicides and the fact that they often grow in and amongst desirable plants sometimes makes that option impractical. Other than just being ornery, they spread underground by rhizomes, so cultivating makes them worse and pulling them out is difficult…and painful. My solution is labor intensive and may be impractical depending on the size of the affected area: using a trowel loosen the soil around each weed and remove with as much root as possible. You need to do this habitually until either you or the weeds run out of energy.
Drew Effron, Ball Horticultural Company
www.wave-rave.com
