[permaculture] mulching out thistle

Rain Tenaqiya raincascadia at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 16 12:43:40 EDT 2009


I have had good experience sheet mulching out thistle with just big pieces of cardboard.  The bigger the pieces of cardboard, the better, and make sure they are overlapped plenty, at least a foot.  Thistle seeds will continue to germinate, but even one treatment makes a big difference.  Pull or cut remaining thistle before the flowers open.
 
Milk thistle might just push through the cardboard, but most other species probably won't.
 
Despite what I have heard by some permaculturists, the thistle around here mostly grows in areas with a higher level of organic matter.  The more organic matter, the more thistle, so the only way to keep the thistle out is by preventing flowering and introducing competitors.  However, there must be some variation among species.  Star thistle grows pretty much everywhere, here, and is extremely drought-tolerant.  All thistle species benefit from soil disturbance, however, so keeping soil covered during the season of seed dispersal is essential.  In my area, wild pigs are responsible for opening areas up for thistle and other weeds.
 
Rain


      


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