My yard, Somerset County - I have many seedlings to give away/trade. They must be good quality - because they are very prolific. Both white and blue.

I professionally managed an urban prairie restoration for a couple of years that was initially overrun with canada thistle. There are a few herbicides that specifically target things in the asteraceae and fabaceae familes that did a great job on thistles. However, for those without the license to buy these chemicals, RoundUp (especially the concentrated powder forms) work wonders. Mix it up a little stronger than recommended and dribble it into the actively growing tips of the plants. It will keep them from flowering and if they don't die, a second application often does the trick. Like others have said, it will take a few years for every last root to die, but the worst thing you can do is to try and pull them out. They have a rhizome that sends up thistle plants every few inces, pulling the plants can break the rhizome and essentially creates more independent plants. A friend of mine recommends applying herbicide with 'The Hand of Death'. He takes a chemically resistant glove and puts a worn-out winter cotton glove over the top. He dips his gloved hand into the herbicide and grabs the plants he wants to kill. He says it works like a charm. And NEVER use wildlife as an excuse to grow invasive weeds. Native animals prefer native plants.

I am beginning to think there is another reason thistle seed might be bad - I've always had thistle socks out - year after year, and suddenly this year the price of the seed skyrocketed. I had put out a large circular screened feeder becz I had so many goldfinches. But they didn't stay long and I thought there was something wrong with the feeder. I know they raise young in July so I put out more socks and it attracted them again right away, but in less than 5 minutes they were all gone. It's the seed they don't like - is there something wrong with this year's 'crop' of Thistle Seed?? Has anyone else noticed this? My pet store (where I get cracked corn for the wild turkeys) told me many people were complaining there were 'no goldfinches this year' - well they come, but they quickly leave. I think the seed is actually bad - and not becz of reseeding thistle plants - which it does, if you don't mow well. I have the goldies on my coneflowers, but not at the feeders as before. I wonder if the seed is contaminated? I don't know how anyone could tell except the birds rejecting it.

Not now, its too hot (not to mention sticky) and I don't want to water over there on that dry hill dragging the hose through grasses, besides I'm still thinking it through and really what I want is low stuff so late afternoon sun will come through to back light the bluestems. The only good thing is we still have lots of wind. I planted all those recent Bluestem I ordered from SRG along that side on my side, the other side where I'm clearing and planting tough stuff in is his negected side. It keeps getting thinned over time. I have a weekend planned to clip suckers and more privet, poison in hand. I've never seen such suckering trees as hackberry trees. Salvia greggii is a good fit and so far I've planted about 17 or more of them. Russian Sage is good too and I plan for more of those too. I may put some Pine Muhly in a section, I found it will take dappled sun and morning sun and sit in shade all afternoon & still look good with blooms. It blocks weeds good too & I have lots of volunteers which transplant real easy. I filled a whole section with it in the part that gets shaded earlier. Surprising. Too bad about the tall rudbeckia, they'd look good in that field & I was hoping to find a good home, they form tubers which transplant successfully, very successfully I might add. The size of the flowers blow me away, they are downright phallic not to put too fine a point on it. HUGE clumps of cabbagy large light blue leaves so its pretty in or out of bloom. Massed clumps here and there--it'd really be nice, if I only had space...... I think I might have lost the butterscotch Mexican. He hasn't shown up yet, just mahogany in that area where he came up. Rats. I'll save you all the seeds when I deadhead them this fall. A bagful with your name on them. By the way, I planted lots of seeds from the Texas grass sage you sent me and I have them planted among grasses. I think that will look good come fall. I love that plant, its airy. I'm into 'airy' right now if you haven't noticed. I got 4 white guara for the same reason.