What happens if you dont pull ragwort?

[PeterNatt]

If you pull up Ragwort, you will leave filaments of the root in the ground and they will regenerate to form new plants the following year.
The best option is to either spray it with Barrier H if it is just individual plants or if the field is full of Ragwort remove the flowers and place them immediately in a plastic bag and get a contractor who has a spraying licence to spray the entire field both in September and in April.
Be aware that each Ragwort plant will release up to about 200,000 seeds and many of those seeds will form a seed bed in the ground meaning that some of them will germinate up to 100 years later so you will have to continue to sray your fields to keep it down.
Dead plants should be immediately placed in a plastic bag removed out of reach of horses and burnt.

 

[cauda equina]

Interestingly I'm in a wildflower group and there is absolutely not a consensus about it being harmful to livestock, that it's just as likely moulds or similar. They're absolutely vehement that science has proven it and that horse owners are all still hanging onto a fallacy. Obviously no-one wants their grazing to become mostly ragwort so it's still an issue but....I've kept out of the debate.

That sounds like this -

Ragwort Horse Deaths. It doesn't really kill many horses

'It doesn't really kill many horses'
So that's alright then

 

[Mynstrel]

Ragwort seeds live for 25 years in the soil, waiting for it to get disturbed to let them germinate.
They will also regrow from a 5mm long tiny thin piece of root left in the ground.
So definitely even if you dig, and dig pretty carefully they can easiliy regrow.

I'd read about putting salt in the hole once you've dug to kill remaining invisible roots - but not tried it myself.

I found cutting buttercups off at soil level and putting salt on the stump got rid of them from our lawn so it might kill it.

 

[little_critter]

The RHS says this:

The plant is usually a biennial (living only two years and flowering in its second year) but damage to the base of the plant can make the plant behave like a perennial (living indefinitely), as new
rosettes are formed.

I wonder in that case if it's better to cut it off so as not to damage the roots, rather than pulling it, assuming horses can be kept away from the 'stumps' of the plants
I've had plants which I've tried to dig out but reappear year after year

My YO has has success with pulling, then squirting a citronella based herbicide in the hole to kill the remaining bits of roots (can’t remember the proper name of the herbicide)

 

[Jenko109]

Basically, ragwort is immortal.

 

[Andie02]

I found cutting buttercups off at soil level and putting salt on the stump got rid of them from our lawn so it might kill it.

Buttercup roots in a lawn are easily dug out with a suitable tool. Salt won't do your lawn any good.

 

[poiuytrewq]

You’ll get photos of your field plastered over Facebook with people asking who to report you too *I joke but I have seen a few of these recently!

I think you’d just end up over run with it really.

 

[Fieldlife]

My YO has has success with pulling, then squirting a citronella based herbicide in the hole to kill the remaining bits of roots (can’t remember the proper name of the herbicide)

Barrier H?

Interestingly I'm in a wildflower group and there is absolutely not a consensus about it being harmful to livestock, that it's just as likely moulds or similar. They're absolutely vehement that science has proven it and that horse owners are all still hanging onto a fallacy. Obviously no-one wants their grazing to become mostly ragwort so it's still an issue but....I've kept out of the debate.

lol there is a flat Earth group too.

 

[Mynstrel]

Buttercup roots in a lawn are easily dug out with a suitable tool. Salt won't do your lawn any good.

Doesn't matter, we don't have a lawn any more.

 

[scruffyponies]

Basically, ragwort is immortal.

I bought a piece of land by my house 15 years ago which was wall to wall ragwort. It looked like a field of rape. I'm proud to say this year's haul was no more than a handful of weedy single stem examples.
We sprayed at first, then a combination of topping and pulling every year.
Obviously the seeds are still there, so there will be the odd one forever, but at least it looks like someone owns it now.

 

[Burnttoast]

Interestingly I'm in a wildflower group and there is absolutely not a consensus about it being harmful to livestock, that it's just as likely moulds or similar. They're absolutely vehement that science has proven it and that horse owners are all still hanging onto a fallacy. Obviously no-one wants their grazing to become mostly ragwort so it's still an issue but....I've kept out of the debate.

