Ever Wonder Why

Why Oh Why is it so hard to get rid of a Canadian?

Now before I get letters far and wide from our Northern Neighbors, I want to explain that I am talking about thistles and geese. Farmers up and down the Willamette Valley have Canadian Geese in such vast quantities that they are forced to use decoy coyote and Bald Eagle silhouettes, whirly gigs, noise makers, sprinkler systems and cannon fire to deter those geese from landing and consuming vast swathes of crops as they are sowed and young seedling size tender plants.

We only see an occasional goose or two here around the farm, they tend to hang out along the small grass areas close to the river for a week or two before taking off again, but when they are here they are very territorial and will keep humans, cows and dogs at bay if needed. It is not enough to worry about abatement procedures, but in droves or a pair does cause issues.

The more problematic issue here is the prickly Canadian Thistle (and just so I do not get any readers upset, I do know that the proper terms are Canada Goose, not Canadian Goose, Canada Thistle and not Canadian Thistle, but I had never heard them called by the shorter names before I needed to research how to get rid of the pesky weed a few years ago so you will just have to bear with me).

When I was young there was a campaign to eradicate the Canadian Thistle around these parts. Farmers were inspected to assure they were managing the weed and destroying any that popped up. Extension agents were known to visit farms in the area to do ‘impromptu’ weed snooping expeditions. The party line lit up with farmers from every edge of the county phoning neighbors and friends that an agent was out looking, it was rarely a surprise visit by the time inspections happened. It was rumored that fines could be issued for those violators that did not control the invasive weed, I never saw any if they were given.

Looking up eradication of the weed I found if I were to use chemicals the death of the plant is difficult if not using one kind of spray in the spring and another in the fall to kill off both the leaves and the roots. Tilling the ground to control the weeds is just as problematic;

Repeated tillage at 7 to 28 day intervals for up to 4 years can be effective on infestations of Canada thistle. Repeated mowing to weaken stems and prevent seeding is also effective in low level infestations. Frequently tilling may also reduce populations if continued for a few years.

I till the garden frequently during the drier parts of the year but the weeds keep coming back every year so I know that this does not kill them. So I call it like I see it and tell you now that tillage does not work on those weeks, just like the cannons and silhouettes prove little relief from the geese.

I pulled some of the thistles that were growing around the sawdust pile near the garden. The ground is still moist from the winter and I was able to pull the weeds and much of the roots, but even the smallest of the weeds had roots a foot long or more, yet still broke off underground where they can eventually re-grow.

They are as hard to control as those Canadian Geese!

I’m beginning to think that maybe both species have very deep roots.