Attack of the Buttercups!!!!

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MrsMurs

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Hi All,
Not long ago I purchased some grazing land, and I have tried to be conscientious about grass management. We have post and rail fencing, mains water troughs, adequate shelter (natural and man made) from the elements, regular ragwort control etc. We are hoping to take hay from the larger paddock too.
I thought I was doing a wonderful job and then today I've noticed an imposter!!!!
Buttercups, blooming things sprouting up everywhere!
1. Can I have recommendations for the best way to get rid from the grazing paddock? Also how long if it's sprayed would I need to keep animals (horses and sheep) off it?
2. The other paddock is to take hay, so am I right in thinking dried buttercups in hay are fine for horses to eat and therefore I can leave those ones be?
Many thanks for reading, your wisdom would be most welcome
x
 
Following this! I didn't know how bad buttercups can be and there are an awful lot in the grazing fields where my mare is at the moment. I wonder if I can just pull them out when I go round poo picking.
 
Buttercups are the bane of my life. They also seem to be the most difficult things to get rid of! They are everywhere in my field. I sprayed them with Thrust last year which definitely knocked them back but didn't get rid of them. I did it by knapsack sprayer last year but I had to spray every centimetre so it took forever. Got a boom sprayer for this year! We sprayed for the first time this year last week and will probably do it a second time later in the year to see if that helps more. You can graze the field again after 2 weeks according to the instructions, that's how long I left it last year and they were fine.

Pretty sure dried buttercups are fine in hay.
 
I had a fair bit of success with RelayP, which contains dicambar and mecaprop, but you will have to get a licensed sprayer now to spray it. Stock withdrawal was 14 days if I remember rightly (it will tell you on the label which will be on line if you google RelayP). The trouble with buttercups is they have an underground rhizome so will return, it is recommended you spray every three years. Mine are coming back now. I'll post my chart of herbicides later,Photobucket isn't playing right now
 
Buttercups are ok in hay.
Have you had a soil analysis done? Buttercups like acid soil and if your soil is acidic I would have it limed. Buttercups also like wet ground so drainage could be an issue.
Envy is very good for buttercup. Stock exclusion 7 days. Should only be used once in a year.
Thrust is also good, stock exclusion 14 days.
The timing of application is important. Weeds need to be actively growing. If they have reached the flowering stage it is too late. You will have to cut and wait for regrowth or wait until autumn. Weather conditions need to be correct too. Not too hot or weed killer will evaporate before it gets into the plant.
If you are likely to have any ragwort make sure you remove all decaying plants before putting horses back on.
 
I had a buttercup problem, but after we acquired some geese they have gone completely in the field and paddock just drive me mad in the garden.

Geese pull out the buttercup roots with their long beaks and are very effective to help keep on top of the problem. They are also good security in the field to keep unwanted people out.

So many fields with horses in seem full of buttercups as I drive round at present, so many people don't seem aware that it is a problem.
 
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Looking out of my saddlery workshop over my field this is what I can see, they are invading us too!

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