If they mean aflatoxins etc then those do cause liver damage and the damage they cause is indistinguishable on biopsy so that's true. It's also likely that horses ingest mycotoxins pretty regularly without anyone being aware of it. At least ragwort can be seen and dealt with, but unless it can be shown to have been consumed presumably there's no way a definitive cause for liver damage can be ascertained. Plus there are other plants that contain the same compounds as ragwort and are more willingly eaten, comfrey among them - indeed, some people feed comfrey. Goodness knows why!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

My fields are full of it this year, having had very little for the past 3 years. I don’t have horses at home at the moment anyway but we will be pulling it over the summer.

It’s everywhere at the moment, all our neighbors have the same issue.

 

[madmav]

Constantly amazed how plants that I nurture and want to thrive get eaten or just turn up their toes and die.
Weeds that I wage war on just keep coming back with two green fingers. Ragwort is definitely a giver of the V sign

 

[Cortez]

Interestingly I'm in a wildflower group and there is absolutely not a consensus about it being harmful to livestock, that it's just as likely moulds or similar. They're absolutely vehement that science has proven it and that horse owners are all still hanging onto a fallacy. Obviously no-one wants their grazing to become mostly ragwort so it's still an issue but....I've kept out of the debate.

Don't even THINK of getting into it with the cinnabar moth caterpillar people; apparently we are to let our animals just suck it up on the toxins in order to Free the Moth.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Also, ragwort seeds germinate best on disturbed earth. So every time the horses decide to have a hooly, or you introduce a new one, the cut up hoofprints wake up the dormant seeds. Cutting the flowering heads off does not kill the plant. It will only die once it goes to seed. We have a ragwort pulling month every single year, and this year we have not seen any caterpillars on the plants. Anyone pulling or digging the stuff will tell you that it has a distinctive rancid smell, that keeps livestock away. Once a patch has been cleared, the horses generally move in and start grazing. Our pasture is getting overwhelmed with ragwort, and we are fighting a losing battle. Unfortunately, I think we are going to have to resort to spraying a pasture which has been untouched for ever.

 

[cauda equina]

Has anyone seen scuffed-up stems?
I was pulling last week in a rested field and a couple of plants had stems which looked as if something had been rubbing on them - they were bent and the outer layer was missing
We have loads of deer here, I wonder if deer seek ragwort out to rub on for some reason

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

If you have loads of it it's worth getting a farmer in to spray in spring before it flowers I struggled for years trying to pull and spray but each years it came back worse, getting it sprayed was the best thing I did I have none now.

 

[Jenko109]

Don't even THINK of getting into it with the cinnabar moth caterpillar people; apparently we are to let our animals just suck it up on the toxins in order to Free the Moth.

Given the masses of the stuff littering all the dual carriageway and motorway verges, I think there is plenty to keep the moths going

 

[Jambarissa]

Several fields in my area are like this, just a sea of yellow plants. Fortunately there is so much social media shaming that most have finally done something about it.

A few on my yard were like that when I moved on, I cleared mine with everyone telling me 'I don't know why you bother, they done eat it', then there were several deaths die to liver damage over the next few years.

If a field is full of ragwort it's probably impossible for them not to eat a bit, seeds, fallen leaves, etc. And it is absorbed through the skin too so if they're shoulder high in it it'll be going in. It takes years for the cumulative damage to show.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Most of our local farmers are very good about keeping the dratted stuff under control. Not so the local council! Verges and by-passes are full of it!

 

[Burnttoast]

Several fields in my area are like this, just a sea of yellow plants. Fortunately there is so much social media shaming that most have finally done something about it.

A few on my yard were like that when I moved on, I cleared mine with everyone telling me 'I don't know why you bother, they done eat it', then there were several deaths die to liver damage over the next few years.

If a field is full of ragwort it's probably impossible for them not to eat a bit, seeds, fallen leaves, etc. And it is absorbed through the skin too so if they're shoulder high in it it'll be going in. It takes years for the cumulative damage to show.

Just one point - it isn't absorbed through the skin. The alkaloids have to be metabolised in the gut to cause damage.

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

If you leave it to die there is danger that the horses will eat it when it is brown as it is more palliative like that but still as deadly.

 

[cauda equina]

Just one point - it isn't absorbed through the skin. The alkaloids have to be metabolised in the gut to cause damage.

