ragwort national epidemic

kerry cow

What is going to be done about this pest. I remember 20 years 5 r 6 growing on the neighbours ditch .now even with spraying and topping they still appear and especially at hard to get places like steep inclines , tops of wide ditches and all along the public roads of Ireland which can not by law be cut before 1st September . There by allowing ragwort flower and seed again .
Is it becoming a national crisis? ??
How do we rid ourselves or had any one strong feelings on the topic . ragwort.

yosemitesam1

It is a very important source of food for a lot of insects...

bullnuts

Sheep

patsy_mccabe

They're a right scourge. What gets to me are the neighbours that don't bother pulling them, I have to pull them every year at areas close to boundaries with people that have them.

Sam Kade

I pull them every year maybe 6-7 plants every 5 acres and sure enough they come back every year.

lough135

Pulling them is probably the only way, and keep on top of it every year after and they should reduce in number. When I was going to work this morning I saw a guy in a field pulling them

tanko

The best way to eradicate Ragwort is to plant rushes where they grow.

ganmo

bullnuts wrote: »

Sheep

It's making a comeback in my area and there's nothin but sheep and forestry.

whisky_galore

Only mentioned it to someone the other day, it is actually illegal to have them on your land, but looking back at the Noxious Weeds Act 1936...the fine is only £20!

Was a lot of money back then, not so much now.

whelan2

whisky_galore wrote: »

Only mentioned it to someone the other day, it is actually illegal to have them on your land, but looking back at the Noxious Weeds Act 1936...the fine is only £20!

Was a lot of money back then, not so much now.

Has anyone ever been fined under this act? Ragworth plants were very slow to grow this spring, area I wanted to spray wouldnt have been ready to spray until mid April and that would mean leaving cattle off it for 3 weeks after that. So left it until next year.Topping them at the minute

whisky_galore

My parents generation would have taken it seriously and pulled them whenever they saw one spring up.

They're all over the road margins now, along with other bastard-weeds like Japanese knotweed.

ganmo

They can recover the cost of removing the weeds too
Any one ever report anyone under that act?

amacca

Never heard of anyone reporting or getting fined. I wouldn't be too worried about legal consequences tbh. I would be worried about topping and letting cattle in to graze when its wilted and sweet and wondering why they're not thriving too well months later.

Years ago we had acres of it infested - fields were yellow with it (like a field of oilseed rape)

4 solid years of repeated pulling and burning before it was down to manageable level. Now like the previous poster I pull one or two per acre. Wouldn't go the work intensive route again if I had an infestation...sheer unadulterated hardship.

Couldn't believe it when a lad next to me cut, baled, wrapped and appeared to sell bales off a field infested with it. I wouldn't like to have bought them.

djmc

That could yet be a very costly mistake for him
If the buyer looses a lot of cattle he will most likely do a post mortem on dead cattle and test the bales and then will sue the seller for losses and cost of replacing the stock and the bales as well as lost earnings

Lucena

I'd imagine it wasn't another farmer that bought the bales (assuming he managed to sell them), as the stalks and leaves would be fairly obvious in the bales.

bullnuts

Lucena wrote: »

I'd imagine it wasn't another farmer that bought the bales (assuming he managed to sell them), as the stalks and leaves would be fairly obvious in the bales.

If They were wrapped you would take a man at his word ! But there is a difference between poor quality bales and pure poison

patsy_mccabe

Has anyone ever taken a case against the State. They're the biggest culprit if all.

Hobby farmer

I remember years ago spending a summer pulling fields infested with the stuff! Horrible job but oddly satisfying in the end! Have about a ten acre parcel which a railway runs along one side about ten foot up, I pull the ragwort every year but nobody touches the railway so seeds are spread in every year! Very annoying

Choc Chip

Lucena wrote: »

I'd imagine it wasn't another farmer that bought the bales (assuming he managed to sell them), as the stalks and leaves would be fairly obvious in the bales.

