Saturday, March 23, 2019
Q. I want to feed the goldfinches, but I don’t want thistles all over my yard. Is there a way to do this?
Angie from Youngstown
A. The invasive plant you are referring to is Canada thistle Cirsium arvense, a native of Europe and Asia.
And, yes, it is a bad problem.
The plant is difficult to kill because of the underground rhizomes that help it spread.
But, the seed in bird feed is not Canada thistle.
The seed we feed the birds is the seed of the African yellow daisy, Guizotia abyssinica. Nyjer (thistle) is grown in Africa, particularly Nigeria, which is probably the origin of our name for the seed, and India. The seed is sterilized by intense heat to prevent germination of any seeds. This is required to prevent the introduction of invasive plants.
It is believed that calling the seed thistle may have become popular because goldfinches, which adore Nyjer seed, also use the down form to line their nests.
The biggest problem with nyjer seed is the mess left by hulls on the ground under the feeder. The small black hulls can smother grass and other plants.
The ground-feeding birds appreciate this spilled seed, but you probably won’t.
Using the correct feeder can help. They come in two forms – tube feeders with very small feeding ports, and “thistle “socks – fine-mesh bags to which birds cling to extract the seeds.
The seed within thistle socks can become quite wet with rain, so only use large ones during periods when you have enough finches to consume the contents in a few days.
Adding a platform beneath the feeder or choosing a feeder design with a wide base can minimize spilled hulls and loose seed.
Nyjer seed is an exceptional energy source for birds. It is about 30 percent fat and 20 percent protein, which makes it a good source of food for birds.
Nyjer is a great seed to offer finches and other small seed-loving birds. So please feed these wonderful birds.
Their favorite food is not the source of the problem you see with thistle in your flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu to learn more about the birds you see in your backyard.
Sara Scudier is an OSU Extension master gardener volunteer in Mahoning County. Winter hours for the Extension’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic vary. Submit questions to the clinic at 330-533-5538 or drop samples off to the Extension office in Canfield.