Is that right?
I remember a talk by Prof Knottenbelt in which he said it was important to wear gloves when handling it
But that was many years ago, perhaps there's new information since then

 

[Exasperated]

Ragwort toxin most definitely can be absorbed through the skin, with demonstrably higher readings in subsequent tests (in humans). So, ALWAYS wear a good pair of gloves and thoroughly wash both the gloves and your own skin after any pulling session. A local woman burned a pile of ragwort pulled from her paddocks, to be hospitalised in UCI after inhaling some fumes.
Please be careful around ragwort: it is a slow, cumulative poison to most mammals, although majority of sheep / cattle / goats aren't owned by people who will have a conclusive post mortem test done, as might be the case for a beloved or insured horse. There isn't any antidote, and once the liver damage reaches 'tipping point', a poor prognosis.
It is most dangerous to grazing horses when the ragwort rosettes are very new (and almost impossible for owners to see in the field); when there is little else (typically laminitics in starvation paddocks); or dried and baled into forage; and some delinquents develop a taste for it.
Small scale infestation can be eliminated by cutting the stems very close to the ground, then pouring salt, or household bleach, or hypochlorate (dairy bleach) onto the stumps, but expect little bare holes and plenty of eco-indignation. Getting it properly sprayed off by a licensed operator, maybe more than once, is best for a large scale problem.
Forking and pulling ragwort IS worthwhile, certainly reduces the rate of spread and return, but will take years to completely eradicate as the seeds can lie dormant, and there is always the possibility of fresh ones blowing in if neighbouring landowners / highway authorities don't abide by the statutory requirements of the Weeds Act 1959 and Ragwort Control Act 2000.
Social media shaming possibly works with some, but REPORTING the negligent landowners / highway authorities is likely to be more productive, and given the season - you need to get onto it asap:
The DEFRA secretary has the legal authority to serve notice on land occupiers to take action to prevent spread of ragwort, and all local authorities also have a legal obligation to control ragwort through three main methods:
cultural - pulling / levering / cutting / burning,
chemical - herbicides (following a risk assessment),
biological - using ragwort's 'natural enemies'.
The law states a 'high risk' infestation exists when ragwort is present and flowering within 50 metres of land used for grazing by horses AND / OR other animals, OR if that land is used for feed / forage production.
Re roadside verge infestation, contact your local highways authority to make them aware of the issue, and hopefully resolve it 'informally'. If (often the case) nothing happens, then complete the complaint form from Natural England govt. website.
Nat. England then allows the landowner / highway authority 28 days to act from the receipt of the notification letter they will send. However between June and September, landowners must act to clear the weeds within 14 days (due to ragwort seeding / dispersing at this time of year).
If horses or grazing livestock are present, Nat. England can reduce the grace period for landowner action to seven days.
From experience, landowners find official Government warning letters a nasty shock, and tend to get something done. But if they don't, Nat. England can authorise remedial action themselves, then bill the landowner.... and the landowner is made aware of that possibility in the letter.
As complainant you should get a copy of their letter, which could prove useful.
It is already August, do please get a move on!

 

[Burnttoast]

