Baymule’s Farm

[baymule]

Today I worked all day, picking up the thistles I chopped on Monday. Even chopped off the stem, the stalks put everything they had into producing seed from the blooms. As I picked up the stalks, I sprayed the thistles with Grazon.

The blooms have turned into white fluffy seeds that float on the wind.

The stalks have water in them. Ants are all over them, there are ant hills next to the thistles. I wonder if the thistles are a source of water or nutrients for the ants.

I put the wand in the stalk and sprayed the Grazon. I sprayed the leaves and I put the wand on the ground right where the stalk grows out of the ground and sprayed.

The dry thorns are worse than when green. Dry thorns break off and stick in my gloves.

I picked up 9 bags of thistle stalks and seed heads today. I’m tired. Only got the front field done.

 

[ducks4you]

That's still Quite an accomplishment!

 

[baymule]

That's still Quite an accomplishment!

Thank you!

 

[flowerbug]

mebbe next time cut off the seedheads when chopping and bag just those for disposal...

also now that they are chopped you can probably mow them regularly before they get tall again. if you have a setting on your riding mower that lets you drop the deck easy chop them as close to the ground as you can. however, if you are going to continue spraying it is better to let some leaves grow that will absorb the spray to kill the roots faster.

the ants use the plant as water source and for protection.

 

[baymule]

mebbe next time cut off the seedheads when chopping and bag just those for disposal...

They were getting close to seed when I chopped them. Then took 2 days for a trip to Corpus Christi to see granddaughters, then a 9 AM to 10 PM chicken processing, then a morning feed run, followed by total exhaustion. Next day, yesterday, picking up thistles and bagging them. Monday start over!