bluehoofprints
Well-Known Member
http://bluehoofprints.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/ragwort.html
How many of you have a problem with ragwort?
How do you deal with it?
How many of you have a problem with ragwort?
How do you deal with it?
Ragwort (BLOG)
- Thread starter bluehoofprints
- Start date
Dry Rot
Well-Known Member
Ragwort is a biennial. That means it grows the first year and flowers the second year, then dies.
Pulling the flowering plant will stop it seeding for this year but it will grow again from root fragments left in the ground next year. So pulling is useful but not a cure.
Dispose of the plants through your local recycling centre in the green waste bin. It won't burn unless dry and by that time even the pulled plants will have seeded! The seeds are airborne so you'll be back to square one!
I've never used gloves let alone a mask and I'm still alive....but that is not a recommendation!
To eradicate ragwort you need to spray at the rosette/floret stage twice a year, once in the spring and again in the autumn. Flowering plants will still seed even if sprayed but using the correct spray at the correct dosage at the correct time of year will kill them. Speak to your local agri-chemical supplier. It is probably worth getting a contractor in if you've a big area. You'll still need to remove the plants as even if dead, they are still poisonous to stock.
If your neighbours have ragwort and it is likely to spread to your land, you should report it to DEFRA. Unfortunately, in my experience, DEFRA inspectors are lazy, blind, and negligent. They have a duty to take action when they see ragwort, even if no one has reported it to them, but do they??
It is a criminal offence to graze livestock in a field infested with ragwort under Animal Welfare legislation. It is also an offence under the Weeds Act to allow it to grow where there is a danger of it spreading to land where horses are grazed. Having said that, I've never heard of a successful prosecution. The most effective course is action by DEFRA through Cross Compliance. Signatories to that (which will include 95% of all farmers) are obliged to control noxious weeds or they could lose their Single Farm Payment. These payments are often substantial so this is an effective threat!
If the authorities (DEFRA) take no action, you should complain through the appropriate channels which will be published on the DEFRA web site labelled "Complaints". You may have to be persistent. But if that doesn't work, don't hesitate to escalate your complaint to your Member of Parliament! Not many farmers complain about DEFRA because they seem to get an awful lot of farm and record inspections if they do!
The above is written from bitter experience.
muff747
Well-Known Member
I think the ragwort is worse this year in that there seems to be more flowers on each plant. That follows in our garden where the tubs and hanging baskets are exceptionally better this year - so must be the weather conditions.
Because I can't work in the intense heat, I've had to get out into my new field as and when it has been cooler and to stop it seeding before I can spray it, I have decided to cut all the flower heads off first. I can cover a bigger area faster and it buys me some time - because I know they will throw out new flowering shoots straight away - but needs must.
Now it is cooler today and some rain is forecast, I am hoping to get enough time in low wind periods to spray next week, probably in the evenings as the weather is set to hot up again.
I have been using Headland Polo for the last couple of years, which I bought off a website company called Progreen. Dont think it can be used in a hand sprayer now but they do have an alternative for small areas. They are very helpful and their site is easy to follow.
I am very impressed with the ragwort and dock control and it does buttercups too so my original paddock is almost free of those. It knocked the ragwort back by about 85% at least, docks by probably 70% and buttercups by about 50% so it is really effective. You only need it sectioned off for two weeks but then you still need to dig up the ragwort - but once they have been sprayed and left for two weeks, the root system should be mostly dead so won't regenerate next year.
Also IMPORTANT - if you find any yellow and black striped caterpillars on the weeds, try not to kill them as they are your friends! They only eat ragwort and will kill the plants and then move onto the next so if you miss any, they will clear up for you. Just knock the plant and they curl up and drop off.
Then try to leave your bags open for a day so any you miss can crawl out and find more ragwort to eat!
Hope this helps
Because I can't work in the intense heat, I've had to get out into my new field as and when it has been cooler and to stop it seeding before I can spray it, I have decided to cut all the flower heads off first. I can cover a bigger area faster and it buys me some time - because I know they will throw out new flowering shoots straight away - but needs must.
Now it is cooler today and some rain is forecast, I am hoping to get enough time in low wind periods to spray next week, probably in the evenings as the weather is set to hot up again.
I have been using Headland Polo for the last couple of years, which I bought off a website company called Progreen. Dont think it can be used in a hand sprayer now but they do have an alternative for small areas. They are very helpful and their site is easy to follow.
I am very impressed with the ragwort and dock control and it does buttercups too so my original paddock is almost free of those. It knocked the ragwort back by about 85% at least, docks by probably 70% and buttercups by about 50% so it is really effective. You only need it sectioned off for two weeks but then you still need to dig up the ragwort - but once they have been sprayed and left for two weeks, the root system should be mostly dead so won't regenerate next year.
Also IMPORTANT - if you find any yellow and black striped caterpillars on the weeds, try not to kill them as they are your friends! They only eat ragwort and will kill the plants and then move onto the next so if you miss any, they will clear up for you. Just knock the plant and they curl up and drop off.
Then try to leave your bags open for a day so any you miss can crawl out and find more ragwort to eat!
Hope this helps
Last edited:
Hoofprints in the Snow
Well-Known Member
Dispose of the plants through your local recycling centre in the green waste bin.
I'm not sure putting it in with green waste is a good idea, as surely if it is turned into compost, the seeds would contaminate it. I put it into black bags and put it in the non recycle waste. Not sure if that is good either, but burning it isn't an option for me. So if anyone knows of a better way please tell. I have nightmares about the dam stuff!!
We also have a patch on its own that has caterpillars that eat the flowers, I leave that bit alone, it is in a far corner of a large field away from the rest.
I'm not sure putting it in with green waste is a good idea, as surely if it is turned into compost, the seeds would contaminate it. I put it into black bags and put it in the non recycle waste. Not sure if that is good either, but burning it isn't an option for me. So if anyone knows of a better way please tell. I have nightmares about the dam stuff!!
We also have a patch on its own that has caterpillars that eat the flowers, I leave that bit alone, it is in a far corner of a large field away from the rest.