How can you get rid of the weed Thistle without killing other plants/flowers?

The best time to use a herbicide on them is in late fall or early sping before flowering stalks are initiated. They should not flower in South Dakota until July at the earliest. Look for 2,4-D (1 to 1.5 quarts per acre), Benvel/Clarity (1 pint per acre). Don%26#039;t use Plateau (8 to 12 oz per acre) if you have fescue. If you use Ally (1/4 to 1/2 oz per acre) mix with 2,4-D to reduce injury to pasture grasses.

FlowersBirthday FlowersSympathy FlowersQ: We have some kind of thistle that we thought we destroyed last year, but it came back. Can you tell me how to get rid of it? (Mansfield, S.D.)


A: It appears that you have a bull thistle. I would suggest applying Trimec directly to the plant--and do so as soon as possible! We don%26#039;t want those plants to have any young ones sprouting up! Keep in mind the seed is very viable, blows easily in the wind and will establish just about anywhere. So maintain your vigilance!
Reply:Thistle%26#039;s drove me nuts in Ohio where it is illigal to propigate them. Mostly I kept digging up the roots and tried to keep them from going to seed. One plus, yellow goldfinches love them - they use that white seed fluff for nests and also eat the seeds.
Reply:cut the roots off as the plant is young and just keep doing this
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