What to spray for docks???

locky76

I've about 15 acres of grazing ground with a lot of dock, it's being getting pregrssively worse over the last few years, 2 questions.

1. What should i spray for them?
2. What should conditions be like for spraying?

stanflt

use a split application-spring and autumn
use only half rate spray on both splits,same amount of water

personly i use eagle-a bit expensive but wont check grass-ive areally high stocking rate-nearly 5cows/ha

last year the farm was covered-but ill continue to spray cause they never go away

careful with new grass seed-it may kill it

GERMAN ROCKS

eagle is €105 for 120g
optica is €45for a gallon.
I think both do 7 acres.
use eagle if there is clover and optica if there is no clover because if there is it will kill it off.
ideally spray on an overcast dry day which.

Muckit

locky76 wrote: »

I've about 15 acres of grazing ground with a lot of dock, it's being getting pregrssively worse over the last few years, 2 questions.

1. What should i spray for them?
2. What should conditions be like for spraying?

I've always found Eagle good too. The last time I used it on aftergrass (so late June). Sprayed, left it the required number of days (can't remember off hand), then grazed tight, then topped tight.

Excellent results achieved.

As with all sprays, don't scimp. Apply at the correct rates and you should get good results.

Jack C

I've used a lot of different sprays on docks and so far found eagle the best of a bad and expensive lot. But the feckers still come back. Thinking of using "forefront" this year. It's powerful stuff though. Apparently when silage from the sprayed ground is fed, the chemical goes though the cattle into the slurry and when spread can be harmful to broadleaf crops like beet.

Bizzum

I've used Eagle too with good (ish) results after 2 sprayings.
They are persistant buggers!

poor farmer

Your only ever going to control docks if land is fertile you wont eliminate them . Spray when the are growing vigourously
I find optica good spraying 2.5 L /2.5 acres in 300 L of water

nilhg

I spray a lot of acres of docks for neighbours every year and I'd reckon eagle is the most consistent product, but all of them can produce good results if you hit the right conditions.

You have to remember though any of the sprays will only suppress the top growth of the dock, the big tap root will survive, the only way to get rid of it is to keep continuously attacking it, eventually it'll starve out if you are persistent enough, but you would be looking at 2 sprays in the first year or two, before the first cut and then when there is regrowth.


Another thing to consider, be very careful that any product you use (and write into your records) is registered with the PCS, optica has been mentioned but it doesn't seem to be cleared for use on commercial grassland, if you have an inspection the dept do check all these things, all the spray records are sent to Backweston for checking.

Paddysniper

Hello,
No mention of doxstar here?
Is it any good?

haulagebasher

I used to do summer work for a neighbour and his approch to dock infestation was to use spot treatment with Roundup. We used a lance with a long hose connected up to the sprayer and went in the lowest gear, one lad driving the other with the lance. Slow and tedious (about two weeks work altogether but it kills docks outright). But then he was paying us peanuts money!!

Farmer Pudsey

locky76 wrote: »

I've about 15 acres of grazing ground with a lot of dock, it's being getting pregrssively worse over the last few years, 2 questions.

1. What should i spray for them?
2. What should conditions be like for spraying?

If you have clover your only choice is Eagle there is another one similar but it will not kill curly leaf docks. Make sure that docks are not going to seed. waste of time spraying at half rate. with Docks it amy rake two treatment of any chemical to kill. It is questionable if clover is in the sward longer that 6 years if it is worth protecting it by using Eagle. also you may want to kill thistles/ragworth. Costs about 18-20 euro/acre for spray/treatment

If not worried about clover use High Load micram costs about 10 euro/acre.

You want to spray when there is no wind watch the trees if the leaves and small twiggs are moving you are Ok if the branch is moving forget about it. Often in the evening is the best time as the win eases.

Tommyj1

locky76 wrote: »

I've about 15 acres of grazing ground with a lot of dock, it's being getting pregrssively worse over the last few years, 2 questions.

1. What should i spray for them?
2. What should conditions be like for spraying?

I have used Forefront this past few years. Seems to do a good job on docks. It also does thistles and nettles. Used to use Doxstar but Forefront is a lot better. It is fairly expensive. I bought it in the north at €168 for 5 litres. That does 6.25 acres. I know it is expensive but I think it is well worth it.

Bodacious

i sprayed 4 acres of grassland with mcpa and it looks to have killed rushes, buttercup, other flowers etc but also the docks are destroyed completely.. is it meant to control docks!?

redzerologhlen

Bodacious wrote: »

i sprayed 4 acres of grassland with mcpa and it looks to have killed rushes, buttercup, other flowers etc but also the docks are destroyed completely.. is it meant to control docks!?

I noticed it kills off the top growth but they reappear pretty quickly.

Farmer Pudsey

Bodacious wrote: »

i sprayed 4 acres of grassland with mcpa and it looks to have killed rushes, buttercup, other flowers etc but also the docks are destroyed completely.. is it meant to control docks!?

Will kill the top growth if you used an activator/weting agent it would hit them harder. when they com back spray again with micram they will be weakened

Hugh 2

Muckit wrote: »

I've always found Eagle good too. The last time I used it on aftergrass (so late June). Sprayed, left it the required number of days (can't remember off hand), then grazed tight, then topped tight.
.

I have sprayed quite a lot of silage ground with Eagle this year (where there is clover)(Fluxor where there was no clover)
Cows have grazed most of it by now leaving the docks behind

I had been wondering about whether I am right to leave them standing my logic being to allow more time for spray residue to get to roots or is it better to top them

agriman27

I used doxstar pro in early June and it seems to be very effective, time will tell whether they come back, kills them very quickly and seemed to be beneficial to the grass, I was expecting the opposite.

gerryirl

Ive used dockstar the past 2 years and Id be as well off if I left it in the jar.. It'll kill them when you spray them for the year but they'll just come back as bad the year after. Done them twice one year. Waste of time and money. gonna give something else a go this year. I dont kow what product yet

limo_100

Any of use ever spray for ragwoth and thistles have abit of a buildup and there at the rosette stage now crying out to be sprayed

dunlopwellies

limo_100 wrote: »

Any of use ever spray for ragwoth and thistles have abit of a buildup and there at the rosette stage now crying out to be sprayed

Mortox 50 for rag worth. It will also kill light ish thistles or thistleX besides.
As gas been said many times pulling the tag worth is the best cure.
I do try to pull a few every evening when checking stock if they are in it.

TITANIUM.

limo_100 wrote: »

Any of use ever spray for ragwoth and thistles have abit of a buildup and there at the rosette stage now crying out to be sprayed

I had an awful infestation of the feckers here some fields looked like i was growing rape seed . I used fore-T . It did an incredible job. Still had to pick a few around fences and headlands that I missed trying to mind my booms but the spray worked a treat.

Jb1989

gerryirl wrote: »

Ive used dockstar the past 2 years and Id be as well off if I left it in the jar.. It'll kill them when you spray them for the year but they'll just come back as bad the year after. Done them twice one year. Waste of time and money. gonna give something else a go this year. I dont kow what product yet

If the doxstar has killed them for one year, you have done very well.

When the docks get growing thickly, you will have to spray every year, and yes, maybe twice, over a period of a number of years.

There is no spray on the market that's will kill them properly for any longer than a year.

limo_100

TITANIUM. wrote: »

I had an awful infestation of the feckers here some fields looked like i was growing rape seed . I used fore-T . It did an incredible job. Still had to pick a few around fences and headlands that I missed trying to mind my booms but the spray worked a treat.

did you have to spray two years in a row or did one year clear you out? the only problem with forefront t is the price :mad: But its hard to put a price on a good job