Old-fashioned “Grandpa’s Weeder” (seeding, grass, Canada, mowing)

[pikabike]

Just got one and tried it on some Canada thistle rosettes. Judging by the ads, it is meant for removing dandelions from lawns. I am hoping to blitz the gazillion invasive thistles with this tool, which does not require squatting, kneeling, or deep bending. The jaws only go down a few inches, so the large rosettes already have big taproots that break off rather than pulling out completely. However, a guy from a weed spraying company told me that breaking the root a few inches down does kill some of the plants.

Normally I would crouch/squat/kneel/curse and muscle the taproot out with a hand tool, but my lower back, hips, wrists, and fingers can’t take the sustained beating of doing that any more.

If this tool does not greatly reduce the pain of weeding, I swear I will stab the thistles with a long, poisoned dart gun!

[suzy_q2010]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/pla...le-control.htm

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I've got a Grandpa's Weeder and it works just exactly as claimed. I've got some nasty spiky weed that I don't want to touch and this weeder gets them out. It also works on mullen if I don't let it get too big.



It should work on small scotch thistle. Roundup works well on scotch thistle. Other than that, I use a shovel and that works. Fortunately, touch wood, I haven't seen any scotch thistle at my new house. There is knapweed. Apparently, it is impossible to escape from knapweed and here, just like where I moved from, I have a next door neighbor who does nothing to control their knapweed and I get the benefit of constant re-seeding, so I can never get rid of it.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I've got a Grandpa's Weeder and it works just exactly as claimed. I've got some nasty spiky weed that I don't want to touch and this weeder gets them out. It also works on mullen if I don't let it get too big.



It should work on small scotch thistle. Roundup works well on scotch thistle. Other than that, I use a shovel and that works. Fortunately, touch wood, I haven't seen any scotch thistle at my new house. There is knapweed. Apparently, it is impossible to escape from knapweed and here, just like where I moved from, I have a next door neighbor who does nothing to control their knapweed and I get the benefit of constant re-seeding, so I can never get rid of it.

The first two years of owning this property, I vigorously attacked the Russian thistle (tumbleweed) and other thistles near our buildings, so it is merely maintenance to control them in those areas. Field bindweed also, though this year the snowy winter has allowed grasses to compete with that, YAY. The drought last year was horrible. All of this weeding was done by hand, without any poison.

However, much of the acreage elsewhere is infested with both knapweeds and Canada thistles. Last year I hired someone to spray poison on them. So far, the knapweed has not sprung up but I suspect it is just a bit early yet. The thistle rosettes this year are huge, much bigger than last year. I guess they benefited from the snowy winter, too! Tomorrow I will begin wielding Grandpa’s Weeder on the ones along the private road. I expect to hire a sprayer again in that area, though. The toll on my body from hand-digging hundreds of rosettes was too much.

I’m thinking it may be best to hire someone to mow the edges of the private road, which would trim the grass that has gone nuts this spring, while also making short work of the thistle rosettes. If they send up a stalk before I can bring someone out here, I can still snip the heads off first. That way, no worries about mowing after seeds have already formed.

It is a war of attrition.