Ragwort Management

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fathorse

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The ragwort seems particularly bad this year, we get alot of seeds blowing over from the farmers field next door. I am managing to keep on top of it but as soon as I pull it up (from the roots best I can) it's growing back again. I was just wondering how you manage your ragwort? I've seen the rag forks are they any good? I also have the fields sprayed every year, is there anything else I can do?
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i weed all the surrounding fields too. there doesn't seem to be any other way, tbh.
i did about 2 hours' worth of ragwort-weeding yesterday, with my trusty rubber gloves and a big screwdriver... this is the best way i've found of getting it out, loosening the roots enough to pull the whole thing out. not sure if it grows back if you leave a tiny bit of root though? i won't spray because it makes it palatable to the horses as it wilts, but if you are doing that too, i doubt there's much more you can do.
if neighbouring farmers won't do anything about the vile stuff, report them to DEFRA... it is a Notifiable Weed, and illegal to have growing on your land, i believe.
 
Just pulling by hand I'm afraid...I've done it every year for the last 6 yrs and last year we had none!I think I've got the upperhand finally....just persevere, and weed the neighbouring land if they won't do it themselves. Every time u walk your land pull any bits u see, try and get them small if u can and make sure u get all the roots! oh and get them early, before they go to seed
 
Ragfork is excellent and well worth investing in unless you only have the odd plant to trowel up. The seeds and roots can remain viable for many many years so even if you pull out every single plant you will still find them the following summer.

Its an ongoing fight Im afraid!
 
RagFork for us too, and regular checks. We take the ragfork when we poopick and get any bits, plus do a hedge check.

Dad also goes out onto the verge behind the hedge as the council aren't bothered it seems beacuse it is such a tiny road although often used as a cut through or for fly tipping. Grrrr....
 
Ragfork is really good and well worth the money if you have a fair amount, we also use it to dig up the thistles to feed to the donks!!
If the farmer next door won't keep his ragwort under control (dispose of) you could try reporting him to DEFRA.
Unfortunately the seeds can lie dormant for 20 years,
 
Ragforks are brilliant. I think the soil round here must be perfect for ragwort as it seems to be the only plant to thrive here. I am desperately trying to get rid of all this years new growth before it flowers.
 
Nooo not really,the seeds can lay dormant for 20yrs they just need the correct ingredients to flourish,wet and warm!!It is a nightmare and all you can do is keep pulling it up(ragforks are good)!!If it is real bad on your farmers land you can report him to defra!
 
Get it in my horses field as she has laminitis so I ask the farmer not to fertilise it.

Have dug it up this morning - about 4 plants, which is about the same as last year.
 
The Ragfork was probably the best thing I bought last year. I have a real problem with neigbours so iv been waging war with this bloody plant for years!! The ragfork made it soooo much easyier to dig the little blighters up!!!
 
Thanks for that link
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Had a nosey about the fields when I went to fetch Ellie in today and found 3 rosettes which I pulled up. Everyone at the yard keeps an eye open for it and pulls it up if found
 
I had to report our local agricultural/equestrian college to Defra (after a number of ignored requests for them to deal with the ragwort). It's pretty effective! And now set aside rules have been changed they cant hide behind the 'we cant do anything until September under the set aside rules' argument.

theres no excuse for it next to horses fields, and it is an offence!
 
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