That title, Annoying Thistles, is intended as double entendre. Thistles proliferating where they are not wanted is annoying. There are places in that field of grass pictured yesterday where there are bunches of annoying thistles. The fire burned untold numbers of thistle seeds above ground. But these perennial thistles already rooted survived the fire and burst forth. Very annoying!
Today's task was mowing those thistles to keep them from going to seed. Thistle seed, like that of dandelions, is attached to fuzz that blows in the wind, spreading near and far. Such mowing doesn't typically kill the the thistle, though in some cases it does. Because the thistle plant usually survives the mowing, it seems what the mowing does is annoy them. At least they will not produce seed this year. Now thistles are ubiquitous.
When I was a boy thistles were just becoming established. Few enough so we'd stop the tractor, take a plier, they have spiny stems, and pull them. Now I know that, this too, was just annoying them, because they quickly regrow from roots left in the ground.
Takk for alt,
Al
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