Thistles !!

The_snoopster

The_snoopster

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After this years infestation of ragwort which took me 3 weeks to pull up then two days to burn, why is it now that i have patches of thistles waiste high. Its quite a new field to me so hoping that the rag will slowly diminish over the next few years but the thistles are a pain . Does spraying them in the spring kill them and how much does that cost ??. I did have a field before with lots of thistles which my mare ate she seemed to love them but the ponies don,t bother with them.
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I don't know how much it cost but the YO sprays the thistles here - some ponies and horses like them when they are small when they get bigger they get to tough I think. Have you got a farm supplies shop near you - they will be able to tell you the best thistle detroyer!! YO has a backpack sprayer that he uses - also does the docks with it.
 
The best way to get rid of them is to pull them up by hand. I am slowly working my way through our new field which has a couple of large areas of thistles....some will grow back so it will need to be done every year until they all go, but by pulling you get the root out where as I think some spray applications just kill the top and leave the root so they grow back.

I just leave them where I have pulled them and the horses eat them once they are wilted. They LOVE them!!
 
OMG they're driving me nuts ATM! YO has move my 2 babies to a new field, and every day they're plastered in dried thistle tops. Last night their forelocks resembled dreadlocks. It took me ages to unpick them
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Wish mine would eat 'em
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Hubby as got a big strimmer so will set him to work i think the reason i seem to have more than last year is my cob mare as been moved out as in foal. And there is also more grass in there than usual with her gone and mild weather.
 
[ QUOTE ]
OMG they're driving me nuts ATM! YO has move my 2 babies to a new field, and every day they're plastered in dried thistle tops. Last night their forelocks resembled dreadlocks. It took me ages to unpick them
mad.gif


Wish mine would eat 'em
smirk.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Think yours are burdocks--related to thistle and totally agree they are a nuisance--picture long haired cat covered in them!!

http://www.oakenwoods.co.uk/html/burdock.html
 
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