How to Kill Milk Thistle
Milk thistle also goes by the name blessed milk thistle and Silybum marianum. It is harmful to the touch and chokes out other plant life. Milk thistle flower heads are very large, spiny, and purple in color. The foliage is milky in color, hence the name. This weed can grow up to six feet tall and wide. Milk thistle has an overabundant supply of nitrogen within its leaves. If you have animals, they could die from nitrogen poisoning from eating the plant. The sooner you can eliminate it from your yard, the better. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Long pants
- Heavy gloves
- Boots
- Glyphosate herbicide
- Shovel
- Yard waste bags
Instructions
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1
Put on a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, heavy gloves, and boots. Milk thistle has spines which can pierce the skin and cause irritation.
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2
Purchase a glyphosate-rich herbicide from your local lawn and garden store. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide and will kill the plants from the inside out.
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Apply the glyphosate to the milk thistle. Cover the entire plant, making sure to thoroughly cover all leaves. Follow the instructions on the herbicide if it needs to be diluted prior to application.
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4
Return to the milk thistle plants after six days. Check to see if the plants have begun to die. There will be signs of wilting, such as drooping leaves or leaves that are brown and yellow. If they have started to die, the herbicide has fully cycled through the plants' systems.
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Dig up as much of the plants as possible. Place the plants in yard waste bags and dispose of them.
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Tips & Warnings
Use caution when using herbicides.
