How to Grow Thistle

Milk thistle is commonly grown for its medicinal uses.

Thistle plants most often have a reputation as weeds that can be a nuisance. They are easily identified by their prickly spiny leaves. They grow abundantly in most areas because of their adaptability to poor soils and drought. All parts of the milk thistle are considered edible, and the plant is often grown for its medicinal value. Milk thistle helps cleanse toxins from the liver and can also help heal liver cells. The thistle plant's adaptability makes it an easy wild edible to add to the garden.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost (optional)
• Thistle seeds
• Water

Instructions

1. Select an area that gets full sun to grow your thistle after the last frost in spring. Thistle prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade.

2. Use your shovel to loosen the soil at a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Add compost to improve water retention if your soil is loose and sandy. Thistle is a strong plant and will grow in just about any soil type including clay. It is also not necessary to fertilize your thistle plants.

3. Plant your thistle seeds at a depth of 1/8 inch so that the soil just covers the seeds. Space each planting about 1½ feet apart.

4. Water your garden area immediately to dampen the soil. Continue to water your garden each day until your thistle seeds germinate within three weeks. Once your plants become established, normal rainfall should be enough to water your thistle. Thistle is drought resistant. If there is a severe drought give your thistle about an inch of water a week.

Tips & Warnings

• You can remove thistle flowers as they die if you wish to control how much your thistle plants spread in the garden. Seeds develop within the dead flowers, and the plant can quickly become invasive if you let the seeds drop.

References

• Government of Saskatchewan: Milk Thistle
• Plant Biology: How to Grow Milk Thistle
• University of Missouri: Thistles and Thistle-like Plants