Best chemical (?) to use to spray on field with BIG ragwort plants? (also in NL)

itsonlyme

itsonlyme

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 May 2011
Messages
788
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
As the title really. I've been going through this page http://www.progreen.co.uk/weed-killers/selectively-control-weeds-in-grass/for-paddocks/cat_28.html and decided on the Thrust (http://www.progreen.co.uk/Weed-kill...in-Grass/For-Paddocks/Thrust-5LT/prod_27.html) but then read that the plants have to be small. :confused: The paddock in question is currently ungrazed and has some very large (like nearly 3ft tall) ragwort plants in it. :eek: And millions of smaller ones. :( I did start pulling the bigger ones up, but there are just too many and my back nearly died! :o Was also looking at getting a farmer to come and spray it, but figured doing it myself would be a cheaper option. There are other things like clover and buttercup, but only in small amounts - it's the ragwort i need rid of the most.
Any names of sprays you could recommend?

Thank you millions :)
 
have you tried one of those tools that are advertised on telly that pull weeds up by roots ? they do work, I have one and use it for dock.

i would pull and burn, if you spray and they die they become more palatable to horses ! sorry prob not the answer you want - do a small area at a time and maybe cut heads off and burn before they can spread.

Dont envy you but the tool really did help me (it grips the root and pulls it out)
 
Do you mean a Rag Fork? http://www.ragfork.co.uk/

This is what i was doing, but it just got out of control :( I had sacks and sacks of the stuff. Soooo heavy! And we're on a hill, so it's just knackering walking up & down with rubble sacks. I will get all of the biggest ones again before spraying, but there are just sooo many smaller ones that i wouldn't know where to start (i'm on my own most of the time) :(
 
the fork I have is a Fiskars Weed Puller - it really is easy to use and doesnt hurt your back - I would forget the sacks and lugging it all round (that is probably as much to blame for your poor back) I would instead just make a couple of piles or pref one big pile and burn it where it is !

If you can do one area to put horses on you will get much more satisfaction - I have been pulling thistles out of ground for last couple of months - my arms are marked and I am sick of the sight of them but cant leave them alone ! my field was sprayed but it didnt get them all and I wanted to get the last ones before hay cut or they re-seeded.

Flippin ragwort !
 
We use Graze On or Pastor but our agronomist says Graze On is best for ragwort. I would suggest pulling up the really large ones and just spraying the small ones. When they are that tall the spray will kill them to stop them from reseeding but they won't wither away and as already mentioned, will be more palatable when dead so you'll end up pulling them up anyway unless you can rest the field for the rest of the year.

If they are getting out of control you obviously need to get rid of them before they reseed so if you're unable to pull them up in time may be worth topping the whole field and then spraying the whole field as they start to come back through, but will mean the field will be out of use for a while. If you do get a farmer to do he can spray the whole field so will save you a lot of time and be more accurate if there is a lot of them. I find spot spraying as hard work as pulling them up as the packs so heavy so I guess it really depends on the size of the area so you can weigh it all up...

We had a couple of fields that were bad for a couple of years and I would really recommend giving the little blighters a propper blitzing now and again in the spring if need be to save lots of back ache for the next decade or so :eek:
 
I would get a farmer or contractor to do it right, keep your grass well and it will pay you back.
I have been spraying on farms for lots of years and we have to have a liecence and go on courses and keep upto date with rules and regs.
All chemicals need respect and no more than around your horses.
Trying to save money on grass is not a good thing,spraying is not something that you are going to have done more than once a year tops so its not a big percentage cost of keeping a horse compared to shoes,feed,vets plus competing.
You are looking at £150 for contractor to spray 2.5acre with the best chemicals avialable.
Hope i am not ranting:)
 
had my field sprayed last year and it is brilliant - just a few thistles left but compared to the next door field (which it was part of) it really has made a massive difference - the next door field is a see of thistles and rubbish !!

Just a note of caution - yes get it topped then spray the regrowth but after topping you will have to pick up all the ragwort and burn it - if you leave it dying on the ground the ponies are in danger of eating it ! You could ask a farmer to top and then rake it all up if you dont want to do it by hand or even get someone to bale it so you can then burn it - tbf balers are probably quiet at the moment !!!!! flippin rain !
 
I treat all my fields with Pastor, plus they get topped at least once a year.

IME its a false economy to use ineffective sprays that just kill the top growth which looks fine for one season, but doesn't nothing to control the problem.

Headland Polo would be my other choice of chemical, but as Thistles and nettles are also targets then nothing can touch Pastor for blanket spraying fields. Ragwort may not be on the label for Pastor but there are very few broad leaf weeds that escape it.
 
meesha said:
but after topping you will have to pick up all the ragwort and burn it - if you leave it dying on the ground the ponies are in danger of eating it ! You could ask a farmer to top and then rake it all up if you dont want to do it by hand or even get someone to bale it so you can then burn it - tbf balers are probably quiet at the moment !!!!! flippin rain !
Click to expand...

If you have it topped with a flail mower, then all the cuttings are shredded into small pieces, give it a week to die down and theres no problem with residues then.
 
I have used Headland Polo for the first time this year mainly for Docks and Thistles as we hardly ever have any Ragwort. But I have had a few bits of Ragwort this year and they were black within 24 hours of spraying. Fab stuff!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top