Ragwort Help!!

[tricksibell85]

Going to make this as short as possible!

Recently bought a house which included 4 acres of grazing land - the plan will be to eventually move the horses but not any time soon.

We have left the grass to grow over the past few months and it's looking fab for a cut of hayledge, the plan was to find someone to cut it over the next fortnight or so...

Fast forward to today where I received a visit from a neighbour telling me the field was filled with ragwort! (I hadn't noticed) we both went down the field and found a max of ten plants in the 4 acres....she then did tell me it was sprayed last year for ragwort which wld of had the impact of there not being very many plants now!

So my question is wld people we comfortable cutting it for hayledge? My plan is to go out over the next week and dig up all the plants I can find and dispose of them! I suppose I'm stressed now...and just wanted people's advice opinions?!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

10 plants is not riddled, remove all plants day before, ask farmer to check and when you are using the haylage make sure you check, I am 99.% it will be OK as long as you check again before cutting
I think I am right in saying it will be ok for cattle with a bit of ragwort, and you need to get it cut anyway., but I think it will all be OK, just check every week.

 

[tricksibell85]

Thanks! It won't be for cattle will be for the horses when they are moved at the end of the summer! Such a worry!

 

[Dry Rot]

I've been hopping on and off the tractor while cutting my hay the last couple of days pulling ragwort. Not a huge quantity but enough to stack in the cab and deposit at the edge of the field every few rounds for collecting later. Most of it pulls out quite easily. That will stop that plant flowering for this year but won't stop it growing again from what roots are left. If I were you, I'd spray again with a knapsack sprayer in the autumn and possibly again next spring when the ragwort is at the floret stage . Or graze it with sheep. Best to try to keep on top of it or it will soon get out of hand. Spraying is really the only way.

 

[Ruddyreindeer]

Remember it's the greenery that contains the toxins, and a ragwort plant can hide very well amongst well growing grasses. You would be amazed how much there could be that is not mature enough to flower this year, but could cause damage if fed to horses when cut with the grass. Personally, I would not be feeding it to my horses. Do as Dry Rot suggests, and make really sure it has all been eradicated before making any hay or haylage for your horses. Lucky you though, your own 4 acres. . . !!

 

[kobi]

I'm in a very similar position. New house, 4 acres of old pasture, not much ragwort but a bit. I've dug all of mine out this weekend and stuck it on the bonfire. I'm comfortable that my hay will be ok for the horses.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I wouldn't be letting cattle or sheep eat it either. Why is that ok?

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

I wouldn't be letting cattle or sheep eat it either. Why is that ok?

Probably because they don't live a long life & the cumulative effects of ragwort won't show. I don't like it either, but for a young animal ending up on a plate, ragwort isn't much too much to worry about.

 

[Polos Mum]

If you can dig and dig until you walk and walk carefully in a grid to be sure there is none left then fair enough go ahead and cut. But rag is so prolific if you found 10 big hay height plants there are likely to be 100's of smaller rosette plants
Unless you're desperate why not cut for cattle haylage and spray autumn the spring and be confident in making it next year

 

[jinglejoys]

This is why I won't buy "organic" hay.

 

[Fii]

Even if there are rosettes left after you have pulled the ones you can see, they will be lower than the cutting blade so wont get cut into hay! But if you are really worried you could just top(or graze sheep) this year after pulling then go over it carefully with a sprayer and rag-fork later.

 

[tricksibell85]

Thanks all for your helpful comments