buttercups, help!!!

[CMH]

Ok my field have a lot of buttercups. Going to move field hopefully before wweekend so they have more grass to tempt them away from the buttercups... But whilst I treat the other fields, will horses be ok grazing on one that isn't being treated?

What do I use to treat them? And how do I do it?

May be a stupid question, but can I pull them from the root???

Thanks in advance

 

[islandspirit]

I could be wrong but as far as I am aware there are two types of buttercup. One with roots and one that spreads underground and has a network of roots which is harder to get rid of. I know lots of people that use lime on the fields to change the ph levels which then discourages the buttercups.

 

[L&M]

Horses don't normally seek out buttercups, unless the grazing is so poor they have no other option. They are usually a sign of acidic soil so lime will help.

I don't think they are hugely poisinous and we do have evidence of them in our haylage, and have certainly never caused my horses any harm.

I have had patches in my padocks, but after 4 yrs of strimming them down, have found they have certainly reduced in numbers. I do the same with the docks and as of yet have zero....!

 

[scarymare]

Hi

I get mine sprayed yearly. They are OK in hay/haylage as the toxins evaporate. I have plenty of friends who don't spray and have never had a problem. You can't pull them up by roots. If you have only a small area then you could get a knapsack sprayer and use a selective like Grazon at about a 20:1 dilution. Otherwise call your local farmer - best to spray at point of flowering.

Hope this helps

 

[CMH]

Yes thanks all very helpful.
Now another silly question, but how to I check the pH and when/how do I lime?
Thanks ever so much

 

[Cocorules]

You can buy a soil acidity checker cheaply from a garden centre. If it doesn't show a problem it could just be poor drainage in the field that is causing the problem.

 

[flyingfeet]

Ours grew happily on alkaline soil, so its a waste of time liming

I used headland polo and its done a really good job

 

[CMH]

Thanks, I've had a little look and heard liming doesn't always work.
Stressed about it to a friend too and she didn't even know and knows a lot of ppl that just leave it?
I am still moving to a more grassy area, but it might just be the wet weather as the fields never grown them like this before.

They've flowered so don't think grazon will work

 

[bryngelenponies]

Ours grew happily on alkaline soil, so its a waste of time liming

I used headland polo and its done a really good job

This was my experience too. I would really recommend Headland Polo- I used it for the first time this year and it dealt with buttercup, dandelion, dock and ragwort very quickly.

 

[dalidaydream]

Grazon isn't very good at killing buttercups - I too am going to use Headland Polo this year - if it ever stops raining long enough to do it

 

[0ldmare]

I spent 6 HOURS spraying the barsteward things at the weekend, one of my fields suffers from them. Its pH is about right so liming wouldn't help. The problem with this particular field is it lies wet

Unfortunately I have both types after quite a bit of research I have tried Headland Relay this year. Time will tell if I've been successful!

Good luck they are hard to eradicate, I've tried everything short of napalm

 

[Goldenstar]

Have not got much help except to say they will ok in the field with them while you sort the other paddocks out and that I feel your pain we have them too.

 

[CMH]

Ok looking at headland polo, how do you spray it? Says you can no longer use a knapsack anymore for some reason???

Last question ...
What if whilst they're on new field, I mow and collect cuttings off too fields which are resting as little grass and a lot of buttercups?
Thanks

 

[CathySirett]

glad to see this thread as a patch of buttercups has appeared in my paddock this year -- for the first time I think so was wondering what to do..

will look up headland polo and see if I am in time to spary for this year -- otherwise wil make plans for next year as they are not on much of the field at the moment

Cathy

 

[Welly]

Hi, we bought some land a couple of years ago that had nothing but buttercups and weeds growing with very little grass, here is what we did, hope it helps.

If you use a feed merchant, ours is Mole Valley, they may have an agronomist who will your check ph levels in soil and will also tell you what other weeds you have and what to use to get rid of them, they also know local people that cover your area who can do the job, and this service was free. Also we found that the cost of buying the spray and doing the job ourselves or getting a professional in to do the job was not much different.

One year later we have lovely grass and no weeds it was well worth the expense.

 

[ticobay831]

I used somthing called Bannish its for buttercups and works like graze on.