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Author Topic: Thistle stick  (Read 2923 times)

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Thistle stick
« on: May 13, 2017, 08:56:27 pm »
Hi
We have thistles coming up thick and fast.
Rather than resorting to weedkiller, just wondering if anyone uses a thistle stick, what it looks like, easy to use, effective etc.
Tried to google it and just comes up with Scottish stuff and walking sticks  ???

CarolineJ

  • Joined Dec 2015
  • North coast of Scotland
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2017, 09:28:04 pm »
Try Googling 'ragwort fork' - is that what you mean?  I have a neighbour who swears by hers, but haven't tried it myself.

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2017, 10:01:37 pm »
We dig up spear thistle with a thistle puller .... Great tool. Wolf tools do one..... Called thistle and dandylion puller. 
Linda

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Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2017, 02:03:29 am »
We thought it was like a very narrow spade,  the ragwort puller looks interesting, anybody tried that on thistles?
Need to look at the Wolf one, doesn't look as easy to use, so many thistles I'd better make sure we get the right tool for the job

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2017, 07:38:34 am »
I've read about using an old fashioned peeler/corer strapped to a stick, but I haven't used one myself. 

We used to thrash the flowering stems with a walking stick, it did help over a period of years.

Best is Fell Ponies, they love the flowers :)

I guess digging up is quicker and surer than topping (by whatever means ;))
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2017, 11:05:07 am »
You've reminded me - As a teenager I helped on a farm, when bringing dairy herd in we would use back of heel to damage the base of stem, Now much older, i tried that here, and started with foot problems (plantar fis-something?), not 100% sure it was connected, but don't want to go through that again  :(.
Goats love flowers as well, but these are in sheep field and another that needs fencing, noticed a lot of Foxglove seedlings as well  :(, need to transplant.

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2017, 12:42:16 pm »
You need no more than a sharpened stick (sharpened to a "semi" point and use it to pierce the centre of the thistle. Rain going in will rot the roots. Or, as said a "thistle spudder", a narrow sharp spade.

bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Thistle stick
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2017, 02:58:45 pm »
I think it dpends on what type of thistle you have. I have a lot of creeping thistle and the roots can spread for 1 metre underground. I'd spray with a selective weedkiller

 

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