Ragwort

[Steerpike]

Is it me or is there an abundance of ragwort this year? I have seen so much on my travels this year I'm sure more than normal.

 

[cauda equina]

Yes, there is masses!
There's far more than normal around here which may be because it's growing more vigorously, or because landowners aren't keeping on top of it

 

[Equi]

Yup and I even read a delightful post from a nature rewilding page saying how wonderful it is and that horse owners are idiots for picking it because the BVS grossly exaggerated the claim that it is poisonous to horses and there have hardly ever been any deaths related to it everrrrr.

 

[Rumtytum]

Am sure you are right, there’s more here in south Oxfordshire than I ever remember seeing. Bl**dy stuff seeds like crazy, lord knows what it will be like next year.

 

[eggs]

Yup and I even read a delightful post from a nature rewilding page saying how wonderful it is and that horse owners are idiots for picking it because the BVS grossly exaggerated the claim that it is poisonous to horses and there have hardly ever been any deaths related to it everrrrr.

I have pulled at least 4x what I would normally pull in a year.

I also saw the post that Equi referenced and it made my blood boil. There is more than enough ragwort growing on the verges and non-horse fields to keep the cinnabar moths and other wild life in food without vilifying responsible horse owners.

 

[hock]

And buttercups!

 

[dorsetladette]

Ragwort!

It’s mental this year!! Just crazy!

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

If I've done that right we have been discussing this very thing.

I started (but had to stop as I got so cross) reading a post on ragwort and the bl##dy Caterpillar that lives on if on a natural heritage page about how wonderful it is. One thing I did learn was that it's also poisionous to dogs - I didn't know that! Maybe we should get all the 'covid' dog owners on the case to help get it cleared.

 

[Jenko109]

Don't.

I feel like I've been pulling it for weeks.

Wait.

I have

 

[ROMANY 1959]

I pulled up lots the other day and binned it. And it was growing in the local wild flower area of the council owned grassed areas. I also got yelled at for pulling it. Bu a woman with a shitsue dog

 

[Steerpike]

I've seen a post recently that said it was poisonous to dogs as well, I was surprised by that for some reason!

 

[Abacus]

The farmer doing my hay said that there’s more than ever this year. It has been relentless here (s. Oxon). I’m resorting to topping the last field which is out of control.

 

[PurBee]

I was browsing horse adverts recently and saw loads of it growing in the fields of horses for sale!

 

[Highmileagecob]

We have much more than usual, and getting everyone involved to help with pulling is like pulling teeth. We are seeing hardly any bees on it, and very little is setting seed - does it poison the bees slowly as well as livestock? Also not one caterpillar has been spotted either.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It's poisonous for us as well you shouldn't handle it without gloves.

 

[paddy555]

so much more on our roadsides. Normally we have 1 piece and at the worst 2 in our fields in total. This year we have had around 10 to dig up.
The other things that have totally taken off this year are foxgloves, thistles, bracken on the common far higher and denser than normal, bracken and vegetation on the sides of the roads which is now collapsing under the weight making our single track roads even more single track.
We haven't seen half as many bees but with our small quantity of ragwort that can't be the problem. Also haven't seen any caterpillars but millions of baby toads.

A really odd year with so much vegetation, tree growth, branches which would be trimmed next month that had grown 3ft over the year have grown at least 6 ft.

the other thing that have multiplied are swallows. We are overwhelmed. I counted over 100 on the electric line yesterday in misty conditions. There were still some flying around and still another 20 left in our stables sitting or feeding babies. We are producing around 40 viable baby swallows per sitting and we are just at the end of the 2nd sitting. They are now preparing for their 3rd lot.

Is this just the very warm last winter.
Our Rowan trees are just about collapsing under the weight of berries. Does this signal a hard winter I wonder.

RW is def poisonous for dogs as someone on another group I am on has just lost one to it.

 

[dorsetladette]

@paddy555 our turkey's are still producing egg's way past then of their normal laying 'season' one is sitting again for a second attempt at being a rubbish parent. They generally lay in spring, stop for the summer and then lay again in the autumn.

Blackberries are already ready for picking in the hedge rows. The seasons are all out of kilter.

I hope it doesn't mean a hard winter. cold and dry I can cope with but cold and wet is just rubbish.

 

[paddy555]

and today is day 1 of yellow eggs.

wondered why the horses were so distressed by lunchtime in the fields. Bot flies at the ready.

 

[Steerpike]

We've had bot flies a couple of weeks already, they are horrible, is rather have horse flies!

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

Yes it is bad this year - I keep digging it out and then if I leave even a tiny little bit of root in there it comes back within a few days! Must be good growing weather for it!

 

[Time for Tea]

We have much more than usual, and getting everyone involved to help with pulling is like pulling teeth. We are seeing hardly any bees on it, and very little is setting seed - does it poison the bees slowly as well as livestock? Also not one caterpillar has been spotted either.

I have noticed this too

 

[94lunagem]

Yes, I’ve dug up more this year than I have in the last 10 combined.

 

[scats]

I’ve just done another load this evening. It is everywhere.

 

[Highmileagecob]

I've bought white vinegar and salt and I'm going to make up a pressure spray bottle of the mix with a dash of washing up liquid. Guess it will be yours truly doing the spraying, but hey ho! has to be done.

 

[pistolpete]

It’s quite concerning that it will be in this years hay crop.

 

[dorsetladette]

I read today that Sussex wild life trust had volunteers out pulling ragwort. They said they don't clear it all but manage it as it takes over. They also commented that no moths were seen.

 

[cauda equina]

Good for the Sussex wildlife trust pulling it - I thought generally the wildlife people wanted it left alone
I've seen loads of caterpillars on mine

 

[SEL]

It’s quite concerning that it will be in this years hay crop.

I've got a huge hay field next to my pony paddocks which was cut and baled last week - was full of ragwort so I hope that isn't heading to horses.

I swear every time I go poo picking I see another yellow daisy poking its head up. The subsidy schemes aren't helping with the environmentalists telling the farmers they can't control weeds because they are all wildflowers. I swear if the ragwort and blackthorn take any more of a hold on the area I ride near it'll never be good for anything ever again.

 

[Chuffy99]

Not a cinnabar moth anywhere (Essex) so none of it being eaten going to be a nightmare next year
Never seen so much on the kerbsides

 

[Birker2020]

Drove past the riding club whose boundary runs parallel to the motorway by us and part of the 'boundary ride' is covered in Ragwort, hundreds of them!

Was never like it when my partner worked there. Not a good impression at all considering it's meant to be a well renowned and professional riding club!

 

[pistolpete]

Really never seen so much. Ha d tons of caterpillars in our field and have seen moths too!