Yellow Star Thistle, Flail Mower, and How to Pick Up the Seeds

[RedNeckGeek]

For the last two years, I've been mowing my property with a flail mower, and I've noticed that the yellow star thistle on the place is spreading. I suspect it's because the flail breaks open the seed pod at the top and scatters the seed better than the Bushhog did. So now I'm wondering how to get up the seeds. I mow about 8 acres of steeply sloped land, and a pull behind vacuum like a TrackVac doesn't seem like it would work well because it would get hung up in the trees and tip on a side hill. They also make a 3 point version, but it seems to require a mid mount mower that I don't have. Is that true? Or could it be made to work with the flail or Bushhog? Or do I need to go to something like a sickle bar that would cut the plants at the ground and leave the pods intact? That means I'd still need some kind of pickup tool. Any ideas?:confused3:

 

[smstonypoint]

Do you have an objection to herbicides?

Steve

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Do you have an objection to herbicides?

Objection? I should own stock in one of the companies that make it.:laughing: I just put out 7.5 gallons of 45% concentrate, diluted to 3%, which does a great job of killing the thistle. But that still leaves the seeds on the ground, and believe me they'll sprout without fail.

Some have suggested digging the plants out by the root, but there's no way I'm gonna even try that with over eight steeply sloping acres to do.

 

[Creamer]

The big key is to not let the thistle seed get that far along before you mow it. I do not know this type of thistle and its life cycle but usually thistle can be kept in check very easily by mowing it such that it doesn't seed. A notable exception to this is the Canadian thistle that spreads through rhizomes.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Creamer has it spot on hopefully. Just mow a bit more often. Helped my situation out a lot.

 

[ericm979]

I mow early enough that it doesn't set seed. There's some places around the house that I don't mow and don't weed whack because we want to keep the poppies. We've had star thistle there in the past. In those areas we pull the star thistle by hand. But that takes too long for a larger area.

Here's a good document on star thistle control from UC ag: Yellow Starthistle Management Guidelines--UC IPM

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Yellow star thistle has the mowing thing figured out, too. If the buds are cut off, it buds again without regrowing, and the buds end up below the level of the mower blades. I cut mine twice this year, the first time before any flowers showed up. It didn't get any higher, just grew into a nice carpet that the flail can't get to.:banghead:

 

[zzvyb6]

Just curious. What about a controlled burn? I have these every so often. I use a leaf blower to contain the fire front. It works much better that water. When you want the fire to stop, blow the burn front and the flame goes out and that's the end of it. Then the question would be whether the seeds are deactivated by burning.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

What about a controlled burn?

Wildfire is way too big a danger to even consider burning here. I almost lost my house last Labor Day to a fire set by a malfunctioning exhaust along a road across the canyon almost half mile away. It took a full wildland response with borate bombers, helicopters, and many hand crews working for almost a week to control it, and even then the best they could manage was to surround it and let it burn itself out.

And according to the excellent UC document ericm979 cited, burning can actually promote seed germination.

 

[Creamer]

Yellow star thistle has the mowing thing figured out, too. If the buds are cut off, it buds again without regrowing, and the buds end up below the level of the mower blades. I cut mine twice this year, the first time before any flowers showed up. It didn't get any higher, just grew into a nice carpet that the flail can't get to.:banghead:

Oh that is fun! I have the same problem with sweet clover the geese like to deposit in my lawn.

I would say you have three options tillage, chemical, or grazing - although I am not sure what would eat it I am betting on sheep or goats.