Canada Thistle

SuperDog · #1 05/14/10, 08:50 AM

Does anyone else have a problem with Canada Thistle in their pastures? If so, what do you use to get rid of it?

Thanks
Mike

Allen W · #2 05/14/10, 10:58 AM

We have musk thistle here, Been using 24D and dicamba mixed on it.

rancher1913 · #3 05/14/10, 11:17 AM

use a weak round up solution with 2-4d, the weaker the better as a shock to the plant will cause the root system to "break off" and regrow. takes several applications.

SuperDog · #4 05/14/10, 11:51 AM

I was hoping there was a magic bullet out there. I have used the 2-4-D, and with Canada thistle, it kills the plant, but not the rhizomes. With round-up, it kills everything, but thats the problem...... it kills everything, including the grass. Guess I will just keep spot spraying with round-up. Sure takes a long time tho...

Allen W · #5 05/14/10, 02:05 PM

Glad I just have musk thistles and marijuana to contend with. The Canadian thistle sounds pretty nasty.

agmantoo · #6 05/14/10, 02:50 PM

SuperDog
If you like the Roundup but do not want to kill everything why not get a weed wiper as the thistle should be taller than the forage.

francismilker · #7 05/14/10, 05:53 PM

The thistle I have here is very resiliant to 2-4-D so I've been adding a little more surfactant and adding 1 pint of dicamba in with each 100 gallons of water. It's seems to be doing the trick after 2 seasons. I'll know later on this year if I've done any good.

By the way, in our area where it's warmer and bermuda is the most desireable warm season growth we can spray with round-up early on before the bermuda gets started. As long as your 24 hour temps are below 70 degrees here the bermuda doesn't really try that hard to come out of dormantcy. You have to have a pretty good stand of bermuda before you do it though because if not you end up with desert like conditions once you've killed off all the broadleaf.

Personally, I'm a fan of the early season broadleafs. The cows like em' and I hate to spray anything they'll eat.

Judy in IN · #8 05/17/10, 03:16 AM

FOREFRONT is the tool you are wanting.

Only kills broadleaves, and will persist into the Fall, taking out any new thistles and cockleburs, for example.

In contrast to Roundup, you can see the thistle curling up the NEXT DAY. Makes it easy to see any that were missed.

Because it doesn't kill grass, you can put it in a big sprayer, and use the tractor to coat the whole field.

genebo · #9 05/17/10, 08:32 PM

I second the Forefront. One shot of Forefront and the next day my bull thistles are gone! Nothing left but a pile of black ashes.

I have to spot spray to preserve my clover and lespedeza. Forefront will kill that, too.

I bought the forefront to control Carolina horse nettles. It does a pretty good job on them.

Genebo
Paradise Farm