Buttercups!

you would have been better to spray them! dont worry they will be back in 2 to 3 weeks spray them then!!!! MCPA does quite a good job on buttercups. have you soil tested to see if you need to lime as well?
 
Buttercups are part of the Rananculos family and so like boggy wet soils,lime will not hurt them generally lime soils are dry eg chalk so buttercups will not be found in chalk downland.
correct verdone or SBK from the garden centre.
Topping will reduce the surface leaf area to spray for good results.
 
I soo hate buttecups as my Clydie seems to be allergic to them - her face swells up from her ears to her mouth when they are in flower.

Only way to get rid of them is to seriously lime the paddock - they hate lime rich soil and to spray them within an inch of their life. They propergate by the same method as strawberries where they touch down they will send out roots and develop a new plant.

In the mean time though yoou have knocked them back for a couple of weeks and once the weather gets dryer they will reduce growth rate.
 
alma said:
RobL. We are on chalk downland and our fields are covered in buttercups!
Click to expand...
:lol:
If you look around fields locally you will see lots of different weed species in different fields, this is due to management, horses which are allowed to overgraze will cause grass to diminish, and weeds to predominate.
 
Last edited:
I've waged war on buttercups for the last few years (field lies wet and they seem to love it, it was wall to wall yellow last year).

The pH level is near perfect so lime wouldn't help.

I sprayed it myself with grazon (waste of money).

It got worse so I got professionals in to spray it. It was JUST AS BAD and the following year there were even more.

This year I have spent a total of 18 hours with a knapsack spraying it with Headland Relay and it is soooo much better. Yes there are a few, but only where I missed them. The result is really good :)

So I'd say wait until yours have good leaf (and BEFORE they re-flower) and spray them with Headland Relay.

Horses need to be off the field for 1 week minimum.

Good luck! :)
 
I too have had a war on buttercups,

Most weedkillers will set them back and some of the species are tolerant to weedkillers.
Rules to kill buttercups with weedkillers are?
1)The buttercup is weakest when in flower or putting its energy into seed.
Spray only when you have no rain pending for 48hrs.
2)Often it will take 2-3 applications to fully kill a field off.
3)The plant must be health and growing vigerously
4)Do not spray if the fields are in a drought or temps are over 80 degress as the stomata are closed and absorbtion of the weedkiller will not be taken up

I have 100 acres and only use a knapsack sprayer

So only spray from mid May to late June

Chalk and lime sorry for confusing, some clalk soils can be wet and buttercups do well, on top of vary dry chalk downland soil, buttercups find it difficult to live.
 
Rob Lakeside said:
Buttercups are part of the Rananculos family and so like boggy wet soils,lime will not hurt them generally lime soils are dry eg chalk so buttercups will not be found in chalk downland.
correct verdone or SBK from the garden centre.
Topping will reduce the surface leaf area to spray for good results.
Click to expand...

WRONG!

I'm right on the North Downs on chalk downland, the fields round here are BRIGHT yellow, absolutely riddeled with buttercups this year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top