Canada Thistle Marathon

[Dave]

The real tough thing about controling canada thistle is the plant is rhizonal. It spreads by horizontal growing roots. Often a 30 foot diameter patch is actually the same plant. So you have to kill the entire plan and all the root to kill off the plant. I have had the best luck spraying with Stinger. I mow in the mid summer to keep it from going to seed and spray in the fall.
Dave

 

[cattlegrazer]

I second what Dave said. Stinger works extremely well for us since it translocates down into the rhizomes of the plant. These underground roots are what keeps the plant coming back again and again after pulling or spraying with a less intense herbicide. It is expensive but we only mix up about 1/2 oz. per gallon of water.

Also, it is very important to be PATIENT, it takes about a week for the plants to look very sick and this is because the chemical is being moved down into the roots...

 

[Dee]

Does Stinger kill off the alfalfa and clover in the pasture when boom spraying?
The guy at the seed plant said cattle eat the buds off the plants sprayed with tordon because they contain salt. I asked after watching a cow eat 4 buds off a huge plant.

 

[Dave]

I assume that stinger will kill alfalfa because it sure kills the clover.
Dave