Ragwort - what to do next?

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Governor

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I had a walk round Governor's field this morning and the ragowort problem is worse than I thought. I knew we had double the problem we did last year but every metre there is a tiny rosette, thankfully the horses eat around them when they do graze at this end of the field but clearly its not ideal.

We think the issue this year is due to an unused field about 600m from the yard as the ragwort is isolated to one side and one area (pretty much) of the field. There is nothing we can do about this field but my usual tactics of pulling up the plants and using a bit of RoundUp just isn't going to cut it, there is just so many new plants.

I'm going to take some electric fencing down tommorow and cut off a clear area of the field for Gov as it turns my stomach to think that he may ingest any of it but I have no idea how to tackle it. YO mentioned topping, herbicides will most likely kill everything and scorching the ground is hardly practical either.

Any ideas?
 
At this time of year, pulling out the flowering plants is the only real way. Flowering ones can generally be pulled just with gloves. The smaller rosettes have to be dug out root and all with a rag fork.

If you top instead make sure that all the clippings every bit are removed otherwise they will wilt and become palatable, better to do nothing than cut and allow access to the cuttings.

Once you get to autumn spraying with a selective product should act on the ragwort but not kill everything. Grazeon or Roundup etc. Still need to take the horses off for a short period, varies according to the product.

Do you not know the ownership of the unused field? Land registry should help with this. If it is owned by Yo then they should be dealing with it.

ragwort needs a combination approach of spraying pulling and topping once its established, one thing wont tackle it alone. If you do all 3 then as a biennial you will really start to have an effect after a year or two, as long as you keep on top of the young plants from dormant seed.

BTW I am speaking from a similar position in that we have moved this spring to a place with 40 acres, all of it infested with 30 years of ragwort growth :-O you can imagine!! Have fenced 4 acres and have managed to eradicate it from there, could take 10 years to deal with all of it :-((( Havent sprayed to date, pulling, digging and topping+removing and burning.
Def would fence of an area to tackle a bit at a time, and then spray the rest in autumn.

I hate the blinkin stuff....good luck!
 
The culprit field isn't owned by YO - its full of flowering ragwort and I can't event imagine how many seeds blowing across. I could try to find out the owner but I highly doubt they'd do anything about it.

There are 2 large fields which are largly inaffected by ragwort so it should be possible to be fairly brutal with the affected fields come autumn and keep the horses out but off those fields.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
I am very fortunate not have to have a problem with Ragwort, I have encountered 2 plants this year and dug those out ..... but I am sorry to be so niaive
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... but although I thought I had spotted a rosette yesterday, I was informed that it was not ..... so are you able to take a pic and post if for me please
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Are you aware it is a Landowners responsibility to remove ragwort, badly affected areas can be reported and the landowner enforced by (DEFRA )to do something about it..........
 
Defra will want peeps to have contacted the owner of the land first and raised the issue with them and seen whether they tackle it, the questionnaire requires that to be done first.

I know because I had to report our local equestrian college (!!!!:-OOOOO) to Defra, we had done the pleading bit over months and months to no avail so could get through that part.

Defra were quite good once they got involved tho, they do keep in touch to see if the issue gets resolved.

Part of the problem was the set aside payments which only enabled landowners to do active land management at certain times of year; having neglected the ragwort prior to going into set aside, they then used that as a reason why they were doing nothing about its spread.

Actually there is a provision for them to apply for an exception to be allowed to deal with it so its a bit of a smokescreen. And now theres no compulsory set aside there will prob be less of that issue.
 
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Once you get to autumn spraying with a selective product should act on the ragwort but not kill everything. Grazeon or Roundup etc. Still need to take the horses off for a short period, varies according to the product.



[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, just wanted to correct a small error here. Roundup is a glyphosate product and will kill everything, unlike Grazon 90 which is a selective (broad leaf) weed killer.
 
The worst offenders of allowing ragwort to grow are usually the councils.......its everywhere you look ....on grass verges, up the sides of motorways etc...its a real pain, no point doing the fault and blaming game, just need to get it removed anyway....and please remember to wear gloves when you do this cos it can be a problem for people as well as livestock.
 
I am glad to hear you will clear a small area for Governor, it really is essential. Please don't think the horses will graze around them, I used to think that as we had plenty of grass in the rented field we used that had ragwort in.
I never saw anything eat the stuff, or found any plants half eaten, but the beautiful two year old gelding I had died from bleeding to death when castrated.
It appeared he had ingested some plants (it's like sweets, they get a craving for them) and his liver was damaged making him haemophilliac.
Either dig those plants up or keep him in, the risk isn't worth it.
We have spent ages ragworting this year and tomorrow have more planned, we dry it then burn it.
I would contact defra and keep ringing until they chase the owners.
 
