Ragwort- cost of spraying

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Scottish_Miss

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HI

Does anyone know the cost of spraying per acre at all?
Or the hire cost of a mechanical puller?

Need some options as hand pulling OK but to be honest the owner ayard not doing anything to prevent spread so fighting a losing battle - would liek to try and present some options to him?

thansk peeps
xxx
 
Cost is all down to individual farmer really you can only try and kill the ragwort above ground. The seeds below will come up next time . We have never had spray for ragwort we get a ragi fork . We spray other things like bindweed ,nettles, docks.


1 Depends on how much you have really if its a massive field of it then a contractor is best .

2 Your best bet is to approach a farmer local to you and see what he charges, Then give his quote to YO.

3. How about saying YO either give you some money of rent or pay you to pull it up. That way you know you keep on top and you get paid. I think it will be cheaper for YO to pay you than to contract someone in to do it .

4. get all the liveries to have a ragwort pulling session . put you ipods on and use rag forks its much easier


I have my rag fork on the muck trailer so when i go round clearing the poo, any ragwort I see the rag fork is to hand and I pull it as I see it.


We have a paddock of vines behind full of ragwort I climbed over and pulled all ragwort in my fields direct path there is still loads tho some people have no clue or don't care.

While driving out in car and box the amount of ragwort I see with horses in the fields is worrying . :confused::(
 
hmm, off the top of my head, Headland Polo will work out at about £6 per acre, then there is man/machinery cost, which will be dependant on how your contractor charges, round our way, about £20-£30 per hour is about average.
 
I was quoted under £200 to 'broadleaf weed spray' 5 acres. You need to do it autumn or spring or both. This will rid you of docks, thistles, nettles, ragwort etc. Literally anything with broad leaves.
 
YasandCrystal said:
I was quoted under £200 to 'broadleaf weed spray' 5 acres. You need to do it autumn or spring or both. This will rid you of docks, thistles, nettles, ragwort etc. Literally anything with broad leaves.
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Yes it will but only what is there then, as it's systemic, and never 100% to the more 'robust' friends like ragwort.

Given the weather conditions too, you could be wasting alot of money on chemical too, you do need the right conditions.

As others have said - a good old pulling session.

Seeds - dealing with reoccurance once any has gone to seed needs some work, there isn't a short cut really to 'once and for all' I'm afraid.
Good, regular paddock maintenance is what is required from your yard owner, lots of regular little work rather than ending up with a major job on their hands.

We employed some casual 'teenage' labour to come pull up, fed them and paid them (lads) and this in the past has been a big help.

Even though our land is managed - the pesky stuff still makes it's way in, or up from dormant seeds. It is a total nightmare really.
The various authories do not help by not keeping their properties clear.
 
YasandCrystal said:
I was quoted under £200 to 'broadleaf weed spray' 5 acres. You need to do it autumn or spring or both. This will rid you of docks, thistles, nettles, ragwort etc. Literally anything with broad leaves.
Click to expand...


I'm starting to feel ripped off as I paid £380 a couple of years ago to spray 4 acres and it needs doing again. I don't know what they used but it did clear them. Now they are back worse than I've ever seen and I'm fighting a losing battle in this field as its bordered by a motorway that never gets cleared and a neighbour who doesn't keep horses and isn't fussed to clear it.

There are far too many to clear by hand aswell.
 
Ragwort has been prolific this year. The weather conditions have clearly been perfect for it sadly.

We hand pulled every last plant last year and we didn't even have that many and they are all back and more with avengeance this year.

I was advised to kill it properly the easiest way at the the rossette stage is to spray it with diesel. Apparently this kills it and has the added effect the horses will not eat the wilting plant either!

Broadleaf spraying does work - 2 local paddocks (adjoining) were sold and 1 owner sprayed the other didn't and the one who sprayed last year has about 6 plants growing yet the other has it in abundance.
 
BBH said:
I'm starting to feel ripped off as I paid £380 a couple of years ago to spray 4 acres and it needs doing again. I don't know what they used but it did clear them. Now they are back worse than I've ever seen and I'm fighting a losing battle in this field as its bordered by a motorway that never gets cleared and a neighbour who doesn't keep horses and isn't fussed to clear it.

There are far too many to clear by hand aswell.
Click to expand...

