Ragwort nightmares - aargh!

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myhorsefred

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Hi all, I wonder if I could beg a bit of advice please?

I have just bought a smallholding and I know the previous owner didn't do much with the land. its not been ploughed for about 8 years, no chemicals on it so I have quite a lot of ragwort, clover, thistles and docks.

I have just finished pulling up all the ragwort in my field (horrible, horrible job). Hoping to make haylage in few weeks so had to clear it meticulously. Also pulled out loads of huge thistles and a few docks.

When I have cut the haylage what would you think would be the best thing to do to kill the thistles, docks and especially the ragwort and clover?

I have been advised that after haylage has been cut for about 3 weeks to:

a) spray to kill all these weeds (especially ragwort and clover)
b) two weeks after that plough whole field up
c) plant with a horsey mix grass seed

Being a novice with land and not having a clue! would you agree that is the best course of action? Help.....
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thanks
 
unless the grass is totally the wrong type for horses, i'd agree with scotsmare. well done doing all the ragwort, vile job but very satisfying.
praying you were wearing gloves though... a mate of mine made herself really ill, pulled ragwort for 2 days without gloves.
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Thanks, yes I did wear gloves. Forgot and rubbed my eyes yesterday though (with the gloves on) and had a nasty rash when I went to bed! Vile weed.

I think my biggest problem is the clover - it made them a bit colickey until they got used to it. Really strong healthy clover plants, mostly white clover.

The grass is mostly rye i think (quite sparse with thin stalk). Oh, and I have quite a lot of ground moss! Quite a state of a field really.

Its an 8 acre field, which I have electric taped off - growing about 5 acres and they are grazing 3 acres. I only have two horses so i am tempted to plough the 5 acres and start again. Then next year they can graze the new 5 acres and I could plough the 3 acres. In two years time I should then be sorted! Do you think that would work?
 
If you have enought land I would try getting a few sheep to graze with them. We have found that it does make a difference. Also if you have small enough acreage try strimming (Not where the ragwort is obviously) you have to keep going with it but it does work slowly but surely. Also agree with oversowing.
 
Grazon 90 is the best stuff for Ragwort and docks. Any broad leafed weeds including clover. I would wait longer than 3 weeks though as you need the leaves on the weeds for the chemical to work.
 
Here's my advice:-
You are now too late for spraying, however you could do this in the autumn to kill the late crop of buttercups if you have one. If you are going to spray you will need to do this at least twice a year with a broad leaved weed killer.

Ploughing is going to to be very expensive, grass seed is the most expensive to drill and as above you are going to have a field out of action unless you pay for Nitrogen which is heading towards £250 if you only want 1 ton!!!

So sheep are good, but unless you get alot they are only going to pick the best grazing. My 12 lazy rams are having zero impact!!

So my solution - a regime of topping. (Topping = mowing with either blade or flail). The only plant that can withstand constant cutting is grass.

Obviously if you have ragwort you are either going to have to keep animals off or pull it before its topped. Any leaves left are still very potent.

Clover is good as its a symbiotic plant that has nodules that fix nitrogen in the soil. So its actually making your ground more fertile ( if that is desirable). The clover won't like constant cutting either, but its worth it to upset the other broad leaved weeds.

Depending on your acerage you could look into a ride on garden mower or a small tractor & topper. Or look into a flail topper (£2k minimum). Otherwise could get expensive with contractors - bribe any friendly farmers who might do it with beer and cash!!!
 
I agree with the above.

By all means use a weedkiller to kill the ragwort and other weeds but remember that there will still be seeds in the ground and some more will appear in following months and years.

Get a contractor with a cut and collect machine which will cut and collect all the cut grass and weeds thus preventing it from seeding. Use this as required to keep the grass short and make it dense up.

Also harrow the field regularly to promote growth of the grass.

Also make sure you pick up the horse droppings each day to stop the worms from spreading or making the grass sour by killing off the grass under them.

Re-sead as a last resort as modern day grass seed produces grass that only lasts for about 5 years and then needs re-seading.
 
hello .ive had really bad ragwort problems too.. i normally pull mine by hand each year but this year whooooo its come back with revenge!!!..my neighbouring field was bad too and she had hers sprayed and the chemicals never killed it off...she then got a chemical expert down and said that we have a serious infestation of it she then told him the chemicals they had used and he said no it will not kill it as the ragwort seems to of got immune to it..
i approached my farmer and said this to him.... the chemical man said you need to re spray with forfront....

her farmer could not understand as he has used that for years... will info you on the old stuff he used..

my farmer came sunday night to spray mine with forfront and it seems to of done the job all of it is willting and dieing off..

so hopefully im going to have a lovely paddock now
sad thing is i have to pick it all up when its dead now
 
if you plough you will turn up any old seeds that are dormant and may cause a total outbreak. I have used the ragfork to lift the few plants we have along with the odd dock and thistle as we were too late for spraying. The clover is good but if you spray it will be killed off, believe me, your high clover content haylage will be fantastic, our hay last year was brilliant with it. You can spray any time you have new growth on the weeds, ie they are growing, and young growth is best. We will spray shortly after the hay cut if they are growing back and then again in spring, we are going to use grazon 90. You may still have new ragwort plants that come up as the seed remain dormant in the ground and pop up as and when they feel like it. We still have the odd ones coming through but the land was totally infested with it before we moved here and the owner had it pretty much under control, by making sure it is lifted with the roots you are not allowing it to reseed or leaving roots to regrow. If you have any local farmers ask them for advice, if they are like ours they will be more than happy to give it (and you may find one offering to help too!)
 
Slighty off track here, but am I the only person then who actually enjoys pulling Ragwort? My Ragfork, gloves and I have spent many a happy hour in combat with the enemy. I actually do find this work quite soothing!

However, my beloved Ragfork is currently in semi-retirement, as the land which I took over a year ago now seems to have been fairly well maintained in the past and I cleared the whole 8 acres within an hour on Sunday (unlike the previous place which took me about three hours a week throughout the growing season).
 
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