Can you blowtorch ragwort?

mandwhy

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Just wondering, my dad has both a terrifying petrol flame thrower type blowtorch and a more accurate butane powered blow torch on a stick for burning weeds. Would this be of any use for ragwort? My new field has a veritable bounty of the stuff, I guess I will have to dig out the tall ones but would it be helpful to burn at the remaining root hole and what about the rosettes, can I just burn the living *****e out of it all? Sounds a bit more fun at least and can probably get the BF on board for fear I'll burn all my hair off?
 

Pearlsasinger

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That's what we do!
It's particularly effective for the small rosettes. For the big, flowering stalks, I think you'd have to pull/cut and burn what's left.
 

mandwhy

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Great stuff, I thought it was you I had seen mention it before! BF also suggested a controlled fire to get rid of the long grass but think I'll decline on that one, we have acquired a strimmer so it'll be a weekend of somewhat frightening machinery for us!
 

Godknows

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That's what we do!
It's particularly effective for the small rosettes. For the big, flowering stalks, I think you'd have to pull/cut and burn what's left.

Would have to say if you don't pull out the root and burn the lot it will come back. The flowers that drop seeds will run riot. Unless you have a spray licence to get to the root with the chemical (that's why you need the licence to get the chemical). If you have a lot get specialist in to spray, but you will not be able to put animals on for about 3-4 weeks.
 

Passtheshampoo

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Not sure it would work but it sounds like something I'd get a lot of pleasure doing!! That damned evil weed just doesn't let up. You think you have pulled it all but go back a few days later and there's more of it. The local council round here hasn't cleared any this year, their excuse is financial cutbacks. Locals have taken to clearing it from the verges just to keep it at bay.
 

carthorse15

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Yes, I used to blow torch them when they were small rosettes stops them from growing and flowering. Doesn't get rid of them but stops them seeding. Ifs fun and very satisfying! There is an organic spot sprayer (citronella based) which is very effective - can't remember the name though. Using both methods really helped.
 

mandwhy

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I did consider getting it sprayed but have already got the horse on there in a de-ragworted fenced off bit, I am on summer holidays and a student so I don't think I have an excuse to shirk the hard labour and get someone else to do it unfortunately! I have quite enjoyed burning the weeds around my dad's patio, I think it will be fun! Thing is I did I think about one tenth today of the yellow flowers, so another 9 hours to go and I can move onto the rosettes... Sob!
 

Pearlsasinger

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Would have to say if you don't pull out the root and burn the lot it will come back. The flowers that drop seeds will run riot. Unless you have a spray licence to get to the root with the chemical (that's why you need the licence to get the chemical). If you have a lot get specialist in to spray, but you will not be able to put animals on for about 3-4 weeks.
It is almost impossible to get all the root out by pulling/rag-forking etc. If you leave the tiniest bit in, the plant will re-grow. We have found that torching is actually more effective.
We do keep up to it though, so usually only have rosettes to deal with. The best bit about it is that you can put horses in the field immediately, whereas any other method which leaves some behind, actually encourages the horses to eat the dying leaves, so the field has to be left for weeks.
 

Pearlsasinger

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We make sure that the whole plant turns to ash - there is nothing left to seed.
We do unfortunately get seeds from neighbouring field, so it is an annual job.
 

micramadam

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Not sure it would work but it sounds like something I'd get a lot of pleasure doing!! That damned evil weed just doesn't let up. You think you have pulled it all but go back a few days later and there's more of it. The local council round here hasn't cleared any this year, their excuse is financial cutbacks. Locals have taken to clearing it from the verges just to keep it at bay.

Sigh! We aren't allowed to clear the verges, the council have protected this bloody plant. We can clear fields where animals graze but everything else has to be left. Fighting a losing battle.:(
 

Nikki1204

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I saw a man in a field in his tractor today just cutting the tops off all his ragwort with one of those machines that cuts the grass for hay! Useless!!!
 

Mike007

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I saw a man in a field in his tractor today just cutting the tops off all his ragwort with one of those machines that cuts the grass for hay! Useless!!!

