What qualifications do you need to do your own spraying?

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Marigold4

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Finding it very difficult to get anyone to spray my fields. Have contacted numerous people, some promise to come and don't, some don't even reply. I'm thinking of doing the spraying myself. I have a small tractor for towing a sprayer. Total area to be sprayed is 4 acres. I've had a look at local agricultural colleges and courses offered, but all the different levels of qualification are a bit mind-boggling. Can anyone tell me what I need in order to buy the sort of weedkiller I would need (ragwort, buttercup).
 
In a last ditch attempt to find someone to do the spraying for me, I put a post on the local facebook page and got a whole load of disapproving comment about spraying my fields. It's difficult - if you let the buttercup get out of control, it takes over. I've handpicked the ragwort again and again but it still keeps coming up. There is a lot of rewilding near me. One of the comments suggested I could handpick 4 acres of buttercup!
 
Marigold4 said:
In a last ditch attempt to find someone to do the spraying for me, I put a post on the local facebook page and got a whole load of disapproving comment about spraying my fields. It's difficult - if you let the buttercup get out of control, it takes over. I've handpicked the ragwort again and again but it still keeps coming up. There is a lot of rewilding near me. One of the comments suggested I could handpick 4 acres of buttercup!
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Lord don't talk to me about the rewilding thing. Big farm near us doing just that. The place is absolutely alive with ragwort. I would think you can see the place from space! I'm all for allowing nature a safe place to grow and thrive but for goodness sake manage it. Cinnabar moths are on freedom from huger week around here. The spraying can be difficult with all the regs nowadays. Not saying we shouldn't have any regulation but it's not helpful for the small land owner/manager. Most farms have someone who has the necessary qualification. They might be able to get you some so that you can do your own without a lot of hassle. Progreen are a helpful company as previously mentioned.
 
Esmae said:
Lord don't talk to me about the rewilding thing. Big farm near us doing just that. The place is absolutely alive with ragwort. I would think you can see the place from space! I'm all for allowing nature a safe place to grow and thrive but for goodness sake manage it. Cinnabar moths are on freedom from huger week around here. The spraying can be difficult with all the regs nowadays. Not saying we shouldn't have any regulation but it's not helpful for the small land owner/manager. Most farms have someone who has the necessary qualification. They might be able to get you some so that you can do your own without a lot of hassle. Progreen are a helpful company as previously mentioned.
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I've asked the local farms, including the one that rents the land to me. Not interested. I'll ring Progreen next week. If I don't do something about the buttercup, there won't be any grass soon!
 
PeterNatt said:
Decide which weeds/plants you need to spray and then obtain the specific sprays for those weeds. Ragwort and other weeds will come up each year because there will be a seedbed of seeds in the soil from previous years. You are best spraying in Spring when the weeds and plants start to grow.
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Yes, planning on selective weed spraying, just for buttercup and ragwort. I did have someone lined up to spray in spring - that was the plan - but after keeping me waiting for 3 months, he then decided he wasn't coming.
 
Marigold4 said:
Yes, planning on selective weed spraying, just for buttercup and ragwort. I did have someone lined up to spray in spring - that was the plan - but after keeping me waiting for 3 months, he then decided he wasn't coming.
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That is so annoying. If folk don't want the job I wish they would say to begin with ad not leave until you have missed the best time to do it. Whereabouts in the country are you?
 
Esmae said:
That is so annoying. If folk don't want the job I wish they would say to begin with ad not leave until you have missed the best time to do it. Whereabouts in the country are you?
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We have found this with other trades. Then there are those who try to rip you off !
 
Marigold4 said:
In a last ditch attempt to find someone to do the spraying for me, I put a post on the local facebook page and got a whole load of disapproving comment about spraying my fields. It's difficult - if you let the buttercup get out of control, it takes over. I've handpicked the ragwort again and again but it still keeps coming up. There is a lot of rewilding near me. One of the comments suggested I could handpick 4 acres of buttercup!
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Buttercups are toxic to horses - I had horse ready for export that threw up a major reaction. Luckily my vet was quick onto it and we were able toresolve the issue quickly. Ragwort is becoming an uncontrollable nightmare. It has spread fo all about onto my land, which historically has no more that the odd piece to pull up frm time to time. This year 8 of us set off for 2 hours and failed to make much inroad. Sadly next spring I will have to spray for the first time in half a century. 60 acres is too much by hand once it has spread.
 
sport horse said:
Buttercups are toxic to horses - I had horse ready for export that threw up a major reaction. Luckily my vet was quick onto it and we were able toresolve the issue quickly. Ragwort is becoming an uncontrollable nightmare. It has spread fo all about onto my land, which historically has no more that the odd piece to pull up frm time to time. This year 8 of us set off for 2 hours and failed to make much inroad. Sadly next spring I will have to spray for the first time in half a century. 60 acres is too much by hand once it has spread.
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And buttercups spread so quickly. You can end up with very little grass as the space has been taken up by noxious weeds, if you don't ever spray. I guess that the people who posted that I would be filling my land with "poison" don't understand that it is a selective weedkiller and we have little choice.
 
OH did the backpack spray course because we were led to believe that we wouldn't be able to buy the weed killer. Not true. Neither of us have been asked for the certificate. Merchants can legally sell it to anyone, but it is apparently illegal for anyone who hasn't done the course to use it, but who on earth is checking? Common sense has prevailed for many years with weed control. Just more legislation? We use a tractor mounted sprayer for the fields.
 
sbloom said:
Can you also improve the land with something like calcified seaweed to help reduce their spread?
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There is a lime based fertiliser called Calcipril. It slowly changes the ph of the soil to discourage buttercups and clover.

However, it takes a few years to really start working. It might be worth doing alongside spraying for a couple of years.
 
southerncomfort said:
There is a lime based fertiliser called Calcipril. It slowly changes the ph of the soil to discourage buttercups and clover.

However, it takes a few years to really start working. It might be worth doing alongside spraying for a couple of years.
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Not very knowledgeable about soil, but as we've on chalk, I think we have a lime soil anyway??
 
Irish-Only said:
OH did the backpack spray course because we were led to believe that we wouldn't be able to buy the weed killer. Not true. Neither of us have been asked for the certificate. Merchants can legally sell it to anyone, but it is apparently illegal for anyone who hasn't done the course to use it, but who on earth is checking? Common sense has prevailed for many years with weed control. Just more legislation? We use a tractor mounted sprayer for the fields.
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That's useful to know! What sort of tractor mounted sprayer do you have?
 
Marigold4 said:
That's useful to know! What sort of tractor mounted sprayer do you have?
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Allman sprayer, quite old but still does the job. Allman Sprayer - Billericay Farm Services sell them, a very simple mechanically operated machine says OH, and runs off the pto.
 
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Marigold4 said:
Finding it very difficult to get anyone to spray my fields. Have contacted numerous people, some promise to come and don't, some don't even reply. I'm thinking of doing the spraying myself. I have a small tractor for towing a sprayer. Total area to be sprayed is 4 acres. I've had a look at local agricultural colleges and courses offered, but all the different levels of qualification are a bit mind-boggling. Can anyone tell me what I need in order to buy the sort of weedkiller I would need (ragwort, buttercup).
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You can spray SBK yourself.

Grazon Pro, Envy, DoxyStar etc can be bought online but you should be qualified to use them.

The second page on this link gives a good idea of what kills what - https://www.corteva.co.uk/content/d...chnical-literature/Doxstar-Pro-tech-sheet.pdf
 
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