Friday, June 19, 2026

Controlling Starthistle, Summer's Most Evil Weed*

Today’s newsletter is all about starthistle, and all the ways you can control this summer weed…organically. If you want to read about chemical controls for starthistle, check out this University of California Ag and Natural Resources publication, “Yellow Starthistle (https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/yellow-starthistle/#gsc.tab=0) ”. In today’s podcast (above), America’s Favorite Retired College Horticulture Professor and I talk about the chemical side of weed control products, including all the different formulations of Roundup that are on the market, but they all have very different tasks; some can even sterilize your soil, making your garden unavailable for weeks, months, - or according to Flower - years. We offer tips for using herbicides, as well. We mention a University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture publication about the different Roundup formulations entitled, “UPDATE ON ROUNDUP-BRANDED HERBICIDES FOR CONSUMERS (https://uthort.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/228/2024/05/Update-on-Roundup-Branded-Herbicides.pdf) ” that can help you decide. One national database for insecticide/herbicide/miticide labels is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s webpage, “Pesticide Product and Label System (https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/pesticides/f?p=PPLS:1) .” It’s not the easiest site to navigate, but be persistent. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe (https://gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)