Buttercups, lots of!

smokey

smokey

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So, I'm moving to a new yard next week! Got a huge field, split in 2, with hard standing at the main gate. Top half of the field is hilly, with lots of young trees, more like a mini woodland. Bottom half is hilly with lovely pasture. The wooded area will be fantastic for shelter from the weather, and as OH is a tree surgeon, any tidying up is not a problem. However, this wooded area is over run with buttercups. Is there any way of controlling them, other than chemicals? Can't get a mower in because of the trees. Or if I leave them will they just look pretty and do no harm? :confused:
 
If you don't want to use weedkiller, and can't top them, then there isn't much you can do. You could try fencing that section off and putting sheep in... probably the only alternative..
 
They will not "look pretty and do no harm". Buttercups in quantity are poinsonous. Plus for some horses they create photo sensitivity and lead to significant burning.

With good pasture management you can reduce them - but it is going to be hard work if you can't get mechanicals in there. You'll need to hand mow, harrow and top the area. Possibly also with fertalizer to try to encourage grass growth.

You could fence the areas off - but if you want to use it for shelter that clearly won't work!
 
Did think about sheep, unfortunately don't have any! Lol. Guess I may have to weed kill, and just keep her in the other part of the field til it's safe. Just didn't want to put her on the grass 24/7 straight away. May see if there's someone who can top the grass before we arrive.
 
Shay said:
They will not "look pretty and do no harm". Buttercups in quantity are poinsonous. Plus for some horses they create photo sensitivity and lead to significant burning.

With good pasture management you can reduce them - but it is going to be hard work if you can't get mechanicals in there. You'll need to hand mow, harrow and top the area. Possibly also with fertalizer to try to encourage grass growth.

You could fence the areas off - but if you want to use it for shelter that clearly won't work!
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I know they are poisonous in high quantity, that's why I asked. Am looking for solutions, and any suggestions are more than welcome. Mowing really isn't an option, but I think I could get a petrol strimmer, and lop most of them. Will speak to owner and see what she would be happy with. Thank you.:)
 
^^ ours too attheponies. The fields were sprayed 2yrs ago but this year they're back with a vengeance. Theyre not proving to be a problem for the horses though, they're not being eaten & non have had any reaction/burning. The yo is planning on spraying again next year though x
 
Buttercups are rife this year, I have never seen so many. Not an awful lot of use immediately but you may like to get a soil analysis as a dose of lime might be needed on your land, it will reduce the buttercups. (I believe)
 
I wouldn't waste your time with weedkiller to be honest, ideally they need to be done before they start flowering. Your only chance is if you wait until autumn when they should have another growth spurt. If you want to top them but can't use a mower how about going around with a strimmer?

By the way, I'm talking for experience here as I tried to kill mine at the beginning of the month before the stated flowering and it's done ****** all :(
 
I've had some success killing them after flowering with Headland Relay but that was a few weeks ago now. I am raking up the runners and topping vigorously so at least I don't have to look at them.
 
My geese deal with mine, have hardly any buttercups in field but masses in the garden lawn! Geese use their beaks to pull roots out, they like the fleshy bits.

I think it is important not to give buttercups the chance to put out runners andspread, so STRIM, dig do all you can to check them until you can spray.
 
Haven't read all the replies and this is maybe a silly suggestion but if you don't want to use weedkiller and can't get in about the trees to top them...

Can you talk to your friendly neighbourhood farmer and ask if he'd graze some of his sheep in your field to bring the buttercups down a bit? :o
 
We've just had our field sprayed and we have sooo many buttercups which are fully in flower, what ever the contractor used has killed them, however its not killed what its suppossed to grrrrr
 
At least I'm not alone with my buttercup problem! Think I'll find out I'd we could get a couple of sheep to graze. Failing that, I'll get a petrol strimmer and top the lot till later in the year. Any other suggestions, more than welcome!
 
Essentially, your pasture is acidic. You need to address the PH if you want to have any hope of getting rid of the problem. Short term, yes, top / mow / sheep etc. Long term you are looking at redressing the imbalance in the soil with appropriate fertiliser.

You will probably notice that the grass is darker and potentially you will have a lot of white clover at ground level too...

Good luck, its a slow old game this pasture management game. :rolleyes:
 
Crazy Friesian said:
Essentially, your pasture is acidic. You need to address the PH if you want to have any hope of getting rid of the problem. Short term, yes, top / mow / sheep etc. Long term you are looking at redressing the imbalance in the soil with appropriate fertiliser.

You will probably notice that the grass is darker and potentially you will have a lot of white clover at ground level too...

Good luck, its a slow old game this pasture management game. :rolleyes:
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We're on alkaline pasture and we've never been so inundated with buttercups. I've read that buttercups are an indication of very old sward, which is what ours is, but this is ridiculous.
 
guido16 said:
Can you find out what he used?
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I would if it hadn't taken the renting agency 4 months to get it sprayed, you'd be waiting a very long time for an answer from them, sorry.

However he was a farmer i guess by the machinery used, so I guess someone with farming/ spraying knowledge may know what it was. I was very surprised it worked on them as it was a ragwort spray which it is very very slowly but all other weeds incl. docks, nettles, thistles, buttercups and some very large leaved plants it has killed in half a week.

Really wish i could be of more help.
 
RutlandH2O said:
We're on alkaline pasture and we've never been so inundated with buttercups. I've read that buttercups are an indication of very old sward, which is what ours is, but this is ridiculous.
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I suspect this is the same as mine, although haven't tested. Basically, I think it's been left to get on with it, and the buttercups have taken over. It's a maze of trees, with small areas of grazing dotted about. I,m sure with some hard work it'll come good. I don't want rich grazing in this part, she has another few acres of grass to gorge on. Lol. Just concerned that soon there won't be any grass! :)
 
I'm sure you could come to an agreement with a famer who has some sheep. We used to get sheep in to eat our field down, and get x amount of straw bales in exchange for rent, worked really well. :)
 
I'm going to ask tonight if I can put some sheep in, just have to source them then! Don't wish to offend any farmers, but I hate sheep! But if they serve their purpose...... Lol
 
We have 8 pet sheep that used to run with the horses. A few years ago, when we had that prolonged drought, I moved the sheep out because there was so much sheep poo and so little grass. We have 6 paddocks. The only one without buttercup is, you guessed it, the sheep field. I think it's been 3 years since the horses shared their fields with the sheep. Now the horse paddocks are infested. The problem is, sheep eat the buttercup leaves, but aren't able to devour the stolons that run under the soil which give our variety of buttercup the ability to creep. We will be using a boom sprayer next year and will apply Depitox and Headland Relay or Headland Polo before the formation of flowers.
 
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