Looking for a way to finally kill those annoying thistles and eliminate them from coming back into your flowerbeds, lawn and garden spaces for good?
When it comes to common weeds that gardeners face, thistles are one of the most tenacious growers of all. With a tap root that can extend anywhere from a few inches down in the soil to an astonishing 15 feet or more, it can be nearly impossible to pull them up by the roots.
Anyone who has ever dealt with thistles knows how incredibly hard they can be to stop. You find one small thistle plant and begin to pull, and suddenly you have unearthed an entire network under the ground that is sprouting tens if not hundreds or thousands of more plants.
We have certainly had our share of struggles with them in our flowerbeds and garden spaces at the farm over the years. It can be so frustrating to dig out a long taproot – only to know that some small piece remains to grow again.
Even worse, if they happen to go to seed, the trouble can really begin! Thistle plants produce thousands upon thousands of seeds when they bloom. And because they are ultra light, they spread with the slightest of winds with ease.
Why Thistles Need To Go – How To Kill Thistles For Good
Now, to be fair to those who love all plants, thistles do have some redeeming qualities. They are a wonderful plant for attracting pollinators. And, their blooms are quite attractive when flowering. Even more, the plant has long been grown for its many medicinal qualities as well.
But for us, in our flower gardens and flowerbeds, they simply are not wanted or welcome. Why? Beyond the standpoint of keeping our gardens neat and tidy, thistles rob the soil of nutrients as they grow. Nutrients that need and should be going to grow more productive flowers and vegetable plants.
Even worse, if you don’t take action against them, they spread so fast and so far that they evasively take over. And once they do, it can be a true nightmare to try to eliminate them. That is at least how it was for us anyway – until we discovered one tiny little trick to eliminate them with ease.
The best part of all, not only is it easy to do, it is 100% organic in nature. And yes, without fail, we can tell you from experience it works like a charm!
How To Kill & Eliminate Thistles For Good!
Although you can spend countless hours pulling and digging out thistles from your soil, chances are, you simply won’t get the entire root. There are, of course, herbicides that will kill thistle too. But for us, we don’t want to use them anywhere in our yard. Especially since so many of our plants produce food that we consume.
But there does happen to be one substance that can wipe out thistles like nobody’s business. And that substance is none other than horticultural vinegar. But as you will see below, there is one specific way to use it that makes it almost 100% effective in killing the entire thistle plant – including that all important taproot that can lead to future plants popping up everywhere!
How To Use Horticultural Vinegar To Kill & Eliminate Thistles For Good
Horticultural vinegar is a much stronger version of store-bought vinegar. Most vinegar in stores is somewhere between 3 and 5% in acidity. Horticultural vinegar, on the other hand, can be anywhere from 15%, all the way up to even 50% in acidity. For thistles, we have found 35 to 45% is best to use for strength.
We actually have been using horticultural vinegar for years to kill unwanted vegetation in our driveways, walkways, patios and more. It’s important to note it is a nondiscriminatory vegetation killer. That means it will kill anything it touches.
For that reason, you cannot use it to simply spray flowerbeds, lawns or large areas of a garden. Not only would the spray harm everything it touches, but the vinegar itself would also make the soil turn acidic. Over time, it would make it more and more difficult to grow anything at all.
So how do you use it in flowerbeds and garden spaces to kill only thistles? It’s actually a simple two part process. And all you need to make it happen are a good pair of shears or garden scissors, and a small spray bottle or even a dropper filled with pure horticultural vinegar. Affiliate Link: MAXTITE Ultra-Strength 45% Vinegar for Home & Garden
Cut & Spray Thistle Control – How To Kill & Eliminate Thistles For Good!
Although you could carefully spray only the foliage of thistles in your flowerbeds and garden, it would not be quite 100% effective in killing the entire plant. It would most likely brown off the thistle, but the root usually will remain alive. Of course, that means it will come back again with new growth.
Instead, the secret to killing thistle with ease is to get the horticultural spray right into the veins of the plant. And the best way to do that is to snip off the thistle toward the bottom of the ground, a few inches or so above the soil, and then directly spray the exposed cut portion and remaining leaves.
When cut, thistle immediately tries to move nutrients and moisture within its sap to heal. As it does, it will absorb the vinegar quickly, taking it to all parts of the root too – killing it entirely in the process.
For us, it is amazing to see the difference in just spraying the foliage of an intact thistle plant, versus spraying the open wound end and seeing the plant die off completely. Sometimes, if we can, we even spray two open wound areas if the plant allows.
A Few Cautions – How To Kill & Eliminate Thistles For Good!
It’s important to know that horticultural vinegar is an acid. A natural one, but indeed an acid. Because of this, you should always wear protective gloves and eye protection.
In addition, use a direct spray to only hit the foliage of the thistle and nothing else. This will keep surrounding plants safe and keep the soil from absorbing the vinegar as well.
Some gardeners even opt for a dropper instead of a small spray bottle. This helps them to get the vinegar right where it is needed without worry of over spray. A little here and there will not harm long term, but do not saturate areas of the soil or plants.
This may sound a bit tedious, especially if you have a lot of thistle. However, when the tap roots start dying off, you might just be surprised at how many of your thistles were the result of one or two big parent plants!
One thing is for sure, with a little diligence over the course of a few months, you can and will get rid of your thistle problem for good! Here is to eliminating thistles naturally – with horticultural vinegar! Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary.
Old World Garden Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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