[rookie1]

Hi all fellow frustrated veggonauts
Can anyone give me some advice about getting rid of creeping thistle in the garden (not the veg plot)?
I've sprayed with SBK brushwood killer on the 'couple' of dry days we've had since the end of May, and although some are looking decidedly poorly and are going black, others just have bent heads, but otherwise still standing and green. Should I spray those again? And when they do eventually do the decent thing, do I pull them up or dig down to try and get as much of the root out of the ground? There's a lot of 'em and I'm afraid that I haven't caught them before flowering, so presume the little devils' seeds are all over the show.

[mumofstig]

Yup if they're still standing I'd blast them again.

Once they're dead they should just rot away, but if the roots are in the way you may want to remove them.

You'll either have to mulch deeply to stop seeds germinating, cover soil with weed control fabric, or keep hoeing seedlings off as they appear.

[rookie1]

thanks for the advice mumofstig. Just need a dry day for another go at 'em and we'll be laughing ...

[sunshineband]

thanks for the advice mumofstig. Just need a dry day for another go at 'em and we'll be laughing ...

   Let's hope it is soon

[Goosegirl]

Strange - I usually have a nice selection of them coming up in my garden every year, but this year there seems to be a shortage; not that I'm complaining at all. I spot-sprayed  one on my gravel path and it succumbed quite quickly, as have others in the past. I have also dug them up when the soil is damp and, very gently, eased the root out, 'cos if yoou leave a tiny bit behind..??

[rookie1]

thanks Goosegirl. I suspect mine may be resisting the weedkiller due to the wet weather washing the solution off the leaves as we've barely had two dry days together. Will persevere when/if we get a dry spell.

[Goosegirl]

You've hit the nail on the head! Any spraying needs time to dry and be absorbed by the leaves. I would say about 24 hours. Thistles should look very sorry after being treated.

[Yorkie]

You've hit the nail on the head! Any spraying needs time to dry and be absorbed by the leaves. I would say about 24 hours. Thistles should look very sorry after being treated.

6 hours is the usual period to rely on.

[GrannieAnnie]

I had been hoeing mine.  They are prolific in the patch that my leeks are going in if they ever grow a bit more.

OH tells me I should be spraying them, or painting with paintbrush.  Well, can't spray in this weather, so the other day I decided to trying painting them!  1 hour and a very back tummy ache and achey legs later.  I decided I'll go back to hoeing!

We have another big patch next to this one that we covered with black plastic and weighted down with paving slabs, and I'm growing bush tomatoes on top in big pots and buckets.

We'll see what that looks like in winter when I remove the plastic.  If its still there, it will get blasted with Clinic Ace once I've harvested the surrounding veg!!!