Did you have musk thistles last year? If so, walk out in those same infected areas and I'm certain you will find more healthy, robust thistle plants growing in their circular, rosette form. This rosette growth form is the ideal stage for controlling these plants. That means spray herbicides soon, while your musk thistle plants still are in that rosette form, and very few plants will send up flowering stalks for hand digging later.

Several herbicides are effective and recommended for musk thistle control. One of the most effective is Tordon 22K. But be careful with Tordon because it also can kill woody plants, including trees you might want to keep. 2,4-D also works very well, but you will get just a little bit better thistle control by using a little less 2,4-D and adding a small amount of Banvel to the mix.

A couple other newer herbicides also help control musk thistles in pastures -- Ally and Curtail. If you aren't satisfied with how well other herbicides have worked, give these two a try. No matter which weed killer used, be sure to read and follow label instructions, and be sure to spray on time.

All these herbicides will work for this spring if you spray before musk thistles bolt and send up their flowering stalks.

After flowering, though, the shovel is about the only method remaining to control thistles this year.