Garden weed identification

crazyforinfo

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Can anyone identify this weed from these pictures?
The leaves are spiked and very painful. They grow in my neighbors yard and now finding way into our's. Stubborn things to pull too.
 
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crazyforinfo

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jaffacake

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Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

Oddly enough my neighbor is pulling his out now.
The roots are unbelievable. You would think he had a small tree in his hand. Of course I missed a picture of it. LOL I was hiding in the kitchen snapping away.
Ahhh, yes! Weeds. Don`t you just love em? Now if only my Clematis had been that tough
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by Jaffacake

Ahhh, yes! Weeds. Don`t you just love em? Now if only my Clematis had been that tough
He has a jungle back there.
Here is how tall they are. I would say he is at least 5.7.



BTW the hooks you see are in our garden and where the thistle made it's home.
 

jennyr

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Definitely a thistle - I have loads of them. I wish the ponies ate them, but they nibble all around them. Goats love them though!
 

gailc

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Lots of thistles are really hard to eradicate due to their spreading root systems.

Making sure the flowers don't set seed is a big help. Cut them off bag then and throw in regular trash. Don't compost them!! Keeping them chopped down will weaken their root system by depriving it of nutrients. This can take several years. Or you can hand apply Round up to the base of each plant with a small craft paintbrush as not to affect any good plants.

The flower according to one of my weed books does look like a Canada thistle however the leaves don't match. If you see a young seedling you can fire me picture so I could make sure of the id.
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by GailC

Lots of thistles are really hard to eradicate due to their spreading root systems.

Making sure the flowers don't set seed is a big help. Cut them off bag then and throw in regular trash. Don't compost them!! Keeping them chopped down will weaken their root system by depriving it of nutrients. This can take several years. Or you can hand apply Round up to the base of each plant with a small craft paintbrush as not to affect any good plants.

The flower according to one of my weed books does look like a Canada thistle however the leaves don't match. If you see a young seedling you can fire me picture so I could make sure of the id.
I will try for a photo. Unfortunately we can't stop the seeding since it's our lovely neighbors junk. He might like his weed garden but it's annoying to those who are getting them from the seeding. Poor kitties walk on them too.

Will try the round up idea. The one in my photo is in the hydrangea bush.
 

jaffacake

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Whaaaat! I have never seen them that tall before! What have you got in the soil over there
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by Jaffacake

Whaaaat! I have never seen them that tall before! What have you got in the soil over there
PMSL From what I was told he used to farm back there. I know he has berries still.
 

strange_wings

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What a mess! I'm guessing he either doesn't have time to weed or simply just doesn't care anymore. I wonder if any other parts of his life/home reflect that....

That's a rather plain looking thistle.
We have a type here called Bull thistle that's actually quite pretty. It's the only flower I can put in a vase that the cats will leave alone.

I'd actually like to plant a few next year because they look very nice in a vase.

Good luck getting yours under control. With that mess next door all you can probably do is keep on top of weeding so that nothing gets established in your yard.
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

What a mess! I'm guessing he either doesn't have time to weed or simply just doesn't care anymore. I wonder if any other parts of his life/home reflect that....
No he does this every year. I think someone reported him cause he never pulls them all out like he did yesterday. I swear this is why my cats asthma is acting up. Someone told me there is ragweed back there too. I guess beauty in the eye of the beholder right. I can only imagine what his house looks like. He can't get out the back sliding door. You can't see in either.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

I can only imagine what his house looks like. He can't get out the back sliding door. You can't see in either.
The way you phrased that has me cracking up. Have you been spying?


Ragweed!
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

The way you phrased that has me cracking up. Have you been spying?


Ragweed!
In a way yes. LOL
Actually last year he was making such noise and when I looked out the window stuff was falling out the back door. I pondered how one would enter/exit. Then I saw him the next day bring his wet clothes out from the front door. I can see it all from my yard. lol
 

gailc

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Did you know that there are two types of ragweed. Giant ragweed grows really tall like 5 feet!
 
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crazyforinfo

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Originally Posted by GailC

Did you know that there are two types of ragweed. Giant ragweed grows really tall like 5 feet!
Nope....other than height what's the difference? I just had someone identify some of the weeds from the pictures and they said they saw ragweed. Are they both irritants to allergy suffers?

Here are some photos from 2007. As you can see they were enormous then too.
 

strange_wings

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Poke plants (first 2 pics) get large and do so fast.

Short of sneaking over there with round up or throwing a bunch of caterpillars over, I haven't a clue what you can do.
I'd advise not getting too close to it, actually, it might swallow you alive!
I feel very sorry for anyone who might have to go back there to service anything...


I wonder what other poisonous plants he has over there?
 
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