Bit of a rant but trying to put some of you correct on ragwort myths!!!!!!!!
To put the record strait I am not a vet, feed, seed or nutrition company but know how to get the best out of grassland and have a successful business maintaining grassland for the equine industry I have no affiliation to any chemical manufacturer or distributor just know what works due to experience, dedication, interest and training.
Read http://www.bhs.org.uk/DocFrame/DocView.asp?id=1089&sec=-1 for some advice. Ragwort will kill any grazing animal so sheep will not graze it out as if the do they will die. Although unproven sheep are vary good at the digestion seeds and it may be that they are some how reducing the existence or population of ragwort by the digestion of seed before the seed has germinated? Do not know only a theory but putting the sheep control of ragwort comment to rest.
Up until a few weeks ago we would have suggested Forefront/ Banish (brand names, whose chemicals are water in oil emulsion containing aminopyralid potassium + furoxypyr-methyl heptyl ester) as the best chemicals on the market to kill ragwort without killing the grass.
Grazon 90 (trade name, chemicals an emulsifiable concentrate containing triclopyr as acid, butoxy ethyl ester and clopyralid) is not registered to kill ragwort and is fairly ineffective and expensive, if you read the label it actually says do not use on Ragwort as it makes it more palatable!!! great for killing livestock!!!!!
The others are 2,4 D and MCPA mixes such as Polo (brand name) etc with or without an adjuvant but you have to spray twice in a year usually and they are contact herbicides rather than systemic like the others. There is Barrier H (citronella oil) but as not used in a tank mix i.e. it is already diluted we do not have experience of this. The best thing is to spray, as if you do not use a fork properly or just pull and leave some of the root in it can come back. Topping is fairly ineffective and should only be used to control the weed from spreading its seed and get it to an acceptable stage for spraying.
Forefront/Banish were the only systemic weed killers on the market, that we know of (i.e. it kills the root and leaf not just the leaf) which are now suspended due to either operators not telling clients or clients no listening and selling or disposal of muck un-rotted that has found its way onto gardens and allotments. See www.pesticides.gov.uk/approvals.asp?id=2501 so now all the allotment and gardeners are up in arms causing the best chemical in the ragwort arsenal to be taken off the market due to slack management of muck disposal!!!!
If your contractor does not let you have a copy of the label, ask for one it is your land he is spraying! He could just be spraying water or over spraying the product, ignorance is not an excuse with sprays.
Earlier in the spring we killed 99.99% of the infestation in a filed with 10-15 plants per meter sq. So you can see why we are so disappointed that a great chemical has been suspended its use, probably fro the rest of this year.
If you have a person that looks after your paddock check that he is qualified and knows what is on the market/taking about. Pay a professional that is what they train for, don’t go for cheap as ragwort is a killer of your animals. Look on the internet at trusted equine sites, do some research!!!
Also if you have ragwort it is a notifiable weed and the only weed to have its own act! So call DEFRA your Local Councils environment officer or if on the road side Highways, as they have to act. If they don’t call again, email every day write to your MP. In the act it says
“Publication will make it easier to prosecute those who disregard the need to
control ragwort since the Code will be admissible in evidence in enforcement
proceedings under the Weeds Act 1959. The Act empowers the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to serve notice requiring an occupier of land on which Common Ragwort (or four other injurious weeds) is growing to take action to prevent it from spreading.”
See http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/wildlife/weeds/pdf/cop_ragwort.pdf and http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/wildlife/weeds/pdf/ragwort-dispose.pdf and http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/ukpga_20030040_en_1 and http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/wildlife/weeds/pdf/weedsact-complaints-guide.pdf
if you need to supply a map and know the post code of the area effected with ragwort use one from http://www.192.com/maps as you can get an areal photo of the area and mark the infected field.
If you have ragwort or it has come from a neighbours land act as it will only affect you, and as a biannual weed if you kill it this year last years seed can still germinate next year so kill with a two year program. Hope this Helps?
Paddock Care
 
Sorry forgot to say if spraying Ragwort do not let the horses back into the field or area till all signs of the plant have gone not just the grazing withdrawal time on the spray. Split the field up into paddocks and do one or two at a time depending on your grassland management and requirements with your horse density?
PC
 
Thanks for that - very comprehensive!

I sectioned off a clear area with hot tape for the time being then attacked the rest of the field. Pulled the seeding plants and sprayed the new rosettes with Barrier H and Round up (most likely a bit stupid to combine them but there was very little Barrier left and I just used what was availible).

Its now up to YO really - I think she'll contact the guy who usually does the topping/maintainence to try and sort it.

I've found the field on the link you supplied - though its brown in the aerial view its flourishing yellow now! Will try to contact Defra or the land registry and get something done.
 
i would go and clear it from the nearby field, i've done this lots of times and people are just grateful not to have to do it themselves!
at the moment i'm cutting the tops off so it can't seed, and spraying the plant with Resolva weedkiller (£10 in B&Q now for a big spray-top container) so the plants die. only doing this on verges and neighbouring arable fields though, not where grazing animals can reach it.
 
In theory burning it is dodgy cause the seeds can spread in the smoke, you are supposed to have a covered incinerator, but most peeps dont have that and theres not much practical alternative.
 
Paddock care, I bought Barrier H intending to use if for autumn spraying of hayfields, is this a good choice? the fields arent grazed just kept for hay so would i need to remove the plants or would they rot down enough not to need that?
 
Mark some with bamboo sticks and spray if at optimum size as directed by product, have never used barrier h. Then spray all of the ones you can find. Mark on clender the date of spraying and keep checking till you see no trace and i mean no trace of the weed not even a little brown leaf, you want to see no sign at all, can take 2 months but check every week. Repeat in the spring as you will have some rossets. When all are gone and no new flowers or spears come up before you hay you can hay. If you have a high infestation blanket spray twice with a tak mix produce.
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