All inputs welcome on ragwort

cacs

I put up a post last week is it too late to spray ragwort.
Some said it is the perfect time some said its too late it should be done September to October. I decided to go and buy mortox 50 . When I walked the land there is none visibly coming up yet which would say to me it's too early yet . I was on a spraying course the last day and someone said to me you need to leave the cattle off the land for 6 weeks prior to spraying as the plant is very palatable when it's dying and going yellow but it still is very dangerous. Has anyone Any thoughts or experience of this.

jm08

Not sure if this is of any use to you, but when I was a kid of about 7 or 8 (a long time ago) my father agreed to pay me so much for every ragworth I pulled (with the roots). I can't remember how much it was, but I know it was very good money, so good, I pulled all the neighbours ragwort as well!

I completely cleared the whole area of ragwort and we never had a problem with it again!

tomwaterford

Get into sheep!!


Mine used to break into the neighbours to eat it

djmc

I think you can spray anytime once it's not flowering the younger the plant the better the response
As for the dying plant advice is not to let animals in until it's dead but it takes forever to die after spraying
I left cattle in cause I was caught for grazing and they eat grass and didn't go near the dying plant not saying it's the right thing to do but I think they prefer grass once they have enough of it.
Didn't leave them in the field long either once grazed down a bit moved them on.
It's leathel in silage even a small amount.
Spot spray with roundup and napsack works well as well.

cacs

jm08 wrote: »

Not sure if this is of any use to you, but when I was a kid of about 7 or 8 (a long time ago) my father agreed to pay me so much for every ragworth I pulled (with the roots). I can't remember how much it was, but I know it was very good money, so good, I pulled all the neighbours ragwort as well!

I completely cleared the whole area of ragwort and we never had a problem with it again!

Thanks for that but time poor

cacs

djmc wrote: »

I think you can spray anytime once it's not flowering the younger the plant the better the response
As for the dying plant advice is not to let animals in until it's dead but it takes forever to die after spraying
I left cattle in cause I was caught for grazing and they eat grass and didn't go near the dying plant not saying it's the right thing to do but I think they prefer grass once they have enough of it.
Didn't leave them in the field long either once grazed down a bit moved them on.
It's leathel in silage even a small amount.
Spot spray with roundup and napsack works well as well.

That's great thanks for that

whelan2

cathal irwin wrote: »

I put up a post last week is it too late to spray ragwort.
Some said it is the perfect time some said its too late it should be done September to October. I decided to go and buy mortox 50 . When I walked the land there is none visibly coming up yet which would say to me it's too early yet . I was on a spraying course the last day and someone said to me you need to leave the cattle off the land for 6 weeks prior to spraying as the plant is very palatable when it's dying and going yellow but it still is very dangerous. Has anyone Any thoughts or experience of this.

I posted last week too, I lost cattle from ragworth posioning so have an idea what I am talking about. Walk your land in another 3 weeks and see if there are any plants at the rosette stage. Cattle must be off the land for 3 weeks. Otherwise leave until the summer and pull all the plants, make sure to pull up the roots and dump them somewhere were cattle cant get at them. If you do spray and are not sure if all plants are fully dead get someone from were you bought the spray to walk the field. Frost will hamper the kill and if they dont die right you will have to spray again.

cacs

whelan2 wrote: »

I posted last week too, I lost cattle from ragworth posioning so have an idea what I am talking about. Walk your land in another 3 weeks and see if there are any plants at the rosette stage. Cattle must be off the land for 3 weeks. Otherwise leave until the summer and pull all the plants, make sure to pull up the roots and dump them somewhere were cattle cant get at them. If you do spray and are not sure if all plants are fully dead get someone from were you bought the spray to walk the field. Frost will hamper the kill and if they dont die right you will have to spray again.

Thanks a million for that . That's great advice

have2flushtwice

spend a half day pulling them 4 or 5 years ago, a few minutes the following year and none since. I didn't think it was bad but when I saw a trailer load of them... pity the council don't do something with the road verges in some parts of the country.

50HX

rosette stage to spray

march/april or sept/oct depending on the growth

whne gone to flower you are not getting as a good a return

spent a good bit of time pulling them and it's the real answer - esp after wet weather but of your time poor then you'll have to spray

whelan2

Has anyone sprayed yet, walked fields yesterday, very few plants at all

cacs

whelan2 wrote: »

Has anyone sprayed yet, walked fields yesterday, very few plants at all

It's a bit of a mess I am in the same boat. I bought 80 litres of mortox 50 in February with intention of spraying it then. The guy in the coop said it was no point it was too late. I walked the fields last week and there was very little plants of ragwort up. I decide to call Hygiea in Galway last Friday to ask there advice the make mortox 50. I spoke to a very nice man there. He explained to me the best time spray it is February when the plant is in a vegetative state. He said we are in an in between phase now. It was better to wait until late April early may whe the plant is in the Rosetta stage.
Honestly I can't wait that long I have to spray next week before giving me two to three weeks before the cattle go out.