Dock Leaves and Weeds

[marmalade88]

Situation: Horses in paddock all year round out by day in by night. No option to take off paddock or spray, other person I share with will not put up electric fence to spate an area.

How so I get rid of dock leave and thistles without spraying? Is it impossible? I should also add I am on part livery and this should really be done by the YM but it's not going to happen so I'm biting the bullet and doing it myself. The YM will not spray any of the fields.


I am going to cut them down before they have a chance to seed and try to dig up roots. Not sure what else I can do without any chemical help.

Advice needed.

 

[be positive]

Cutting regularly will really help as the plants do give up to some extent and die off especially if they have not gone to seed, the easiest way would be to get a topper in, rather than doing it by hand, it should be down to the YO to arrange/ pay for this as you are on part livery not renting the field.

 

[Gloi]

If it is not your land and they aren't being helpful, I'd just leave them and not stress about them. If there is any ragwort concentrate on that, the docks and thistles won't do your horse any harm, they are just reducing the amount of available grass.

 

[PorkChop]

I don't spray, I just flail mine regularly, probably once a week at the moment - could you use a strimmer?

 

[OWLIE185]

Regularly Strim them and they will give up the ghost. Get a good quality strimmer such as a Stihl 2 stroke petrol strimmer as they are easy to start.

 

[lelly]

I strim mine with a battery powered Bosch strimmer. I do have to do it about six times over the summer months because they keep growing back but it keeps it tidy. I would be lost without this strimmer as petrol ones are too heavy for me.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Thistles are good, docks are using space where grass should grow.

 

[Akkalia1]

I just cut them back with a scythe before they seed. Old school!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I strim mine with a battery powered Bosch strimmer. I do have to do it about six times over the summer months because they keep growing back but it keeps it tidy. I would be lost without this strimmer as petrol ones are too heavy for me.

\\\\ryobi are ok

 

[Gift Horse]

I also use a scythe, light & quiet.

 

[jrp204]

You could spot spray with glyphosate which is harmless if eaten.

 

[Slightly Foxed]

Keep cutting them, they'll give up eventually. My land was covered with docks when I bought it, there are none now on the grazing paddocks, they only appear on the areas that aren't topped regularly.

 

[happyclappy]

Mine eat the thistles and I chop the docks

 

[Kat]

Do you clear the cut leaves or leave them?

 

[oldie48]

I like to keep horses away from any area sprayed with glyphosate for a couple of weeks. I don't think it is completely harmless. I'd cut and clear if I were you.

You could spot spray with glyphosate which is harmless if eaten.

 

[Goldenstar]

Thistles are easily controlled by strimming .
Docks are not they just come and come .
We had a serious thistle and nettle issue which topping has controlled but the docks just come and come again you could try digging them up .
I have resorted to spraying my docks when the paddocks are resting .

 

[Foxy O]

Get a garden flame thrower, you have to do it twice around one week apart but then they are gone for good. This is good for small areas but takes ages if you have a few acres and a big weed problem

 

[Clip1clop1]

Cut them all off at ground level then dollop a little mound of table salt on them....this will kill the roots. Table salt is cheap so you can be generous. Perfectly safe with horses still in the fields.