North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>]

I'm still not sure of the species in question.  Can you get a positive ID 
on-site ?   I didn't know there were any thistles which sting like nettles.

Nettles and even Canada thistle mowed short often enough will be 
out-competed by things better adapted; rosette/ first year thistles may live 
longer.   Does anyone know how many of these are "monocarpic perennials" 
(that is, perennial until they are able to produce a crop of seed) ?

tc, s.WI


----Original Message Follows----
From: Tom Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>
Reply-To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Carpet of thistle?
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 16:44:02 -0400

Hello,

This thistle is not tall enough to fall.  It is only like a dandilion in 
size.  It is flat and forms a carpet of prickly leaves.

Later,
Tom


Scott Williamson wrote:

> 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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