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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] Carpet of thistle?

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  • From: "Scott Williamson" <swilliamson@acespower.com>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Carpet of thistle?
  • Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 14:20:42 -0500

I hope for your sake it's not Canada Thistle. I have that all over and I'm
going to be fighting it for years.

Based on my population of rabbits I'm doubtful the thistle will discourage
them at all. I only wish that rabbits would eat the thistle.

The Canada Thistle I have dies and falls to the ground rather quickly after
it's killed, but it will start growing again if there is a warm spell in
January (like last year for me). It appears to be quite cold hardy.



-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Olenio [mailto:tolenio@sentex.net]
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 2:13 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [NAFEX] Carpet of thistle?

Hello All,

I have been mowing my new little vineyard and have noted a nice carpet of
thistle/nettle
underfoot. It is only as tall as the mower deck allows, and is only a
problem if you kneel without
looking.

This got me wondering... Will this thistle carpet discourage rabbits this
fall?

I never really thought about the life cycle of thistle/nettles before and I
am not sure what
happens to the plant when frost hits.

>From what I have read, thistle is a biennial, producing a large rosette of
>spiny leaves the first
year. It's leaves looke like the dandilion, only with stinging nettles. My
guess is that in year
three all the thistle will be gone, as I never let is seed, only allow it the
low growing leaves of
the first year.

The low carpet of thistle is not an issue for the grapes as they have weed
block around them.

Has this type of rabbit barrier been explored? A carpet of thistles keeps my
shoes on, and careful
about kneeling. Seems like it should work on rabbits too. Possibly there
are other low growing
nettles that would work in the orchard to discourage varmits.

Thanks,
Tom


Thomas Olenio
Ontario, Canada
Hardiness Zone 5b


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