Nasty Ragwort

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BigBird146

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Not getting into any of the the other recent stuff on ragwort here, which demonstrates how devasting it can be, but I caught 4 rosettes in our field today (quite small still), so be on the lookout for them (they seam early this year?) and remember to ALWAYS wear gloves as the poisen can be absorbed through your skin, then BURN THEM!!
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Good advice
I think ragwort could be eaten at rosette stage as it will not be so bitter
It does take several years to reduce an infestation as the seeds can lie dormant for 20 years and take root where ground is poached in wintertime
However the amount of work does seem to reduce if you keep on top of it
My first year on this land here I pulled at least a wheelbarrow full every month through the summer, now I rarely find a plant but still walk the dogs with my head down!!
 
i have a ragfork,its very good.i have found and dug 4 rosettes this year.last year i had about a carrier bag full all year.
a person i know leaves hers till they are tall and in flower,than pulls the lot in 1 weekend later in the year.she had masses last year.
i read that they have thousands of seeds on each flower and can be dropping seed all the time they have flowers,is this true?it would seem so,cos she seems to get more every year.
 
I have walked the field with my ragfork every fortnight over the summer for the last 3 years & I stll dig uploads because nearby landowners seem to cropping the blasted stuff.
 
Definatley true (i think the BHS have a campaign leaflet ' lets root out rag' or something - print it off for her!!). I was actually putting Grazon on the docks as they are also best caught before going to seed and these are the first ragwort we've had for a few years, as I always try and get them before they flower for this reason, but it also depends on how good your neighbours are at keeping their land - the worst offenders generally being Highways Agency and Local Authorities!
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girl down the road from me left hers to flower, only because its the only way she can recognise them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!always do ours same time as muck picking.
 
I'm afraid we try to be a ragwort free zone in an area where our fellow horse owners also seem to actively grow the bl**dy stuff.

The seeds can carry a long way, which seems to be right as the top part of our field has a thick hedge between us and the nearest 'ragwort crop'. We have found no rosettes up there, but the bottom of the field is another matter and we have taken out at least two feed bags full so far this year.
 
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wonder if its cos we're so near the coast and the wind generally blows in from the sea?

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We are not too far from the coast either (3 miles), and there is often an on shore breeze, which is why we have ragwort, as the 'crop' next door is up wind of us
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Ragwort is one of my dad's bugbears. He had a go at the LA about it on roadside verges and their response was that they will only clear it if requested to do so on land adjacent to fields that have already been cleared. Very useful! The 'law' stuff is included on the BHS article (URL above on my 2nd post).
 
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