Thistles

[Amy]

Defra: Weeds - Identification of Injurious Weeds (PB4192) has pictures of spear thistle. Discusses difference to other thistles. The side bar menu will also take you to creeping thistle. Spear thistle = biennial, Creeping T = perennial
http://adlib.everysite.co.uk/adlib/defr ... U2KZ4IMBT4

Under the Weeds Act 1959, the Secretary of State for Defra/Natural England can require action to prevent the spread of those weeds onto land used for grazing, to produce forage, and/or to grow crops. An unreasonable failure to comply is an offence. So, you don't need to eradicate these weeds; you may keep some on your land to feed the goldfinches and butterflies if you want. However if the spread is extensive, and someone has asked you to control them, and you have not, and then that someone complains to the S of S, you might find you are legally obliged to prevent their spread, whether by root or seed, onto other land, and in essence this would probably mean major control works, at your own cost.

Govt guidance for control:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/stop-ragwor ... -spreading
Govt guidance - how to complain
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nd-leaflet

Butterfly Conservation - Painted Lady
Primary caterpillar foodplant of the Painted Lady, but they will also use nettles, mallows and vipers bugloss.
https://butterfly-conservation.org/butt ... inted-lady

For the positive side of creeping thistle:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife ... ng-thistle

For the positive side of spear thistle:
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife ... ar-thistle

Thistle control in grassland - creeping thistle spreads mostly by root, spear by seed, bare ground assists both
http://www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/as ... LATEST.pdf

Creeping thistle - Successful control in organic farming - discusses in detail how it grows and spreads, section at the end re fallow land. Read the section about the steps from first colonisation to infestation if you like horror stories.
https://www.organicresearchcentre.com/w ... histle.pdf

From Garden Organic - creeping thistle management
https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sites/ ... leleaf.pdf

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales - Land Management Toolkit no 13 Invasive Weed Control (Natives) - this pdf has been recommended by Plantlife.
https://www.gwentwildlife.org/sites/def ... ges%29.pdf

Comparison of different thistle species' flowerheads:
http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/common-british-thistles/

Marsh thistle, - no legal requirement to control, biennial, spiny, multiple clustered heads: https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/marsh-thistle

Meadow thistle - no legal requirement to control, perennial, not spiny, leaves white-ish cottony underneath, single head, similar to knapweed:
https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/ci ... sectum.php

Email exchange topic - white thistles control
https://groups.io/g/moormeadows/topic/9 ... ,,20,1,0,0