Ragwort toxin most definitely can be absorbed through the skin, with demonstrably higher readings in subsequent tests (in humans). So, ALWAYS wear a good pair of gloves and thoroughly wash both the gloves and your own skin after any pulling session. A local woman burned a pile of ragwort pulled from her paddocks, to be hospitalised in UCI after inhaling some fumes.
Please be careful around ragwort: it is a slow, cumulative poison to most mammals, although majority of sheep / cattle / goats aren't owned by people who will have a conclusive post mortem test done, as might be the case for a beloved or insured horse. There isn't any antidote, and once the liver damage reaches 'tipping point', a poor prognosis.
It is most dangerous to grazing horses when the ragwort rosettes are very new (and almost impossible for owners to see in the field); when there is little else (typically laminitics in starvation paddocks); or dried and baled into forage; and some delinquents develop a taste for it.
Small scale infestation can be eliminated by cutting the stems very close to the ground, then pouring salt, or household bleach, or hypochlorate (dairy bleach) onto the stumps, but expect little bare holes and plenty of eco-indignation. Getting it properly sprayed off by a licensed operator, maybe more than once, is best for a large scale problem.
Forking and pulling ragwort IS worthwhile, certainly reduces the rate of spread and return, but will take years to completely eradicate as the seeds can lie dormant, and there is always the possibility of fresh ones blowing in if neighbouring landowners / highway authorities don't abide by the statutory requirements of the Weeds Act 1959 and Ragwort Control Act 2000.
Social media shaming possibly works with some, but REPORTING the negligent landowners / highway authorities is likely to be more productive, and given the season - you need to get onto it asap:
The DEFRA secretary has the legal authority to serve notice on land occupiers to take action to prevent spread of ragwort, and all local authorities also have a legal obligation to control ragwort through three main methods:
cultural - pulling / levering / cutting / burning,
chemical - herbicides (following a risk assessment),
biological - using ragwort's 'natural enemies'.
The law states a 'high risk' infestation exists when ragwort is present and flowering within 50 metres of land used for grazing by horses AND / OR other animals, OR if that land is used for feed / forage production.
Re roadside verge infestation, contact your local highways authority to make them aware of the issue, and hopefully resolve it 'informally'. If (often the case) nothing happens, then complete the complaint form from Natural England govt. website.
Nat. England then allows the landowner / highway authority 28 days to act from the receipt of the notification letter they will send. However between June and September, landowners must act to clear the weeds within 14 days (due to ragwort seeding / dispersing at this time of year).
If horses or grazing livestock are present, Nat. England can reduce the grace period for landowner action to seven days.
From experience, landowners find official Government warning letters a nasty shock, and tend to get something done. But if they don't, Nat. England can authorise remedial action themselves, then bill the landowner.... and the landowner is made aware of that possibility in the letter.
As complainant you should get a copy of their letter, which could prove useful.
It is already August, do please get a move on!

On your first point: pyrrolizidine alkaloids are protoxins - that is, they must be metabolised in the gut before they become harmful. Therefore any level of absorption through skin is irrelevant. For the same reason, comfrey is widely used externally as a herb although PAs from it can be absorbed through the skin, but it's not generally considered safe for internal use. Skin irritation can occur from handling ragwort but is caused by sesquiterpene lactones, which are produced by many members of the daisy family. Gloves may improve comfort when pulling a lot in one go.

 

[PurBee]

I agree with Exasperated it’s worth reporting to the local authority, as they likely dont know about verges of the stuff, and its only something us horse folk notice - if they dont know they cant satisfy the noxious weed laws theyre bound by!

Wherever you see it report it to that regions county council…i can visualise a sudden surge on the verges of LA hiviz ragwort killers, thanks to HHO!

 

[3OldPonies]

Ragwort seeds live for 25 years in the soil, waiting for it to get disturbed to let them germinate.
They will also regrow from a 5mm long tiny thin piece of root left in the ground.
So definitely even if you dig, and dig pretty carefully they can easiliy regrow.

I'd read about putting salt in the hole once you've dug to kill remaining invisible roots - but not tried it myself.

I tried the salt thing one year. It did seem to work, but my god was it fiddly and time consuming getting the salt in the holes!

Mind you, might be trying it again in new field. It's riddled with the damn stuff, got neighbours who either can't be arsed, bunny hug for creepy crawlies, or are Railtrack! This year it's a never ending job, and I need to get on the vacant plot next door to at least cut the flowers off before they send even more seeds my way!

 

[Andie02]

Ragwort: Advice on control and disposal | NFU farming news | Livestock

The NFU is reminding livestock farmers to remain vigilant to the risk of ragwort poisoning. Here's some advice on control and disposal.

www.nfuonline.com

NFU recommends wearing gloves and covering arms and legs whilst pulling and disposing of ragwort.

 

[cauda equina]

I do feel sorry for all these guys
I might try picking them out and finding a highways authority plant for them to live on

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I cleared the middle of my track last week and the ruddy things are back already. I’ve been round tonight with the rag fork and feed sack as we had rain last night and they are so much easier to dig out when the ground is soft. Lots of rosettes along the school fence which have also been dispatched. What with ragwort and sycamore seeds falling summer is a bloody nightmare.