Whew, for a minute there I thought someone would accidentally cut off a thumb. Yes, let's keep are mind on task.
I believe the OP needs advice to get rid of thistles in a large daylily bed.

Oh, I don't think we're too off track here, Mary! We WERE talking about removing weeds. Actually, that knife looks it would work better than the weed fork I have. Heh, but I only paid $1.00 for my crummy weed fork.

And didn't someone mention carefully spraying with Roundup? I came across a really cool additive for sprayers that colors it so you can see what you've sprayed. Seems like it would be handy for making sure you didn't hit something you really didn't want to spray.

All I can picture with the color is, you sprayed and got the plants next to where you wanted and you can see because of the color. Oops!

Yes! and if you do you can rinse it real good with water and it should be ok.

(woofie, that's not what I was referring to.)
I will shut up now and go away.
I have weeding to do.
And a knife to purchase.

Also you can dab or paint the plant with the solution and not get it on anything else.

greene said:(woofie, that's not what I was referring to.)
I will shut up now and go away.
I have weeding to do.
And a knife to purchase.

Now adding color to roundup would be a very good idea!

Ok, Mary, I'm dense and am not sure what you really meant. But for sure let's not lop off any thumbs!

If you do happen to spray herbicide on a daylily leaf, just tear off that leaf. Quickly.
A few years back, I was a landscape manager with crews of non-English speakers. I required them to use dye in all herbicide applications. It really helped me see who was spraying carefully and who wasn't! It really cut down on the mystery plant losses. It also cut down on herbicide use because there was no question about which areas were covered.
The dye is pretty cheap, and well-worth it, I think. Now that I only garden for myself, I try hard to garden organically, but oh my hands ache sometimes. I've already had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands.
But it is true that if you pull and pull, year after year, the weeds will eventually give up! (until you till...so don't till!)

Cindi, that one of the reasons I really like the dye. DH was doing some spraying, and I noticed that he had hit just the edge of some morning glories that I really wanted to keep. So I just ripped off the part that had been hit by the spray!

Hi Everyone:

Just wanted to give you an update. I used ALL of the advice you gave me. On Labor Day my husband and I pulled out 4 large garbage cans worth of thistle and various other weeds. However, the night before we ran the sprinkler for 8 hours as suggested. WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT MADE! The weeds came out so much easier. I then put a layer of Preen down especially in the areas that were wide open. I had killed a number of hybrid daylilies earlier in the year by trying to "Round Up" the weeds. Never again. We then got free mulch from the city. I realize that can be bad because of the weed seeds etc but we can't afford to buy the mulch. However, I also put a layer of Preen (thicker than the container shows) on the mulch and watered it in well.

I also used the cardboard suggestion and cut out strips to line the entire huge area to keep the grass down and also put it on some of the more bare areas to try to keep the weeds out.

It was a LONG day but we got it done! We then cracked open a beer each and sat in the hot tub for about an hour!

A few of the things I learned. MULCH. At least every other year. I am also going to divide the plants in the spring. The ones on the left side really need it. I have noticed a real decline in the number of blossoms. Photo is after we weeded, before the 4" of mulch was spread out.

KEEP UP WITH IT. Every week go out with my thick gloves on and try to keep those darn thistles at bay. It will take me 10-15 minutes and I can use the exercise.

THANKS SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, FOR ALL OF YOUR GREAT SUGGESTIONS!

Ann

It looks great! Fabulous job!

That looks really good, I know you really needed that beer! I'm doing preen this year too.

Looks great Ann! Please share next years results.

You do realize that we will all be over for a picnic lunch to see the daylilies...just kidding.
Hurray for your and your dear hubby. That's one job well done that won't need to be re-done for a year or two.

It looks great! An inspiration to those of us who need to do the same.

What a WELL DESERVED beer and hot tub!

>> It looks great! An inspiration to those of us who need to do the same.

I have one bed that was so overrun that not even two weedings, two weeks apart, produced a bed clean enough to plant lettuce and Bok Choy in last weekend. I'm going to see if it gets totally overrun in just ONE week, and then decide whether to waste seeds that are going to be choked by horsetail, dandelion-like things, ranunculus, and who-knows-what.

>> I am also going to divide the plants in the spring.

Someone taught me that dividing time is weeding time.
If you're going to divide several plants in an area, also uproot anything else that you want to keep in that immediate area. Then go postal on the weeds: mattock, rototiller, blow-torch, dig out the soil and the roots and screen them, tactical nukes - whatever it takes.

Then put the plants back with mulch, and the weeds won't come back very fast.

I think the original idea might even have included leaving that bed fallow for a season or a year while replenishing the soil, for example with a cover crop.

I haven't started on my bed overrun with red sorrell but I dug out two caryopteris and replanted in the new bed out front. I had to bare root them to get all the sorrell out. They're not real happy right now but I hope they spring back.

I'm not sure I'll get to all the rows in my garden that has thigh high grass. Sigh. I just keep running away from it...

If you wait long enough the grass will die because it is winter!