South Today's ragwort report

[MerrySherryRider]

If horses are grazing in a field truly full of ragwort I would suggest there are much bigger issues about their wellbeing. Instead of targeting the plant, people should be looking at the general standard of care being provided.

This what I don't understand.
Maybe so, but making a start by removing the ragwort would be a good start. Targeting the plant would be pretty important to me.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

It is written in the links I gave you, also when there is ragwort in the pasture. Ragwort is not a plant you want in the pasture. A lot of methods can have a risk to make it worse if you don't understand the biology of the plant. There is a underground seedbank, with pulling there are broken rootfragments etc. Often you create good conditions for ragwort to grow again or good conditions for new plants. Overgrazing is also a risk.

It is also very important to recognise ragwort, I get a lot of mails and posts on the forum for identification of ragwort, is is very often a different yellow plant.
It is also important to look at the scale of the problem, there are not many confirmed cases but the press in England suggest that there are many cases, it is not true. Look at the Defra sites I gave.
Although Ragworts can be a significant nuisance to horse owners, these species are a very important source of nectar and pollen. About 150 species of insects, such as bees, flies and butterflies, visit the plant. On my Dutch website we made a lot of photo's of insects who visit the plant and a lot of photo's for help to indentificate the plant.
You can look at it here http://www.jakobskruiskruid.com/website/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=48

I would suggest ragwort is more than a 'nuisance' to horseowners. It is a threat to their horses health. You still don't say, 'pull it up'. You say what the dangers of incorrect removal are.
I have yet to meet a horseowner who can't identify ragwort in their field. They might think another plant 'could be ragwort', but when faced with ragwort, they know it.
As for insects visiting the plant, there are other plants that they visit. Even the Cinnabar Moth has other food sources.

 

[scarymare]

My 'problem' lachlanandmarcus is that simply pulling ragwort up leaves bare soil behind and ragwort will only germinate if the seed lands on a patch of bare soil.

So, even though you might think that anybody pulling ragwort would bag it and properly dispose of it, (I really don't believe that that will magically happen) just pulling it is not the answer.

Perhaps, if DEFRA didn't have to deal with so many nonsense enquiries about ragwort growing in places where it is not a threat, it might be able to deal with those situations where action is required.

Saying 'I would like to see prisoners with ragforks on every motorway verge in the country' really demonstrates your lack of understanding. Read your copy of the COP and you'll be a bit better informed.

Honestly - Lachlanmarcus makes perfect sense. Why is there this muppetry going on. 7 years ago I moved into my place - 20 acres full of ragwort. Every year I pulled up what I could manage - some weekends didn't even ride. Rounded up and reseeded about 8 acres in the end - not keen to do so because grass sickness is rife here. To cut to the chase, this year I pulled up 3 lots - just 3. I'm surrounded by the stuff in others fields but if you do get off your a*** then you can fix it. I saw a horse die from ragwort when I was 14 and also used the same infested field. Vile death and not happening again on my watch. People need to stop being so lazy. Most horses with ragwort fields arent even that big - as for the leaving a 'hole' and more getting in that's utter crap. You are far far more likely to have daisy or creeping buttercup cos they flower and seed earlier and are a more natural succession plant anyhow.

 

[ragwortsense]

So, scarymare, you're saying that pulling ragwort got rid of it.

Just wonder why you 'rounded up and reseeded' in that case.

'Most horses with ragwort fields arent even that big'

I assume you mean the fields aren't that big not the horses.

But, that is the point. Ragwort is far more likely in a field that is too small for for the number of animals grazing it.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

It's even more likely in a field where the horse owner can't be arsed to pull it or dig it with a ragfork....

 

[scarymare]

So, scarymare, you're saying that pulling ragwort got rid of it.

Just wonder why you 'rounded up and reseeded' in that case.

'Most horses with ragwort fields arent even that big'

I assume you mean the fields aren't that big not the horses.

But, that is the point. Ragwort is far more likely in a field that is too small for for the number of animals grazing it.

Yes - it did, if you get up all the roots then there is nothing to regenerate. DOH. To be fair to you my fields are quite wet so this is easier than it would be otherwise. I still need to use a pinch bar for some bits though.

Yes, I did mean most horse fields with ragwort are small. Hence its annoying when people are just too lazy to do it. I had 20 acres and NO help.

I reseeded 8 out of 20 acres because I just ran out of time and didn't want it to seed - also had lots of creeping buttercup in that field.

 

[EstherHegt]

. You still don't say, 'pull it up'. You say what the dangers of incorrect removal are.

That is correct you have to know the plant and its behaviour. I gave a lot advice to do it correct, try also mulching . Rotating grazing etc. It is really possible to do something about pasture management and prevent or cure ragwort in the pasture.