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Ragwort

adne

I have some meadow fields that i sprayed but there is still some ragwort (Bohalawnns) in these fields.
Is it safe to cut this for silage or is the ragwort posionous in the silage?

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just do it

greysides wrote: »

AFAIK, if a ragwort is topped prior to seeding instead of living as an annual plant it becomes biennial.

In other word, it doesn't die but over-winters to put up several flowering stalks the next year.

Jeez that level of evolution is scary!!

sandydan

id say best to keep fields rush free by topping or whatever , they can effect your single farm payments if spotted,old big brother i guess

Base price

smokey-fitz wrote: »

Used gallup along fences and on a few clumps around headlands, yard ect. Have a quad sprayer which is pretty handy.
Its my 1st year farming so alot of stuff to get the head around, at the moment rushes are the enemy (along with factories) will be sorting some sort of spraying plan for them and in time drain that land, at least the ragwort infestation is only in one field at the moment, so preventing that from spreading is important.

Stand corrected but I thought there was an issue re SFP about spraying glyphosate type weedkillers under fences

td5man

greysides wrote: »

AFAIK, if a ragwort is topped prior to seeding instead of living as an annual plant it becomes biennial.

In other word, it doesn't die but over-winters to put up several flowering stalks the next year.

And grows a root that is nearly impossible to pull.

smokey-fitz

greysides wrote: »

AFAIK, if a ragwort is topped prior to seeding instead of living as an annual plant it becomes biennial.

In other word, it doesn't die but over-winters to put up several flowering stalks the next year.

Came across an example of this in another field. Seen about 3 or 4 plants together, when I pulled them the stalks of them ran along the ground and came from the 1 root.. no issues pulling, all came together.

just do it

A nice bouquet for the MIL

gozunda

just do it wrote: »

A nice bouquet for the MIL :D

Ahh you must get on very well together

Though seriously they are nasty stinky yokes - they'd poison you in the same room...

just do it

Amazing how quick they grow tall!

(Of course there was no neglect on my behalf)

Kevin the sheep

Anyone for a few nice summer flowers ?

just do it

What do you do with it after you've pulled it?

ABlur

just do it wrote: »

What do you do with it after you've pulled it?

Put them on the farm roadway and drive over them regularly with car and tractor. Very therapeutic!

Kevin the sheep

just do it wrote: »

What do you do with it after you've pulled it?

Burn

I said

With all this rain I'll be at the ragwort for the next few evenings

Kevin the sheep

I said wrote: »

With all this rain I'll be at the ragwort for the next few evenings

One job I hate you go pull and roots don't come then you have to go digging just a pain in the !!!! But if you don't stay on top of it it will take over

nhg

Beautiful Wall Flowers!

gozunda

just do it wrote: »

What do you do with it after you've pulled it?

Some sources say burning is best - But I am not sure what the regs say about that.

What I have done is gather them, heap in an old pit and cover with heavy gauge black plastic. This results in the plants rotting down completely over time and also stops the seeds being blown about and re germinating somewhere else or livestock chomping on them ...

just do it

gozunda wrote: »

What I have done is gather them, heap in an old pit and cover with heavy gauge black plastic. This results in the plants rotting down completely over time and also stops the seeds being blown about and re germinating somewhere else or livestock chomping on them ...

Yeah that's why I ask. No point pulling them I'd you let the seeds takeoff. Top my mind burning could help spread the seeds?

Currently I have them in fertilizer bags in the shed. How long till the seeds are dead dead dead?!

gozunda

just do it wrote: »

Yeah that's why I ask. No point pulling them I'd you let the seeds takeoff. Top my mind burning could help spread the seeds?

Currently I have them in fertilizer bags in the shed. How long till the seeds are dead dead dead?!

Yeah I think you are right about burning - some seeds may survive depending on the level of moisture in the plant. The seeds remain viable for years if the plants become dry.

I try and pull them before the flowers have set that way there is little risk of the seeds being viable. However If the plants have flowers then composting them on concrete over time does seems to rot the seed heads. once decomposed you won't have much left and you can bag & dispose of whatever is left.

sandydan

just do it wrote: »

Yeah that's why I ask. No point pulling them I'd you let the seeds takeoff. Top my mind burning could help spread the seeds?

