Buttercups - best way to get rid?

[Surbie]

As the title really - I sprayed the worst-affected field nearly 2 weeks ago. The docks have given up, gone brown and died (yay!!) but the buttercups have just gone slightly curly and appear to be growing through it in most areas. B*ggers!

The field is mostly buttercups...and we are running out of options in terms of fields as the grass has been so slow to come through.

Anything else I can try?

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

What did you spray with? We used Headland Polo about a month ago, walked round the fields last night and there is barely a weed or buttercup to be seen. I was astonished!!

 

[Cecile]

Depends on what area really, I drove around a pony paddock yesterday on a ride on mover and then finished it off with strimming all around the fence lines, looks really lovely today but not sure for how long

I took the tractor out into the bigger fields and topped the buttercups as I was starting to become allergic to the colour yellow

 

[pennyturner]

Watching with interest. I'm on SSSI, so can't spray - will topping have any impact?

 

[Cecile]

Watching with interest. I'm on SSSI, so can't spray - will topping have any impact?

I don't spray, I find that topping doesn't get rid of them but looks so much better for a while, I seem to have just area's of buttercups not just growing everywhere
Ride on mower and strimming seems to be reducing them each year but that is much smaller area's so doesn't take long

 

[SEL]

All our horse paddocks are a sea of yellow, but the small one that has had the farmers rams in it doesn't have a single buttercup - so does that mean sheep can eat them?

 

[Cecile]

All our horse paddocks are a sea of yellow, but the small one that has had the farmers rams in it doesn't have a single buttercup - so does that mean sheep can eat them?

I have one sheep who seems to be addicted to buttercups and seeks them out, the rest of the flock aren't that interested

 

[MotherOfChickens]

All our horse paddocks are a sea of yellow, but the small one that has had the farmers rams in it doesn't have a single buttercup - so does that mean sheep can eat them?

horses make the pasture acidic which encourages buttercup or daisies. plus I expect the farmer treats his grazing with something -you could ask him what the soil is like there and what you should use because otherwise you can spray and they'll just grow back.

 

[Fanatical]

Following with interest - they are a pain in the backside!
Having just sprayed mine, if I am lucky enough that they do die back, what do i do then? Do they just sit there wilted and eventually get over come (hopefully) by grass?

 

[TheMule]

Lime helps if you have acidic soil, mine have died back well this year eith Headland Polo but timing is crucial, the ones I did a month ago have been hit better than the ones done 2 weeks ago, you need to get them before they flower really.

 

[thefluffyviking]

We're about to spray our paddock with Barrier H which you don't need a license to apply. We're also getting a Rag-Fork (or similar) to deal with undesirable plants as and when we see them, as I believe I've spotted something that could be ragwort (horse promptly moveed from that paddock!).

Buttercups are mildly toxic to horses, but mine has become an expert on grazing around the little beggars. It's just that the paddocks seem invaded by them, so spot-spraying and re-alkalining the ground looks like the way forward. When killed, they're no longer toxic (apparently), and the grass will eventually 'take back' the ground.

 

[JillA]

I had good results spraying with RelayP or Pastor (containing mecaprop and dicambar) but they are on the restricted list now, not sure if there is a viable alternative . And you have to spray every three years or so, they have underground rhizomes so keep coming back.
I think topping would only work if you could do it so often they never had chance to regrow.

You don't need to remove your horse when you see a ragwort plant - they are unpalatable unless they are dead, and the toxin is cumulative so one plant won't kill. Just dig it/pull it up and put salt in the hole to kill the roots.

 

[Fanatical]

How long does it take for buttercups to start to die back once sprayed, usually?
Concerned we're too late and nothing will happen!

 

[Cecile]

Not sure if I am the only one but whenever I have moles in the pony paddocks I later have buttercups in those area's, same as moles near the woods and I have stinging nettles in those area's, it always seems to coincide with the previous mole activity
High level of mole activity seems to activate buttercups and stinging nettles in certain area's at mine - less moles and I have less buttercups and stinging nettles - maybe its just the disturbance of the soil that causes this

 

[Surbie]

Just wanted to come back and say thank you for all your responses. It was sprayed with something you don't need a licence for, which is good cos I don't have one!

YO's view is that the fields will be left now as they are beyond spraying. Will be dealt with in the autumn. I am taking my horse to a new yard closer to me so hopefully there will be less pressure on the grazing by removing his hungry gob. There are bunnies and deer in the fields, neither seem to fancy munching on buttercups either.

 

[tda]

Did ours a couple of weeks ago with Pastor or Polo, they are wilting, and I can see the bits I've missed !😁