With their pretty flowers and interesting stems and leaves, thistles can look beautiful when they’re pressed and dried. But if they’re on your lawn, they can be a pain to eradicate. Fortunately, they can be eliminated, especially if you know which type of thistle you’re dealing with. Most thistles can be manually removed or killed with weed killer, but some of the more stubborn species (looking at you Canada thistle) take time and commitment to fully get rid of. To make the job easier for you, we’ve put together a list of helpful solutions you can use to tackle your thistle problem and get back to enjoying your weed-free lawn.

1

Use a stand-up weeder tool to uproot the individual plants.

  1. Remove the whole plant—roots and all—so it won’t grow back.[1] A stand-up weeder is a garden tool with a metal claw attached to the end of a pole. It makes it much easier to remove thistles, which can have spiky stems and leaves. Stick the claw into the ground at the base of the thistle and lift it up to pull the entire plant and root system out of the ground.[2]
    • You can find stand-up weeders at your local garden supply store.
    • Keep in mind that Canada thistle (which has sharp barbs and a purple flower) is difficult to fully uproot and any pieces of root left behind may sprout new plants.
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2

Cover small thistle patches with plastic sheeting.

  1. Heat the thistle roots for a few weeks to kill them off. If you have a small yard or the thistle is contained to a specific area, you can harness the power of the sun to heat the earth and kill the root system, which is the best way to make sure the plants won’t grow back. Remove as many of the thistles as you can with either a weeder or by mowing. Then, take a clear plastic sheet and place it over the area. Leave the sheet for 2–3 weeks, then remove it to allow your grass to recover.[3]
    • If the thistle starts to grow back after you remove the plastic sheet, you can remove them and then cover the area for a few more weeks to see if that does the trick.
3

Treat your entire lawn with a weedkiller herbicide.[4]

  1. Spot spraying won’t be enough to tackle your thistle problem. If you have thistles in your lawn, chances are you have other weeds as well. Dilute a weedkiller concentrate with water according to the directions on the packaging. Apply it to your entire lawn using either a pump sprayer or a watering can.[5]
    • If you try to simply apply weedkiller to individual thistle plants, it likely won’t be enough to stop additional plants from growing.
    • Treating your entire lawn will knock out most of your weeds and improve the overall appearance of your lawn in addition to taking care of your thistle problem.
    • Weedkiller may not be enough to fully eradicate Canada thistle.
    • If you want to use a natural alternative to get rid of thistles, use a vinegar spray.[6]
    • You can use a vinegar based weed spray.[7]
    • You can even put white vinegar in a spray bottle and use it.[8]
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4

Pull creeping or dwarf thistles out by hand.

7

Mow your lawn before Canada thistle flowers.

  1. Mowing stops the growth and spread of additional plants. If you see a bunch of green thistle plants growing on your lawn, try to catch them as soon as you can. Mow your lawn before they get a chance to flower and produce seeds that will spread the weed to other areas in your yard.[12]
    • You can spot Canada thistle by looking for soft green, spear-like leaves with sharp barbs. When they flower, Canada thistle has a purple, pom-pom shaped flower.
    • Mowing alone won’t be enough to get rid of the thistle, but it can help stop the spread while you work to eradicate it.
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Warnings

  • If you use a weedkiller, make sure you keep pets and small children off of your lawn for the amount of time recommended on the packaging. Your pets could accidentally ingest the toxin and it could make them sick.[18]
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References

  1. Keith Souza. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 August 2021.
  2. https://www.organiclesson.com/get-rid-of-thistles/
  3. https://www.organiclesson.com/get-rid-of-thistles/
  4. Keith Souza. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 August 2021.
  5. https://www.gardenseeker.com/lawn-care/weeds/thistles/
  6. Tyler Radford. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 October 2020.
  7. Tyler Radford. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 October 2020.
  8. Tyler Radford. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 6 October 2020.
  9. https://www.gardenseeker.com/lawn-care/weeds/thistles/

About This Article

Tyler Radford
Co-authored by:
Plant Specialist
This article was co-authored by Tyler Radford. Tyler Radford is a Plant Specialist at Hollie’s Farm & Garden in Tampa, Florida. With over nine years of experience, Tyler specializes in gardening, planting, mulching, and potting. Hollie’s Farm & Garden is a full-service landscape nursery offering landscape supplies including trees, shrubs, mulch, and flagstone. This article has been viewed 11,174 times.
6 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: March 20, 2023
Views: 11,174
Categories: Lawn Care
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