I'm dealing with an invasion of Canadian thistle in my yard and it's really giving me a hard time! I've tried everything—mowing, covering it with cardboard and black garbage bags, and even digging up what I thought was the rhizome. But no matter what I do, it keeps coming back! I'm at my wit's end here and honestly, I'd prefer to have mint instead. At least I could make mojitos with that! Anyone have effective tips to finally get rid of this stubborn plant?
3 Answers
I totally understand your struggle with Canadian thistle! I've been battling a patch for years. My biggest mistake was tilling the area, which ended up spreading the roots more. Now, I stick to pulling them out as best as I can, using tools like a Fiskars weed puller and a small hoe to get those deep roots. It's a sweaty process, but if you keep at it, you'll see progress eventually. Just remember, don’t let them flower or go to seed!
Yeah, I guess I shouldn't complain about my Russian thistle then. It sounds like you're in a real mess with the Canadian thistle!
Mowing and burning them won't do much since they have deep taproots that can break when pulled. The key is consistent pulling. Just try to get as much of the root as you can each time; eventually, you'll starve them out. It's a slow battle, but it works in the long run!
Right?! It's exhausting, but that’s literally my plan too. At this point, I’m ready to try anything to make them disappear!

Oh man, I made that mistake too! Letting them seed was the worst decision; now I'm battling them everywhere. ?