how do you get rid of fizzle permanently it's tough it's spiny it's hairy and it's taking over your yard thistle whether it's of the musk tall or Canada variety is a very difficult tree to eliminate from your lawn or garden once it has taken hold a single musk thistle can generate 120,000 seeds from one flower and can grow to 6 feet tall eliminating thistle for good might take several years because thistles are either biennial or even worse perennial if you have fizzle one year you will have even more than next unless you take action biennials such as musk thistle and Toph this'll germinate in summer and fall spend the winter as rosettes then produce many flower heads the next spring the fluffy purplish flowers of thistles are the only visually pleasing part of the plant but don't be fooled they carry the seeds that guarantee another year of thistle invasion Canada thistle a perennial reproduces in the same way but it has the added advantage of spreading by way of its roots this makes control even more challenging if you want to banish thistle you have to go to war against it fortunately you do have some weapons at your disposal things you will need lawn mower herbicides containing glyphosate or 2 comma 4 D sponge optional eyedropper optional scalding water optional vinegar optional mulch step one pull off as many of the existing thistle plants as you can both mature plants and seedlings making sure to get the whole root network this is especially important with Canada thistle since mature plants have root systems that can extend for 10 feet you will have better luck pulling up immature plants remember if even the tiny piece of the root survives the whole miserable cycle can start again step two mow your lawn sure to reduce thistle seed reserve and keep it that way it's very important to catch thistle at its early but growth stage before it can spread new seeds don't let this will get to the stage in which the stems elongate and begin to produce flowers this wilson your garden can be sliced off with a hill cut them as close to the ground as possible step 3 apply herbicides to kill thistle especially in spring and fall before thistles can flower and seed use glyphosate for your garden and use a broadleaf herbicide containing 2 comma 4 D or MC PP for your lawn since glyphosate kills all plants you must keep application-specific use a sponge to apply or cut thistle plants and then use an eyedropper to put a drop or two into the stem there are not many natural herbicides for thistles some people have reported success with pouring scalding water on thistles or spraying them with straight vinegar step 4 put down mulch liberally it conserves moisture enriches the soil and prevents germination of new thistle step 5 prevent new thistle invasion by keeping lawns thick recede disturbed areas keep Gardens healthy and pest free and pull any new thistle plants as soon as they appear you