Should the government pay compensation....

Cuppatea

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...to all those of us that have to pull bl@@dy ragwort all summer and then have to re-mortgage the house to pay for the months of chiro treatment?!!!:o
They would fine us if we didint pull it and allowed it to grow so why cant we claim from them!
Id vote for anyone offering compensation!!!
 
They should do what they did one summer in the Isle Of Man.
They had a Ragwort Amnesty.
I.e you ring the government, say you have ragwort and they came and removed it!
 
Ditto this, considering the sides of the roads round here are covered in the stuff

Actually ragwort is quite an important flowering plant now for our butterflies and bees.....

Although of course, no we don't want it on our fields.
 
Actually ragwort is quite an important flowering plant now for our butterflies and bees.....

Although of course, no we don't want it on our fields.
Call me cynical but when we don't pull it we get fined but if they don't it is because "it is an important plant for wildlife" :rolleyes:
 
It used to be a byelaw around here (probably still is) that all nettles, docks etc had to be mown off before seeding. Nobody seems to care now. Showing my age, policeman don't just look young they should be in school !!
 
It used to be a byelaw around here (probably still is) that all nettles, docks etc had to be mown off before seeding. Nobody seems to care now. Showing my age, policeman don't just look young they should be in school !!

Nettle flowers are also important for our insects, so another reason why they remain until they've flowered. Much like the good old dandelion.
 
It used to be a byelaw around here (probably still is) that all nettles, docks etc had to be mown off before seeding. Nobody seems to care now. Showing my age, policeman don't just look young they should be in school !!



Legal status
Injurious weeds - five weeds are classified under the Weeds Act 1959: common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), creeping or field thistle (Cirsium arvense), broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) and curled dock (Rumex Crispus). It is not an offence to have these weeds growing on your land and species such as ragwort have significant conservation benefits. However they must not be allowed to spread to agricultural land, particularly grazing areas or land which is used to produce conserved forage. Enforcement notices can be issued following complaints requiring landowners to take action to prevent the spread of these weeds.

In truth though it's a pretty toothless law.
 
Wildlife and domestic and livestock can eat the others this one kills horribly and slowly...suggest the ragwort lovers eat the stuff ;)
 
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They should do what they did one summer in the Isle Of Man.
They had a Ragwort Amnesty.
I.e you ring the government, say you have ragwort and they came and removed it!

I like this - it could be done by people claiming jobseekers allowance, make them work for their benefits!!
 
They should do what they did one summer in the Isle Of Man.
They had a Ragwort Amnesty.
I.e you ring the government, say you have ragwort and they came and removed it!

Fab idea :)

What really gets my goat is no, we dont want it in our field so we pull it up, but other horse owners dont or other yard dont enforce it and it just makes sensible, responsible horse owners feel like they are wasting their time while looking like other people are trying to cultivate it to maximum growth :)
 
Legal status
It is not an offence to have these weeds growing on your land and species such as ragwort have significant conservation benefits. However they must not be allowed to spread to agricultural land, particularly grazing areas or land which is used to produce conserved forage.

Bl**dy stuff's running riot along our local bridlepath (that runs through two fields with cows and horses grazing on it).
 
OK yep given my back is poo since last year you got my vote BUT mmmm dont you think it should be law if its a nice warm sunny day we should be alllowed to go home - paid of course - to spend time in the healthy( goverment likes healthy) fresh air( goverment likes fresh air) AND a 4 day weekend and 3 day working week ( same money) as we would all be happy( goverment hates happy people) :) the life in my world lol mmmmm
 
long term best way is to pull - make sure you have this yrs flowering plants then battle the plants that flower next year - spraying often leaves roots and unless spray as soon as florets appear it wont get rid of them - i hate stuff but cant battle to keep it at bay this year - 1 barrow load im in pain 2 years ago 12 barrow loads at once - i have actualy cried walking through field - but others so blaze about it :(and yes i should move but not so simple :(
 
Graze hard with sheep keeps it at bay, dig jack thistles out with rag fork top or spray nettles, our sheep/ horse field looks better than lots of other grass fields, lots of horse folk don't do thistles or ragwort not fair to other folk and then can't moan at rail road verges.
 
Sheep can graze ragwort safely in the rosette stage. When you've cut back the nettles, lime the ground they were ono then they tend not to come back.

It's interesting that there are many sheep in the South Island of New Zealand and minimal Ragwort - however in the North Island which is Dairy country you see it everywhere.

Good idea to have beneficiaries to come out and remove it. Often her it is possible to get the offenders on 'Periodic Detention' to come and work - our Pony Club show jumps are painted by them each year before we run the North Island Pony Club Showjumping Championships. They do a great jub BUT one year some of them came back and broke into the club house, stole the food float out of the freezer and the pack of beer that had been sitting beside the fridge. Bribery to get hubbies clearing thistles.
 
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