How to Get Rid of Canadian Thistle
Having Canadian thistle all over your lawn in a nuisance. Like all weeds, Canadian thistle loves to take over and choke out all other plant life around it. Getting rid of Canadian thistle can be quite an undertaking, especially if you have large patches of them in your yard. Here are a few ways to make your lawn green, beautiful, and thistle free:
The Mowing Method
Mow your lawn often during the summer. Right before winter, cut your grass close to the ground, when the thistle is around six inches tall. Cutting the thistle down just before the cold temperatures will not give it time recover, and it will freeze to death. This is the best option if you have a yard full of thistle. If you have smaller patches then you can just get on your hands and knees and yank the thistle out. If you do this you have to make sure that you pull out all the plant, roots included. If you leave the roots behind the thistle will simply grow back.
Natural Predators
You can also try to introduce thistle eating weevils into your yard. They will only feed on, and kill, the thistle. If the thistle is taking over an extremely large piece of land you may want to try bringing in some grazing animals, such as goats or cows. Covering the thistle is also a good option. Canadian thistle needs abundant sunlight to grow. Use a large piece of fabric, plastic, or an old blanket. Keep in mind, this is also a solution for smaller patches because the cover will not only kill the thistle, but also the grass surrounding it.
Products & Professionals
There are two other options you can use, but only as a last resort. The first is a weed killing spray. This isn’t the best option because it can also kill grass, and take a huge chunk out of your wallet The second is fire. Burning the thistle should only be considered if you have exhausted all your other options. If you do have to resort to this method remember that safety should be your top priority. There are professional services that you can contact if you don’t feel comfortable with this method. If you decide to tackle the project yourself, make sure that you have a method to extinguish the fire if it gets out of hand, and call the fire department if your fire becomes extremely unmanageable.
