buttercup and clover overload, advice?

[katymay]

The paddock that I took on a few months ago has started to flourish, mostly clover and buttercups pony seems miserable grazing it and is trying his hardest to graze around the offending weeds, I'm tempted to take the ride on mower down and top it, would this help? Or is the only way to eradicate it to spray it? Would have to get the owners permission first, ground is very poor, has been over grazed for years and the weeds allowed to take hold, I've read that an application of lime might help? Clover is the tall type but not flowering yet? Poor mini pony had a sore muzzle a while ago and I thought it was from grazing muzzle but now wondering if the buttercups did it? Thanks in advance

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Having had an issue with photosensitivity with one of my horses in the past, my advice is to arrange alternative grazing for a couple of months. Then you can spray with headland polo (or pay a local farmer to) and then rest the land as per the instructions (which is 6 weeks IIRC - do read and check).

 

[katymay]

Thanks, I've got another paddock I can move them too that has has more grass than weeds thank goodness

 

[Meowy Catkin]

That makes life easier.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My land was infested with clover and buttercups. I hand sprayed it with Grazon 90, as recommended by my agricultural dealer - useless stuff (and very expensive).

Last year I switched to Headland Relay. Fantastic result. Its approved for use in Knapsack sprayers, a 5 litre bottle will treat 2.5 acres.

Headland Polo is for boom sprayers only, according to the blurb (though I imagine it could be diluted down for knapsack use). A bottle will treat 8 acres, so its more economical.

I'd tried topping and mowing beforehand but to no avail.

 

[katymay]

So if I get a hand sprayer I could do it myself? It's a little over an acre, would it be as effective? A footpath runs all the way through is it poisonous to dogs? Don't want to start killing of the dogs!

 

[Highlands]

Agree spray them

 

[FfionWinnie]

You can only do it yourself if you have the correct training. Depending on your age you need training and or certification

If the butter cups are flowering it's a bit late. Really it needs sprayed before they flower.

Grazeon 90 is very effective when used at the right time.

It would be cheaper and safer in the longrun to get someone who knows what they are doing to do it for you.

 

[Fransurrey]

Liming does help buttercups, but the clover will go wild. Mine did last year and I had to put my mare on Hormonise, as she started to bag up! Still suffering the effects now. We didn't have a choice in it, but if it happens again I'll have to find somewhere else.

 

[Red-1]

We used Grazon 90 in a Knapsack, and it was very effective, but it was used before flowering, as the plants were growing like mad in spring. The good thing is that now, with regular topping, we have not had to spray for a few years.

 

[outinthefens88]

Interesting thread and interesting to see that some 'agricultural dealers' recommend Grazon 90 (now Grazon Pro and has been for years) for buttercups and clover. On my usage guide it gets 1 out of 5 for buttercup control and 2 out of 5 for clover control - 5 being good - it is however excellent at killing nettles, docks and bramble.

Headland Relay doesn't to my knowledge (having checked safety data sheets) have grazing use approval and is imminently to be withdrawn from sale anyway. Headland Polo should not be used in a knapsack sprayer full stop, it is illegal to do so as is against the terms of use - and is really NOT stuff you want to be walking round in a cloud of without all the proper respirators etc as its pretty evil (although very very effective stuff).

As a few people have said, it may well be worth seeking professional advice from a paddock maintenance contractor as they may be able to mix two or three sprays to provide a broad spectrum weed control at a far cheaper price (and possibly more effectively) than you can do it yourself.

If you do do it yourself then please, please, please get your calculations right and understand your coverage and litre per hectare rates against knapsack nozzle output and target weed species - its not as easy as people think to do spraying properly and there is a reason why qualified people charge good money (because it costs a bloody fortune for the training, qualifications and insurances to do the job, let alone the storage and use restrictions to be complied with).

 

[Penny Less]

Looking at my paddock this morning I have loads of sort of ferny stuff and buttercups on their way. Don't own land,its not sprayed or anything and we have no alternative paddock, could only leccy fence a bit off at a time. I think more weeds than grass now. Luckily I have fatties who don't need lush grazing. I did wonder about knapsack spraying but thought you had to have a special licence for anything that's any good ?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

buttercup is down to acidic soil, clover is down to lack of fertilising-I've suffered with both before now at places that weren't mine.

At one place fertilising helped the grass compete with the clover and constant topping of the clover helped. Its horrible stuff and awful for flies in the summer. Buttercup is not much better although at least they don't eat it (I have a pony that loves clover-its the equivalent of sugar coated lard for him!).

A contractor would probably be best and save you time and money in the long run but fyi Simple Systems do a calcified seaweed lime alternative that might be worth looking into. Even though horses need rubbish grazing, having your land overrun with clover or buttercup is not good for them and will need sorting at some point-the longer you leave it the harder it gets.

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is the application guide I went on, to decide which herbicide to use.

Headland Relay is still available to purchase without any proof of certification. Am I imagining that I read that it will be compulsory to be certificated from this autumn onwards? I would happily go on a course to be able to continue hand spraying.

I've got a guy coming with a quad and all the kit/licences to do my 5 acres of growing hay. He is charging £80 plus the chemicals, which is a bargain in my mind. Its the bits of paddocks, say half an acre, which I need to self treat, as I rest one, spray, rest it then move on.

Grazon90 (as it then was called) didn't touch my buttercups or clover, though I was using it at the recommended stage of growth. Its great for spot treatment of thistles, etc, though.

We had the land limed a couple of years ago.