Anything that weakens the plant helps, so its not totaly useless and if it prevents them seeding it is a plus . A cheap fix ,and I wish more people did at least this.
 

mandwhy

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If I could lop them all off at the top I probably would! There are loads of flowering ones ready to spread their evil wares, I have been using a ragfork but there are a lot of tiny ones I am just pulling, I guess now the ground has been soaked with heavy rain maybe it will be easier.

There is an unoccupied field next door which I guess blows up to the others, but I don't mind keeping on top of the new ones so much once I've cleared this bombardment :)
 

lizijj

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Urgh! I've been pulling the ragwort in my field and each year it increases! Again, next door doesn't pull so I'm losing the battle - OH will be very happy about the blowtorch method though!
 

Kat

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Mike, I think the problem would be that with the half life of uranium you'd have to rest the field for about a century afterwards. Might be a little impractical.......
 

lachlanandmarcus

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I saw a man in a field in his tractor today just cutting the tops off all his ragwort with one of those machines that cuts the grass for hay! Useless!!!

That is a lot better than nothing!!

If everyone did at least that it would help to stop the spread.

Agree it needs spraying/pulling but weather hasnt been too helpful for spraying which has to be exactly at the right time.
 

LadyRascasse

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Erm, correct me if I am wrong but I though blow torching them would be very dangerous as they say ragwort is at its most lethel when its dry (which is what you would be doing by blow-torching it) as it makes it more palatable to the horses?
 

Godknows

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Sigh! We aren't allowed to clear the verges, the council have protected this bloody plant. We can clear fields where animals graze but everything else has to be left. Fighting a losing battle.:(

:eek::confused:Protecting Ragwort? Why Ask if they would like to pay for all vet bills through the country for poisoning? They can have this countries by the boat load and the seeds:)
 

Passtheshampoo

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Sigh! We aren't allowed to clear the verges, the council have protected this bloody plant. We can clear fields where animals graze but everything else has to be left. Fighting a losing battle.:(

Ragwort is classed as an injurous weed and Landowners/ land managers have a responsibility to clear it. Defra have guidelines as to how to deal with Landowners who do not clear ragwort. Unfortunately when Councils don't even bother to clear it then you can understand everyone else being apathetic. Some of my land is rented from the council on a grazing agreement. Within my agreement is a clause stating I must keep the land free of injurous and spreading weeds including ragwort. This is something I do religiously on both my rented and owned land. However the Council own the farmland surrounding my rented land and as I type theres hundreds of yellow bobbing flower heads on thier land ready to seed onto mine. VERY FRUSTRATING.
 

cindydog

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Yes, I used to blow torch them when they were small rosettes stops them from growing and flowering. Doesn't get rid of them but stops them seeding. Ifs fun and very satisfying! There is an organic spot sprayer (citronella based) which is very effective - can't remember the name though. Using both methods really helped.

With this spray do you still need to keep horses off field?
 

ZarasMum

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Ragwort is classed as an injurous weed and Landowners/ land managers have a responsibility to clear it. Defra have guidelines as to how to deal with Landowners who do not clear ragwort. Unfortunately when Councils don't even bother to clear it then you can understand everyone else being apathetic. Some of my land is rented from the council on a grazing agreement. Within my agreement is a clause stating I must keep the land free of injurous and spreading weeds including ragwort. This is something I do religiously on both my rented and owned land. However the Council own the farmland surrounding my rented land and as I type theres hundreds of yellow bobbing flower heads on thier land ready to seed onto mine. VERY FRUSTRATING.

Passtheshampoo, micramadam is in Holland ...
 

mandwhy

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Ladyrascasse, I wasn't thinking of drying it, more like obliterating it!

It is in the spare bit of the field at the mo so would have plenty of time to die off, just don't want it spreading and obv don't want it there when I want to use it in a few months :)

Was just reading a thread in stable yard about barrier H spray basically being citronella in water/base - does citronella kill it? Curiouser and curiouser!
 

BackRidingAgain

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IME, concerted pulling at about this time of year, just before it seeds and done when the soil is just about right to give up the root is an easy way forwards. It needs doing every year, but over time works, though you do have to keep at it to keep at bay all those seeds that blow over from places that don't keep it cleared.
 
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