Cost/advice on disposing of bales?

Rips

I want to top some bad pasture (very bad with ragwort) and clear it with a view to spraying it in spring and getting it right for grazing.

If its topped and baled, how much will it cost to get rid of the bales, or what do you do with them? Is there any only better solution. The ragwort is very thick on 2 acres.

Greengrass1

Rips wrote: »

I want to top some bad pasture (very bad with ragwort) and clear it with a view to spraying it in spring and getting it right for grazing.

If its topped and baled, how much will it cost to get rid of the bales, or what do you do with them? Is there any only better solution. The ragwort is very thick on 2 acres.

Spray the ragworth now, very good spraying weather coming. Cattle can graze then after a week or so

eric prydz

Rips wrote: »

I want to top some bad pasture (very bad with ragwort) and clear it with a view to spraying it in spring and getting it right for grazing.

If its topped and baled, how much will it cost to get rid of the bales, or what do you do with them? Is there any only better solution. The ragwort is very thick on 2 acres.

Id mow it and bale them and dump them in the biggest hole I could find

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Spray the ragworth now, very good spraying weather coming. Cattle can graze then after a week or so

But they've flowered now,they can only be sprayed in the spring at the rosette stage

whelan2

Top them and leave stock off until all ragworth fully dead. Can take a few weeks. Otherwise pick them.

whelan2

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Spray the ragworth now, very good spraying weather coming. Cattle can graze then after a week or so

Up to 3 weeks it can take til stock go back in. They are palatable when dying

onyerbikepat

What teagasc say;
http://www.teagasc.ie/horticulture/advisory/vegetable/ragwort.asp

Would a weedlicker be any good to control them as this time of year?

Rips

onyerbikepat wrote: »

What teagasc say;
http://www.teagasc.ie/horticulture/advisory/vegetable/ragwort.asp

Would a weedlicker be any good to control them as this time of year?

Oh thanks, that says spraying at this time of year may be beneficial. Its a bit confusing, so if I top and spray (to stop the seed heads germinating??) and then spray again in early spring it should be alright...

The contractor who is topping it didn't sound keen about leaving it to rot on the land.

Rips

I've no need to graze it over winter anyway but I don't want a crop of ragwort next year! Pulling as you find it in a grazed down field is one thing, pulling mature plants in a field of grass as tall as myself in places is another!

I just was not sure about leaving it to rot down after topping.

td5man

Rips wrote: »

I've no need to graze it over winter anyway but I don't want a crop of ragwort next year! Pulling as you find it in a grazed down field is one thing, pulling mature plants in a field of grass as tall as myself in places is another!

I just was not sure about leaving it to rot down after topping.

There's plenty of seedling ragwort at the perfect stage for spraying at the moment.

whelan2

td5man wrote: »

There's plenty of seedling ragwort at the perfect stage for spraying at the moment.

have you sprayed them at this time of year before? whats the kill like?

TITANIUM.

whelan2 wrote: »

Top them and leave stock off until all ragworth fully dead. Can take a few weeks. Otherwise pick them.

dangerous.
Ragworth will wilt and sweeten.
Cattle will eat them. It's only two acers. A couple of hours picking after topping will clear the bulk of um.

whelan2

TITANIUM. wrote: »

dangerous.
Ragworth will wilt and sweeten.
Cattle will eat them. It's only two acers. A couple of hours picking after topping will clear the bulk of um.

the options the op has are
pick them- he said theres too many of them
top them and leave cattle off for rest of year- he said he could do this
spray them , afaik it will just be the new ones that this will kill
go in with forage harvester mow them and pick them up and dump them or bale them

on the river

whelan2 wrote: »

the options the op has are
pick them- he said theres too many of them
top them and leave cattle off for rest of year- he said he could do this
spray them , afaik it will just be the new ones that this will kill
go in with forage harvester mow them and pick them up and dump them or bale them

For the record everyone
Whelan2 hates ragwort.

whelan2

on the river wrote: »

For the record everyone
Whelan2 hates ragwort.

i do, i pulled a load 2 weeks ago today and left it in piles in the field, went back on friday last with digger to collect the heaps and they where not dead...

td5man

whelan2 wrote: »

have you sprayed them at this time of year before? whats the kill like?

Kill should be good as they are small and actively growing.
Going to use forefront t on a silage field that has docks in it.
Forefront supposed to kill docks dandelion nettles thistles and ragwort.
Timing supposed to be not as critical as with d50

Greengrass1

The only problem with topping is next yr when you go to pull thy have massive roots and are hoors to pull

Reggie.

on the river wrote: »

For the record everyone
Whelan2 hates ragwort.

But loves pulling them on Sundays tho

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

But loves pulling them on Sundays tho

Ah was powerwashing today. Think i am finished pulling ragworth for this year

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

Ah was powerwashing today. Think i am finished pulling ragworth for this year

Since ya didn't help with the turf this year sure you could come down and do the FILs fields

Feckthis

td5man wrote: »

Kill should be good as they are small and actively growing.
Going to use forefront t on a silage field that has docks in it.
Forefront supposed to kill docks dandelion nettles thistles and ragwort.
Timing supposed to be not as critical as with d50

Have priced forefront at €90 a bottle for two litres. How many acres would you get sprayed with this?

td5man

Feckthis wrote: »

Have priced forefront at €90 a bottle for two litres. How many acres would you get sprayed with this?

75 here AFAIK. 2l/ha

Mad4simmental

Feckthis wrote: »

Have priced forefront at €90 a bottle for two litres. How many acres would you get sprayed with this?

Forefront is one unreal spray to kill off all the usuall weeds that grow. It's not clover friendly but you won't be sorry after spraying it. I think clover won't be seen on this farm for a few years but it's worth it.

TITANIUM.

whelan2 wrote: »

the options the op has are
pick them- he said theres too many of them
top them and leave cattle off for rest of year- he said he could do this
spray them , afaik it will just be the new ones that this will kill
go in with forage harvester mow them and pick them up and dump them or bale them

Top and pick. That's what I did this year and it worked fine. Depending on what sort of topper he has.
If you cut top or break ragworth leaving the root, it'll become a persistent perennial and keep coming back for four to five years so he'll be in the same boat next year. Once the new sprayer arrives here that'll be the end of um.

Markcheese

If you're topping mowing the heaviest areas wilt it , bale it without string, and get the baler to drop bales into a waste corner , then fence it off and let it rot down, !!
what are sheep like with ragwort hay/ silage ?? Could you find someone with a few sheep that'd skin the field ..?