Ah don't feel ripped off the sprayer is an acquaintance and reknowned for being cheap too. :)
 
I have implemented the "22 year plan" on my livery yard.
Based on opinions that Ragwort seeds can survive up to 22 years in the soil, I estimate that if we can remove all plants before they seed every year, then we are winning a long-term battle.
Last year I felt a surge of pride as there was hardly any Ragwort, but this year with the dry, dry spring, the Ragwort has gone YEEEEHAR and sprouted like mad. Logically I know that many of these are seeds that have been lying in wait for perfect weather. And they will not spread their seeds. They will FAIL! 50 acres and we've tried everything - spraying, topping, pulling. Pulling is the only thing that has an effect on the following year so pull, pull, pull! We're winning :)
 
MissTyc said:
I have implemented the "22 year plan" on my livery yard.
Based on opinions that Ragwort seeds can survive up to 22 years in the soil, I estimate that if we can remove all plants before they seed every year, then we are winning a long-term battle.
Last year I felt a surge of pride as there was hardly any Ragwort, but this year with the dry, dry spring, the Ragwort has gone YEEEEHAR and sprouted like mad. Logically I know that many of these are seeds that have been lying in wait for perfect weather. And they will not spread their seeds. They will FAIL! 50 acres and we've tried everything - spraying, topping, pulling. Pulling is the only thing that has an effect on the following year so pull, pull, pull! We're winning :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, good for you. We ploughed up one field and started the ground again, let the stuff appear and did not let it go to seed - same again and again. Plough it, harrow, rest - kill. tried this chemically but pulling and burning is best.

Great plan and in time it will be a quick stroll around to find the 'odd one' rather than the triffids.

Good luck with your 22year plan, we're doing the same!
 
New YO who has been sorting out the fields with a vengeance. The back (little used) fields were really bad (as in covered) so she had a farmer into top and spray. Clean field, however, I am now seeing it coming back again so it really is the rip option. I will come back with an armful each time I walk the dogs down there. The main fields are easier - prior to this year they never had any but we really did start to see some. YO has ripped them out (major job) but now has got to go back to sort out another back field. The wretched stuff is everywhere this year - which includes the NT grassland on top of the common as well
 
Expect to pay a contractor/farmer around £150 for a typical paddock (say 4 acres).

Its not so much the area to be sprayed as the time it takes to travel and wash the sprayer out twice etc. i.e. the cost to spray 8 acres as opposed to 4 wouldn't be much different as it will only take an extra 10-20 mins.

The chemical will cost around £10-15 acre for a good clopyralid+triclopyr based spray such as Pastor.

It will probably require spraying in successive seasons.

Cheaper sprays such as those based on MCPA or 2,4-D have some effect and perhaps using them in sequence is the best option.

If you want it spraying bear in mind your horse(s) must be shut out of the field for 7 days (or whatever length specified on the product label).
 
You really need to have a number of different options with ragwort, Pulling is the cheapest and most effective way, albeit time consuming and a pain. Constant pulling before it seeds has a year on year effect of reducing the infestation. If you can, graze the area hard with sheep for a couple of weeks just before and at the start of growth, this has the effect of reducing both ragwort and docks, though I realize not everyone can do this.

I feel it is vital to remove the dead or dying plants completely from the fields so that horses are denied access to them which they will eat if given the chance. Topping a field with ragwort in it is asking for trouble. Spraying is relatively easy, but I don't like putting poisonous chemicals on fields especially when it has the effect of killing all other broad leaved plants many of which are beneficial to the land and horses.
 
If you have a look at the DEFRA website, somewhere on there you'll find stuff about ragwort - and the requirement for the landowner to remove it (but try telling that to Local Authoritiies who let the damn stuff grow on road verges etc!!!).

Perhaps your YO would take it a bit more seriously if you mentioned that?

We sprayed the thistles last year using a contractor: cost an arm and a leg and the blimmin things have come back even worse this year, so I'm a bit iffy about using sprays. You can waste a lot of money for FA result.

I'm a YO myself (small/DIY) and regularly watch to see if any ragwort's growing and then pull it out, take it away and burn it. The only way to do it IMO.

If you're at a yard that's allowed an accumulation of the stuff, then one way is to get a working party together. Make sure everyone has got good thick rubber gloves & protective mask/clothing etc., provide plenty of tea/coffee/biccies & snacks etc and go for it. You could always get a neighbouring yard to help you - and then go and do their fields. The more the merrier, and it would show your YO you're serious about ragwort (although yes it is their responsibility).
 
I've just spotted deadly nightshade growing in reeds along our river bank. Any recommendations for getting rid of it. I've pulled up a load and can see more.
 
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