pennyturner
Well-Known Member
As above really. Paddock has lots of seedlings coming up this year. I could spray now or wait until they bolt and top them. WWWYD?
As above really. Paddock has lots of seedlings coming up this year. I could spray now or wait until they bolt and top them. WWWYD?
I only have a few plants visable so went round with double strength roundup, I was doing the veg patch at the time.
Why no good? Is it to do with the way it absorbs? Of course the plants are coming up in the starvation paddock! Making them more likely to be eaten by `starved' pony grerrrr
The land was left abandoned for 20+ years, so when I took it on, the Ragwort was standing like a crop. I have had a contractor in using 2-4-D a few times over the years. What's coming up now is dormant seeds in the soil. Small, and far too numerous to pull.
When I say now, I mean as soon as they start growing, vs topping in July when the plants have put all their strength into the flowers. Either way, there'll be no livestock on there until next new year, so I have the luxury of not having to remove trimmings or dead plants.
Has anyone successfully got rid by topping alone? - my thinking is that you don't get ragwort in a lawn... mowing must work eventually.
I use a Fiskars weed puller - saves my back! Do it when the ground is soft.
http://www.crocus.co.uk/product/_/f....2000016928/?gclid=CPuplajTr8wCFa8W0wodr70D6A
You simply cannot kill it by topping.Ragwort will not establish in a thick sward hence why you dont see it on lawns. The reason I think your plan is flawed is that any seedlings coming now will not flower this year but next so topping will only make the plants stronger .
Spray as soon as its warmer top field in summer to encourage grass to tiller out and spray again in the autumn to catch anything that comes later and dare I say fertilise the grass to encourage it to thicken up
Poor grassland management is the number one cause of ragwort and as long as you maintain a dense sward it will not germinate or if it does it hates competition so will die. We have 300 acres of grass the only time we see ragwort is where the horses overgraze bits and leave it open .