Gardening question: Thistle removal
What is the best way to get rid of thistles?
The thistle is one of the most difficult perennial weeds to control because its underground stems can travel up to 20 feet a season. After chopping them down, use a plastic mulch to cover the entire area. A straw mulch, laid at least three inches thick, also will smother thistles. (Do not use a leaf mulch.) Your weed-control program must be long-lasting because the roots can lie dormant for several years. In addition to mulching, plowing the garden deeply in the fall will bring the rhizomes (stems) to the surface. But avoid rototilling, because this will cut the rhizomes, and each piece will become a new plant.
From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
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Remove your thistles just before they start to shed the seed , the birds especially finches will love the seeds and clean them up . Then depending on the area you have ,I’ve been told by experienced graziers that cutting thistle is most effective later in the season, when the core is hollow and reproduction is underway,.When cut young, they say the thistles just regrow. But I’ve always just hacked them off whenever I see them. After a few years, they pretty well disappear, except near the fencelines.”