The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on May 13, 2017, 08:56:27 pm

Title: Thistle stick
Post by: Penninehillbilly 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  ???

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: CarolineJ 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.

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: Backinwellies 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. 

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: Penninehillbilly 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

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: SallyintNorth 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 ;))

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: Penninehillbilly 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.

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: devonlady 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.

Title: Re: Thistle stick
Post by: bj_cardiff 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