Upon spotting Ragwort, what do you do?

P

Patches

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 February 2005
Messages
10,028
Visit site
When poop picking, for example, over the field and you spot a tiny Ragwort rosette, or even a larger plant, what would you do?

1 - Leave it there, go back to yard, find some gloves and a mask and then before going back to find it (you think you'll remember where it was) and pulling it.

2 - Leave it there becuase it's only Ragwort and "my horse doesn't eat it anyway

3 - You pull it up there and then incase you can't find it again, even though you know you should wear gloves, You stick the baby plant in your pocket or top of your boot before disposing of it when you're back on the yard.


So come on. I know what I do, but wondered what you do.
 
never had any in the fileds touch wood, but would probably go with no 3
grin.gif
 
Number 3. Always! There are only a few things I am ultra-caresul about only touching if I have gloves, mostly umbellifers which cause a photosensitive reaction if you get them on your skin.

Oh, but I do wash my hands when I get back to the yard. If I remember
grin.gif
 
Can I add one?

4) grab the gloves out of my pocket, pull it up and dispose of it when I get back to the yard. That's what I used to do at work.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Can I add one?

4) grab the gloves out of my pocket, pull it up and dispose of it when I get back to the yard. That's what I used to do at work.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's cheating!

I bet you were in the Brownies weren't you?
grin.gif
 
Also option 4, I always have gloves in my pocket when at the stables. But usually at the RS we have to inform a member of staff first.
 
If you pull it up you will leave tiny root filaments which will cause the plant to regenerate.

Best practice is to spray it with Barrier H mark it or fence it off with an electric fence post and remove it in a plastic bag (don't allow seeds to scatter) after the plant has died (takes about 5 days to kill off plant and root structure).

Ragwort is a cumalative poison and kills off some of your horses liver cells each time it eats some. After 50% have been killed off your horse will die.

Each ragwort plant will relase about 150,000 seeds and about 70% of them will germinate to form new plants
 
When I find Ragwort it's tiny, rosette stage. I would never let it continue to grow until it flowers. Isn't it true it only flowers on it's second year as it reaches maturity?


I also thought that you only show symptoms of liver disease when over 85% of the liver is affected.
 
I pull it up immediately. I know the thing about doing it by hand leaves root, however I cleared a whole field 3 years ago, and it hasn't returned, not one rosette - I am very proud of that and I used my hands.
 
Number 3 if I happen to have been walking through the fields when I spotted it, but we skip the fields using a bucket and gloves so if I spot it when I've been poo picking I'll have gloves on me anyway. And come to think of it, although we use poop scoops to do the fields at work, I don't think I've ever seen ragwort there! Weeds yes (won't touch weeds without gloves after I tried to pull up a fishy smelling one that made my hands stink for weeks!) but no ragwort.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I pull it up immediately. I know the thing about doing it by hand leaves root, however I cleared a whole field 3 years ago, and it hasn't returned, not one rosette - I am very proud of that and I used my hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto.

I have never seen it return where it's grown before. Doesn't seem to have much of a root system really does it? Pulls up cleanly brining lots of root fibres with it. We've never really had much in the past but I've had a new paddock made for this summer out of the cows fields that's had quite a lot of little rosette stage Ragwort in it. Like you, I pull it up immediately. I have even been known to tuck it in my boots when I've not had a pocket!
blush.gif
 
With the ground so soft it is coming up really easily - our field is ragwort free - and sorry but I could never be organised enough to put gloves on.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you pull it up you will leave tiny root filaments which will cause the plant to regenerate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not in my field I won't - I pulled one up the other day and the ground is so boggy I got the biggest lump of clay with it - there was no chance of leaving any roots!
wink.gif
 
Ragwort fork, three pronged thing, absolutly brill goes throgh the hardest of ground (not thatany of us have that at the mo!!!!) and if you're clever enough with your plastic bag you don't even need to touch it. I think a mask is going a little to the extreme though! But yes very very toxic, i wouldn't listern to your mother (no offence) they don't always know best, i'm sure there are enough other plants out there for them!
 
Organised is not a word that matches me well either SSM.
grin.gif


I always think I'd rather pull it up instantly rather than risk the losing where it is and the horses ingesting it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ragwort fork, three pronged thing, absolutly brill goes throgh the hardest of ground (not thatany of us have that at the mo!!!!) and if you're clever enough with your plastic bag you don't even need to touch it. I think a mask is going a little to the extreme though! But yes very very toxic, i wouldn't listern to your mother (no offence) they don't always know best, i'm sure there are enough other plants out there for them!

[/ QUOTE ]

EH? My mother's never mentioned Ragwort to me. Infact, I would hazard a guess my mum wouldn't know what Ragwort was if I asked her.
confused.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Erm... option 3....I've never worn gloves when I've been pulling it up (unless it's surrounded by nettles lol)

[/ QUOTE ]

Same!
 
1 - Leave it there, go back to yard, find some gloves and a mask and then before going back to find it (you think you'll remember where it was) and pulling it. Although I usually go back to get a fork or whatever, not the gloves and mask
wink.gif


I heard once that ragwort gives off a smell to horses/cows etc so they wont eat it until it is dying off and loses the odour. Not sure how true it is though :s Also I know sheep can eat them without it being bad for them but if they eat some of it and it dies off then is it a risk for neddies? Either way I try and dig out as much as I can
smile.gif
 
Probably number 3 if the ground was wet as it is now. Otherwise would mark spot with poo picker upper and go and get ragfork. I have used Barrier H in the past but found that although it killed ragwort quickly it tended to grow back again later in the season. I have been clearing my field over the past 3 or 4 years either pulling or with ragfork and honestly think this year I am winning, hardly any rosettes appearing. Unfortunately neighbouring land is rented to a farmer who doesn't bother so I sometimes sneak on there and pull his as well (ragwort that is!)
 
Please please please be very careful if you would do option 3 and use your barehands.
I spent a summer as a groom (about 12 years ago) before I was aware that the toxins pass through people's skin. One of my tasks was to clear a field of ragwort, which took about a week.

I've now got a very iffy liver, can't drink alcohol, and even go blotchy if it comes into contact on my skin. I can't prove it was the ragwort, but I certainly had no problems drinking before then...
 
We pick it and add it to the dustbin!
I have only found five plants so far this year but looking at the motorway verges the stuff is having a fantastic time this year, I have never seen so much of it.
Our farm had loads when we bought it, it's taken 15 years to get it down to so few plants, but still it reappears without fail.
Having lost a promising youngster many years ago I attack it instantly I have to say..
 
[ QUOTE ]
Please please please be very careful if you would do option 3 and use your barehands.
I spent a summer as a groom (about 12 years ago) before I was aware that the toxins pass through people's skin. One of my tasks was to clear a field of ragwort, which took about a week.

I've now got a very iffy liver, can't drink alcohol, and even go blotchy if it comes into contact on my skin. I can't prove it was the ragwort, but I certainly had no problems drinking before then...

[/ QUOTE ]

I never knew that. Oh dear!
 
My fields are no distance away from the stables - I leave my poo-picking bucket over it and go and get my Ragfork. The little ones are worse than established plants IME, but it's a hands and knees job to ensure not a single scrap is left behind. Then it goes in a plastic bag for burning later (not the bag!)
 
Can I add one?

5) Using rubber gloves I had on to poo pick, pull the sucker up
grin.gif


Normally its option 3 if I'm just in the field checking the horses, fence etc.
 
I'd pull it up there and then with no gloves, I have never been affected by pulling ragwort out without gloves. Most of the paddocks are ragwort free this year though, thank God! Spent hours last year pulling out them out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top