Even if it wasnt another farmer, it coukd be costly. Imagine it was accidentally fed to horses (anyone could chuck a handful of hay to the horse in the morning without knowing what dried ragwort looks like). Depending on the horses, that would be fairly painful on the pocket.

whelan2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Has anyone ever taken a case against the State. They're the biggest culprit if all.

Why. For having them along the road etc? You'd want fairly deep pockets to take a case against them.

Base price

Choc Chip wrote: »

Even if it wasnt another farmer, it coukd be costly. Imagine it was accidentally fed to horses (anyone could chuck a handful of hay to the horse in the morning without knowing what dried ragwort looks like). Depending on the horses, that would be fairly painful on the pocket.

Anyone who keeps bloodstock/livestock should know what it looks like when cut be it wrapped in a bale of silage/haylage or hay.
From personal experience some horse owners wouldn't know the difference between ragworth and beet pulp nuts

High bike

Not sure about this but was told its only dangerous in chopped bales as cattle won't eat it if it's not chopped?????

whelan2

High bike wrote: »

Not sure about this but was told its only dangerous in chopped bales as cattle won't eat it if it's not chopped?????

its preserved in bales of silage, so its palatable, wont make any difference if its chopped or not

High bike

whelan2 wrote: »

its preserved in bales of silage, so its palatable, wont make any difference if its chopped or not

yeah I know that but what I meant was that cattle won't actually eat em if they'r not chopped

whelan2

High bike wrote: »

yeah I know that but what I meant was that cattle won't actually eat em if they'r not chopped

They will, actually saw a cow a few weeks ago eating a ragworth plant as it stood in the field.

Nobbies

If they where worth afew pound they would,nt grow as quick.although i reckon they must be good for something other than poisioning animals only man has yet too discover what.there ahealthy looking thing.

I said

The Glas rules on spraying and topping will only help the bastards flourish

Base price

I said wrote: »

The Glas rules on spraying and topping will only help the bastards flourish

Now in fairness they have been flourishing around the country prior to Glas.

I said

Base price wrote: »

Now in fairness they have been flourishing around the country prior to Glas.

What I'm saying is only spot spraying allowed will not help it

Hobby farmer

High bike wrote: »

yeah I know that but what I meant was that cattle won't actually eat em if they'r not chopped

I could be wrong but I think if you pulled them and just left them whole in the field the cattle would eat them? Father used to mad if you dropped one out of the bundle on the way to the ditch!!

Genghis Cant

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

It is a very important source of food for a lot of insects...

The Cinnabar moth larvae devours it. You'd often see ragwort crawling with the black and amber caterpillars and nothing but a stalk left.

The moth itself is red and black.

Hobby farmer

Genghis Cant wrote: »

The Cinnabar moth larvae devours it. You'd often see ragwort crawling with the black and amber caterpillars and nothing but a stalk left.

The moth itself is red and black.

It's a pity there aren't more of them! You'd only see the odd one like that or maybe we just pull them before they get the chance?

Good loser

I think this year is the worst ever.

I pull the plants on the road-side of my ditches.

This year had only one plant inside the boundary.

When Co Co clear alongside tarred surface the seeds grow on the exposed soil - and flower the second season.

ganmo

whelan2 wrote: »

Why. For having them along the road etc? You'd want fairly deep pockets to take a case against them.

Its not you that would have to enforce it, its the dept of ag

whelan2

ganmo wrote: »

Its not you that would have to enforce it, its the dept of ag

Is it though, I did hear of a lad reporting someone to the gardai, they paid the farmer a visit, not the dept of ag. I have never heard of the dept of ag penalising anyone over ragworth during an inspection

cj maxx

whelan2 wrote: »

Is it though, I did hear of a lad reporting someone to the gardai, they paid the farmer a visit, not the dept of ag. I have never heard of the dept of ag penalising anyone over ragworth during an inspection

I think as its a criminal offence and not just a department of ag directive it is the gardai who are the correct agency . Ive seen the posters about ragwort in garda stations

Capercaillie

Problem with eradicating the 4 species of ragworth is a whole raft of species, which depend on it will go extinct as well.

bullnuts

I remember reading somewhere about a guy growing weeds in Cork got 7 years ! So it does carry a hefty penalty

kerry cow

Different weed bull nuts .
Wouldn't grow in our climate!
Any way the first to be fine should be the county councils .

blue5000

Capercaillie wrote: »

Problem with eradicating the 4 species of ragworth is a whole raft of species, which depend on it will go extinct as well.

