| Roger Batt asks Jeffrey Pettingill to demonstrate the best "mechanical" means and using a shovel to get rid of just a few plants in someone's yard. Jeffery explains that this is a very deep rooted plant and shovels can be broken pretty easily. The best way is not try to dig it all out at once, but work around the plant and loosen the soil. Come out about a foot from the middle of the plant, drive the shovel in the ground, and just pry back slightly. Then walk around the plant to a few other spots and do the same thing. You are trying to loosen the soil so you don't break off your shovel and you get as much of the root as possible. When you get around to the start again the plant should come out of the ground very easily. This minimizes the disturbance in the soil. He picks up the root and you can see the crown of the root he wants to get out. If you just chop this crown off the plant will grow back, but if you get the whole crown out it will effectively kill this Musk Thistle. When you dig plants like these it is a good idea to bag them up and put them in the landfill. There can be enough nutrients left in the plant for the seeds to mature even after digging.
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