How to get rid of thistle?

[catawba mow]

I have a customer that is going to need a complete lawn overhaul but they are going to wait until late summer/early fall to do this.

Right now their yard is nothing but weeds (not a bit of grass). When the basement was dug for their house the subsoil was put on top of their topsoil (hence the problem).

For now they just want to get rid of the thistle, they will not tolerate it in any way, shape or form. Does anybody have an idea of how to do this or how they would approach the situation.

[mariner]

Herbicide!

[catawba mow]

Thanks, but that much I was able to figure out on my own.


Do you mean spot spray or a granular that would cover the lawn?

Are there any herbicides that target thistle, specifically?

As sad as this sounds, I don't want to kill all of the weeds so they can have some green until it is redone in the fall.

[mariner]

Are you licensed? If you don't want to kill everyjthing then all you can do is spot spray. anything with 2, 4-D in it will do the job.

[mx495]

Goats, let them roam. They would probably eat the thistle.

[Seascape]

You want a liquid broad leaf hebicide.

[catawba mow]

Thanks

Any specific brands of liquid broadlef herbicides you recommend?

[McBillNLex]

Thistle can be a tough one, especially a musk thistle in its second year. Lesco sells a product called Lescogran, It is their version of Basagram. It is a liguid that can be broadcast but is better as a spot treartment. I tend to use what is in my hand though. I use my lawn spray a mix of .75oz 3 way and .25 confront it helps if you grind the heels of your spray boot into the rosette before you spray it, to help the product into the plant, with maybe just a little extra kiss. Best results on a 75 to 85 degree day.
You could also paint them using a hand can with a heavier rate of round up since you are going to be seeding soon anyway. Oh and always pay attention to the label recommendations, as Round Up does suggest stronger rates for some weed classes.

[ClipKing]

catawba mow,

hey everyone! new to the posts. thought i'd start my first reply with this. i am an asst. golf course supt. with a b.s. degree in plant and soil science. say that to say this. i think you will find that most herbicides are ineffective against thistle. most of the herbicides i heard mentioned above will have a hard time knocking it down with much force. no offense to anyone, just the facts. anyway, the best defense against thistle is any herbicide containing "clopyralid" as the active ingredient. the trade name is "Lontrel". must have a chemical license to purchase. please note, it will take about a week for the thistle to "die down", especially in cooler temps. hope that helps.

[McBillNLex]

Confront / three way works if you get it inside I step on it and look over my shoulder, then Soak it. Works up to 6 feet tall. Of course that is a violation of the label, But

[lawndreamer]

Thistle

Just stumbled onto this thread I know it's a bit past but I spray Canadian thistle for a power plant that absolutely hates thistles. I use 2,4-d facilities but I can spray one day and next day the weeds are wilted to the point their almost touching the ground. If the ladies lawn is full of broadleaf weeds then unless you spot spray you can't do anything without killing all other weeds.