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Co. Ragwort

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  • 24-08-2020 9:12pm
    #1
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭


    Co. Meath where else. Passed through it today and its a sea of Ragwort in places.
    They should rename it Co. Ragwort.


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    #2
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Lots of Cavan and Monaghan too.
    A bit is fine but once it’s let get out of hand there is a massive task in recovering.


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    #3
    kala85
    Registered Users Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭kala85


    What's the danger of it


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    #4
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TooOldBoots


    kala85 wrote: »
    What's the danger of it
    Its a Noxious Weed. It is an offence for the owner/occupier of lands not to prevent the growth and spread of noxious weed.


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    #5
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    kala85 wrote: »
    What's the danger of it

    If it makes its way into saved feeding it poses a serious poisoning risk. Long slow painful death for the animals affected.

    It’s notoriously quick to spread from seed so seeding plants multiply quickly and spread far and wide.


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    #6
    finbarrk
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭finbarrk


    How come a spray hasn't been invented to get rid of it I wonder?


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    #7
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,726 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    finbarrk wrote: »
    How come a spray hasn't been invented to get rid of it I wonder?

    When you spray it, it does die, but in this state it is even more dangerous to grazing animals as it becomes more palatible.

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #8
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Can be controlled when sprayed in the small rosette stage early in the year.

    Problem is conditions are essentially never suitable for spraying at that stage.
    I was told once it starts to put up a central stem the spraying window is well over.


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    #9
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users Posts: 937 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    Why is it worse in meath?


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    #10
    TooOldBoots
    Closed Accounts Posts: 604 ✭✭✭TooOldBoots


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    Why is it worse in meath?

    Could be very light Dept of Ag inspectors combined with some lazy farmers!


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    #11
    amadangomor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,148 ✭✭✭amadangomor


    Saw an ad for people wanted to control Ragwort there recently.

    Don't know what the story is, maybe councils employing contractors to control them?
    Was decent money for that sort of work., think it was 17/18 PH. Contract for a few weeks


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    #12
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    amadangomor wrote: »
    Saw an ad for people wanted to control Ragwort there recently.

    Don't know what the story is, maybe councils employing contractors to control them?
    Was decent money for that sort of work., think it was 17/18 PH. Contract for a few weeks

    Not small money.
    Gone are the 5 punts for the day.


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    #13
    Biscuitus
    Registered Users Posts: 209 ✭✭Biscuitus


    Ragweed is an airborne biennial weed. A lot of farmers in Ireland need to be educated about it. You can spray and pull it all you want but if your neighbour our county council aren't doing their part then your fields will be covered again.

    My farm was immaculate but a nearby town had several fields dug up for development. I've a forest this year that's been near impossible to get on top of. Topping and pulling has been my only option, too wet to spray now and drought earlier in the year so will have to wait until next Spring to spray again.

    Fining farms for ragweed would be like fining a farmer cause someone dumped on their land.


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    #14
    Bleating Lamb
    Registered Users Posts: 4,578 ✭✭✭Bleating Lamb


    Have noticed ragwort on a lane way which adjoins some land I have rented this year.....first time I have ever seen it there....grass lane shared by a few farmers to put cattle in fields....is it too late to pull the ragwort now?...
    ...it’s dying off now but would pull them if I thought it would help reduce what will grow next year....the other few fellas on the lane wouldn’t worry about likes of it but I don’t want it coming into my land next year.....are only around 40 stalks so wouldn’t be a huge job to pull them....didn’t get at them earlier in the year.
    Thanks fir any replies.


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    #15
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Pull them.
    If seeds haven’t gone it’s definitely worth pulling them.


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    #16
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,613 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    Took a walk around my field this evening l picking blackberry. Found a few ragwort and hogweed at the end that I need to deal with tonight

    Is it OK to cut normal hogweed?


