kenmac
Super Member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2005
- Messages
- 9,901
- Location
- The Heart of Dixie
- Tractor
- McCormick CX105 Kubota MX 5100 HST,
I don't have any thistle problems. But I do have foxtail problems... I hate foxtail grass /weed
Bull thistles
- Thread starter oosik
- Start date
- Views: 3262
Same pests, different country.
USA: Bull thistle, Canada thistle, Foxtail Grass.
New Zealand: Scotch thistle, Californian thistle, Barley Grass.(weed, not to be confused with grain crop Barley )
Just curious, what do you call "Nodding Thistle"? It is blue/green, has flowers similar to scotch thistle and grows to a similar height as scotch thistle, and can strike/sprout in spring AND fall then over winters.
USA: Bull thistle, Canada thistle, Foxtail Grass.
New Zealand: Scotch thistle, Californian thistle, Barley Grass.(weed, not to be confused with grain crop Barley )
Just curious, what do you call "Nodding Thistle"? It is blue/green, has flowers similar to scotch thistle and grows to a similar height as scotch thistle, and can strike/sprout in spring AND fall then over winters.
ponytug
Super Member
Around here, the soil fertility and thistle works the other way around; here, if the grass grows quickly it shades out the soil and keeps the thistle from sprouting. If the soil is poor, and /or disturbed and left as soil and /or overgrazed, we get more thistles.
All the best,
Peter
ponytug
Super Member
cqaigy2
Super Member
Pretty flowers.
We have an endangered native thistle, i keep forgetting what it looks like, but think it's very different from the bull, cali, etc thistle.
I don't have much thistle, because the grass is so thick and high most of the time. Sometimes will see tanzy ragwort, try to pull it before the heads ripen and put them in a spare plastic bag to make sure they rot down.
Eating the thistles seems pretty interesting though.
We have an endangered native thistle, i keep forgetting what it looks like, but think it's very different from the bull, cali, etc thistle.
I don't have much thistle, because the grass is so thick and high most of the time. Sometimes will see tanzy ragwort, try to pull it before the heads ripen and put them in a spare plastic bag to make sure they rot down.
Eating the thistles seems pretty interesting though.
TugBarge
Silver Member
I definitely agree there are weed seeds in the hay. But I don't think I've ever cut hay when thistle heads are mature, perhaps the seeds are viable when the plant is much younger than I expect. Thistle heads are maturing right now in my area of Western WA. I cut and baled hay early last month.
I'm sure every area is a little different.
OP
oosik
Epic Contributor
I just yesterday, completed a "thistle" tour of my property. Only two thistle plants. Most likely, so few, because I've not cultivated any areas in the last few years. This year the native wild grasses are so tall and thick - they blot everything else out. The wildfire danger is classified as extreme, right now.
Hello ponytug, yes that is a "Nodding thistle" in post 25. These thistles will grow higher than the bonnet of a MF135 tractor, if they grow in high fertility areas like a stock camp(livestock have strong preferances for particular areas of paddock for sleeping).
