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[RC] star thistle - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Laura Fend ljfend@xxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== We have become experts on star thistle here in California. Our 100 acre pasture has lots of patches it that we have been working on for years. We have discovered that we can slowly erradicate it by mowing it when it is at about 5% bloom in the summer. That slows the seeding and allows for other grasses to compete with it. We have actually gotten rid of about 2 acres of it that way. We just have to keep working at specific areas over a 3 or 4 year time span. The horses don't really choose to eat it if there is a choice (try it - you'll see that it is really bitter). The problem is when there isn't enough else to eat, and they actually acquire a taste for it and won't eat anything else (I guess it is kind of addictive)- that's when problems happen. I understand there are some sprays that work for it, but we're on watershed land and can't do that. It is also really quite easy to pull - but when you're talking about acres, that's not really an option. It sure has taken hold of California in the last 10 years or so - nasty stuff!! Laura =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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