Currently I have them in fertilizer bags in the shed. How long till the seeds are dead dead dead?!

recon unless covered in heap to rot seeds will dry and live on just need fresh soil and dampness ,driving over on roadway when freshly pulled or if you have an old stove or range burn heads in it, cant suggest you break law by suggesting bonfire in barrel, that would never do:D

sandydan

gozunda wrote: »

Some sources say burning is best - But I am not sure what the regs say about that.

What I have done is gather them, heap in an old pit and cover with heavy gauge black plastic. This results in the plants rotting down completely over time and also stops the seeds being blown about and re germinating somewhere else or livestock chomping on them ...

+1 for that suggestion

Qualitymark

Interesting English page suggesting that you shouldn't pull ragwort, an idea that made my city folk jaw drop:

http://www.buglife.org.uk/news-&-events/news/think-you-pull-ragwort

sandydan

Qualitymark wrote: »

Interesting English page suggesting that you shouldn't pull ragwort, an idea that made my city folk jaw drop:

http://www.buglife.org.uk/news-&-events/news/think-you-pull-ragwort

heard that argument before and it was something to do with scarcity of yellow butterflies and some other insect and creatures that feed on them, im not getting involved in that discussion other than to say the cure for a poison growing has its antidote nearby, or so they say eg nettle stings and docks. the argument against pulling it only, is valid however. i suppose if all engaged in mixed farming method ,goats sheep cattle horses and donkey whatever takes your fancy or organic methods the problem wouldn't exist. one cannabis grower in Canada has begged UK , Canadian & US governments to grow it under controlled conditions to check old American Indian method of curing cancer by removing and bottling morning dew off leaves, but chemical companies campaign against it successfully and want him jailed permanently.

td5man

sandydan wrote: »

heard that argument before and it was something to do with scarcity of yellow butterflies and some other insect and creatures that feed on them, im not getting involved in that discussion other than to say the cure for a poison growing has its antidote nearby, or so they say eg nettle stings and docks. the argument against pulling it only, is valid however. i suppose if all engaged in mixed farming method ,goats sheep cattle horses and donkey whatever takes your fancy or organic methods the problem wouldn't exist. one cannabis grower in Canada has begged UK , Canadian & US governments to grow it under controlled conditions to check old American Indian method of curing cancer by removing and bottling morning dew off leaves, but chemical companies campaign against it successfully and want him jailed permanently.

There's been a huge increase in cinnabar caterpillars here in the last few years.
.

sandydan

td5man wrote: »

There's been a huge increase in cinnabar caterpillars here in the last few years.
.

????

never heard of them,what are they like

td5man

sandydan wrote: »

???? never heard of them,what are they like

They live on ragwort, was looking today and they have some plants completely killed off.

Kovu

sandydan wrote: »

???? never heard of them,what are they like

Black and yellow stripy fellows, haven't seen them in years but have most of our ragwort gone so perhaps that's why.

sandydan

td5man wrote: »

They live on ragwort, was looking today and they have some plants completely killed off.

just googled them pretty looking butterflies alright . never hear of them before i must admit as i said in previous thread some say the antidote for poisonous plants in nature live nearby according to those that know and our chemical remedies and intensive farming kills the antidote i guess, that proves point i suppose. my wife hates grass and weeds around yard and instead of pouring salt on it as i would she continuously sprayed with roundup and now the yard is covered with a waxy green weed that roundup wont kill, its an unsightly baaast of a thing.

Capercaille

.Kovu. wrote: »

Black and yellow stripy fellows, haven't seen them in years but have most of our ragwort gone so perhaps that's why.

Coastal machair grasslands at this time of year hold good numbers.

smokey-fitz

Seen alot of them myself.. almost kill the plant completely, might start breeding them :P

whelan2

smokey-fitz wrote: »

Seen alot of them myself.. almost kill the plant completely, might start breeding them :P

none of them here:mad: