[Jome]

I took on my plot back in Jan, and knew it had a lot of thistles on it previously. I dug the whole lot, sieving etc and got rid of as much root as I could. Now I've planted a good portion of the plot with various crops, I'm absolutely ridden with the damn thistles everywhere. I can't use roundup now as they are coming up in between all the plants and it would be too risky to spray near other crops. I read somewhere that it's best to wait until June them pull them up,I've followed this pricinple but they are still coming thick and fast. Also my neighbour rotivated their plot then left it, provided a thick field of thistles that has now flowered everywhere. I just don't know what to do about this, any suggestions?

[Yorkie]

If digging them out or applying weedkiller is out of the question, I'd suggest trying to remove flowering heads as much as possible, and perhaps simply cutting them down to near ground level with secateurs for now - which would at least stop you walking into them and stop them seeding further.  You can then dig the roots out later in the season.

Rotavation and digging bring a lot of formerly undisturbed seeds to the surface but it should get better with time.

[sunshineband]

When you can get to them to dif them out, take care not to break off the root, as that bit will just sprout and reappear above ground again in a few weeks, possibly with several stems.

Water the gorund around them well, leave it to soan in, dig down as far as you can and pull them out by gripping the stem at what was below ground level.

Sorry to go but they are such a d*** nuisnace aren't they 

[Salmo]

I presume that these are creeping thistles coming from long white roots. I inherited a plot full of these but after 3 years there is only the odd one dares to show its head.

If you keep at them they will eventually tire but you need something to help the process.

They are suseptable to Roundup and you should look for any opportunity to use it.

If you can harvest a crop without disturbing the thistles you have an opportunity to Roundup them. e.g pull onions and carrots leaving the thistles behind.

When crops shuch as peas and beans have finished cropping leave the haulms where they are and Roundup them complete with any thistles.

Where ground is free until late Spring, maybe where you are planting runner beans or squashes, let the thistles grow and Roundup them.

A good way to apply Roundup is with a dribble bar on a watering can. These are in garden centres and avoid spray drift. It is surprising how close you can get to crop plants without dosing them, most of the time anyway!

I have been known to mix a little Roundup in a jar and dab with a paintbrush on emerging thistles when they appear amomgst the crops. (But of course you must not do such things as they are not written on the bottle.)

[Paul Plots]

Hoe, hoe, hoe...

It's no laughing matter but... if you swipe the blighters through with a hoe every time they stick up a shoot they will eventually give up the ghost. You just have to catch them small enough.