I don't think there's any fear of that yet. Just in the door from west Clare and the amount of ragwort around the Lahinch-Doolin area is unreal.

ganmo

Capercaillie wrote: »

Problem with eradicating the 4 species of ragworth is a whole raft of species, which depend on it will go extinct as well.

evolution, the enemy of conservationists

Nobbies

Could something be engineered for mounting on a quad r tractor for pulling ragworth.surely u,de think if we can put a man on the moon someone could come up with a tool for the job?

John_Rambo

Serious topic, but a lighthearted story.

Through my late teens and early twenties myself and a few lads canoed most of the rivers in Ireland. We camped on farmland, swamps, islands, private estates, fens etc... and we ALWAYS got permission where possible.

Nothing better to change a reluctant farmers mind that offering to pull all the ragworth in his field!!! The suspicious face at these Dubs arriving asking permission changing to an interested, high eyebrow nod at the suggestion!!

We were bloody experts at it. Seven of us could clear a mid sized field in an hour while two of us pitched tents and cooked up the dinner.

patsy_mccabe

Nobbies wrote: »

Could something be engineered for mounting on a quad r tractor for pulling ragworth.surely u,de think if we can put a man on the moon someone could come up with a tool for the job?

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-alvan-blanche-eco-puller-ragwort-and-new-holland-tractor-25470507.html

cj maxx

How long should you keep stock off topped fields with ragwort?

bullnuts

Nobbies wrote: »

Could something be engineered for mounting on a quad r tractor for pulling ragworth.surely u,de think if we can put a man on the moon someone could come up with a tool for the job?

Is there any type mower or topper that runs off the wheels and towed by a quad? I know you can get engine mounted flails and that !

20silkcut

Is the spray any good?

It's a woeful misuse of time to be out pulling rag worth.

I gave every evening after work last summer pulling rag worth only for it to come back stronger this year.

whelan2

cjmc wrote: »

How long should you keep stock off topped fields with ragwort?

Until it's fully dead. About 10 days

emaherx

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-alvan-blanche-eco-puller-ragwort-and-new-holland-tractor-25470507.html

I have come across this before, there is not much info available accept that one photo in a small article in some farming magazine. Seems to be discontinued now.

20silkcut wrote: »

Is the spray any good?

It's a woeful misuse of time to be out pulling rag worth.

I gave every evening after work last summer pulling rag worth only for it to come back stronger this year.

It is a biennial plant what you pulled last year has no effect on this years crop, but you may have stunted next years growth. You need to pull or spray every year for about 3-4 years to see a real clearance in the field. Think what happens most people is they go mad at it for about 2 years and then give up.

Curly Judge

emaherx wrote: »

I have come across this before, there is not much info available accept that one photo in a small article in some farming magazine. Seems to be discontinued now.




It is a biennial plant what you pulled last year has no effect on this years crop, but you may have stunted next years growth. You need to pull or spray every year for about 3-4 years to see a real clearance in the field. Think what happens most people is they go mad at it for about 2 years and ten give up.

That's been my experience too.
What is it with this pulling business?
Sounds like very hard work to me!
I cut them as low as possible with a sharp machete type tool and cart them off.
Surely, with them being biennial and all, cutting is just as good?

Chuchote

Ragwort is serious bad news for asthmatics and people with hay fever too.

Good piece on ragwort and its control:

http://www.ihwt.ie/site2/welfare-campaigns/welfare-information-tips/797-2/

and on the Irish Wildflowers site:

http://www.irishwildflowers.ie/pages/128a.html

plus a bunch more references to different breeds on this page:

http://www.irishwildflowers.ie/AZ-english.html#R