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    #17
    Capercaillie
    Registered Users Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Capercaillie


    SouthWesterly wrote: »
    Took a walk around my field this evening l picking blackberry. Found a few ragwort and hogweed at the end that I need to deal with tonight

    Is it OK to cut normal hogweed?

    Common hogweed gone to seed now and no real value cutting/mowing plant.


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    #18
    amadangomor
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,148 ✭✭✭amadangomor


    SouthWesterly wrote: »
    Took a walk around my field this evening l picking blackberry. Found a few ragwort and hogweed at the end that I need to deal with tonight

    Is it OK to cut normal hogweed?

    Be careful with the sap if you cut it. Got it on my arm and hand before and it blistered in the Sun. Damages the DNA so that area won't produce melanin to protect against sunburn. I took a chance with short sleeves and no gloves strimming where it was abroad as it was 35 degrees.

    Apparently if you cut it back and cover it, it will die as the roots will run out of energy with no foliage. Look for more details online.


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    #19
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,613 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    amadangomor wrote: »
    Be careful with the sap if you cut it. Got it on my arm and hand before and it blistered in the Sun. Damages the DNA so that area won't produce melanin to protect against sunburn. I took a chance with short sleeves and no gloves strimming where it was abroad as it was 35 degrees.

    Apparently if you cut it back and cover it, it will die as the roots will run out of energy with no foliage. Look for more details online.

    Thanks. I planned on long sleeves, gloves and a visor. Didn't get to it this evening. Went house hunting with a pal whose moving down from the big smoke. Tomorrow is another day :)


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    #20
    kk.man
    Registered Users Posts: 3,469 ✭✭✭kk.man


    Folks get sheep.... No ragwort!


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    #21
    Biscuitus
    Registered Users Posts: 209 ✭✭Biscuitus


    kk.man wrote: »
    Folks get sheep.... No ragwort!

    I'm tempted to get them for cleanup. The past few years have been awful for weeds. Since the 2018 drought they just flourish and with global warming there's no end to growth throughout the Winter. Sheep would be a lot cheaper than spray.


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    #22
    emaherx
    Registered Users Posts: 6,029 ✭✭✭emaherx


    kk.man wrote: »
    Folks get sheep.... No ragwort!

    But then you have sheep!


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    #23
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    emaherx wrote: »
    But then you have sheep!

    Nope, nope, nope.

    Kids will keep pulling ragwort thanks.


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    #24
    Seamai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭Seamai


    I've noticed a lot of ragwort along the roadsides in west Cork but much less in the east of the east of the county. Would control of it along the roadsides be the county council's responsibility?


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    #25
    roosterman71
    Registered Users Posts: 5,431 ✭✭✭roosterman71


    Had 3 people in clearing it out of a couple of fields I've done drainage in this year. Place was full of it. Not anymore.

    Ragworth.jpg

    Trailer loads of it dumped there to rot away.


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    #26
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,959 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    roosterman71 wrote: »
    Trailer loads of it dumped there to rot away.

    Will they not seed anyway there and get spread all over the place?


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    #27
    roosterman71
    Registered Users Posts: 5,431 ✭✭✭roosterman71


    mp3guy wrote: »
    Will they not seed anyway there and get spread all over the place?

    That I don't know. Hope to bury them there if I get a chance this weekend.


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    #28
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,959 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    roosterman71 wrote: »
    That I don't know. Hope to bury them there if I get a chance this weekend.

    We piled a rake of it up last year and they all ended up seeding anyway, had to cover them over to prevent it blowing everywhere. I think the only solution is burning them.


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    #29
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,726 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    Get sheep to get rid of ragwort. Foxes and local dogs will get rid of sheep. Get shotgun to get rid of dogs and foxes. It's the cycle of life.

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #30
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,533 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    patsy_mccabe wrote: »
    Get sheep to get rid of ragwort. Foxes and local dogs will get rid of sheep. Get shotgun to get rid of dogs and foxes. It's the cycle of life.

    Yea but you get a gun so there’s that


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