thistle

Barbara H August 13, 2011

Getting rid of unwanted vines and weeds can take some patience. I located two links that should help. The first link is a previous expert post for ridding your yard of thistle. The second link will help eliminate the Morning Glory. The plus side of both is that non toxic methods are suggested. Hope this information helps.

MML Staff_Erin H EXPERT August 15, 2011

Can you tell me a little more about where they weeds are growing -- lawn, vegetable garden, flower/shrub garden? is it domestic morning glory -- the flowering kind people grow in gardens? Or is it bindweed, which is a wild weed? As for the thistle, are there just a few plants here and there, or is there a big patch of them. ------- If it is domestic morning glory, it scatters its seeds everywhere -- my neighbor grew it in her fenced back yard, and I find seedlings coming up in my yard. The seeds live a long time in the soil so they keep coming up. Try the usual -- mulching and hoeing and pulling. Try putting newspaper or cardboard under the mulch to create a thicker barrier. If they're in the lawn, mowing will keep them in check. -------- There are several different kinds of thistles. Some have a taproot; you can dig those up. Canada thistle spreads underground via underground stems called rhizomes. You can try treating with Roundup or 2,4-D, although the thick, prickly leaves make it hard for chemicals to penetrate. You can also try the newspaper/cardboard mulch. I've found the diligent, repeated pulling helps greatly as well.