Ragwort - Can I top?

It depends how much there is.
If it’s only a bit it would be grand, have done it here.

If there’s lots of strong ragworts I wouldn’t let cattle in to graze it after topping.

Pulled a half dozen this evening myself, hateful things.

blue5000 wrote: »

Top it and leave it for at least 30 days or until it rots. But it will grow again.

But if it’s tooped in time it won’t seed further which is a big deal. We constantly have fresh stuff growing because my neighbor has loads seeding every year.

The main problem with topping is that ragworth becomes palatable after it is cut/wilts. If there is a abundance of it wilting/drying then livestock will invariably eat it and my understanding is that the more they eat the more damage they do to their livers and that liver damage is detrimental.

If topping twud have to be a topper as opposed to a mower, as the mower would lay it flat and it may stay palatable for longer where as a topper would have it rotting faster

Anyone use a rag fork to dig them out? Find that they are pulling out of the ground very easily during this dry spell.

Think topping takes about 7 years to get rid of them completely. Definitely do something with them before they go to seed. Between 10k and 50k seeds per plant apparently.

D50 in the spring or autumn. When spraying in the spring spray at the rosette stage. Frost will hamper the kill. All plants must be fully dead before stock can go back in. I bought in stock years ago from a farm who hadn't left the stock off a sprayed field long enough and a good few of them died. I didn't know this when I bought them

satstheway wrote: »

How long do you wait Whelan? I sprayed a silage field ith D50 and eventually had to break off the tops as they were not going anywhere some black and mushy some a paler green than normal. Were sprayed at rosette stage.
Hardest things ever to get rid off.

Waited about a month. Got lad from where I bought spray from to look at them. They did eventually die

Funny I noticed about a dozen in a field they never been in before.

And even a few in my lawn, so regular mowing alone doesn’t kill them.

Cavanjack wrote: »

You’ll get a good kill McPa if done at the correct stage. Also I think I read somewhere that it’s only the flower that is poisonous so if cut before flowering they won’t do any harm to cattle but don’t take my word for it.

They are always poisonous. Flower or no flower

_Brian wrote: »

Yea poison throughout.

Even poisonous to pull the stems with bare hands.

Does anyone know why they don't poison sheep?
Sheep are great at controlling them...They need to be grazing the ground in the spring, when the ragworth is in the early stages. There won't be many of them reaching the flowering stage, if you have enough sheep....

whelan2 wrote: »

No don't affect sheep

That's not entirely true,
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingsectors/crops/controlofnoxiousweeds/RagwortInformationSheet210317.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjHwIrOxJ_jAhU1sXEKHZndCiUQFjALegQIAxAB&usg=AOvVaw1CNQm-o5gPUYXCbNeCwxDq

Ragwort is a highly poisonous plant if eaten. Ragwort is toxic to cattle, horses, deer, goats,
pigs and chickens. Sheep are less affected by it but some trials would suggest lower thrive
due to eating ragwort. The poisonous substances in ragwort are toxic alkaloids (Jacobine,
Jacodine and Jaconine). These cause the liver to accumulate copper, causing ill heath and
death. On good pastures livestock avoid eating ragwort, as it is unpalatable, but where there
is over-stocking and grass is scarce the weed is unavoidably eaten. The poisonous material
contained in ragwort is not destroyed by drying. Hay containing ragwort is particularly
dangerous. Grass silage containing ragwort is also a serious source of poisoning. Cases of
poisoning occurring in late winter and spring often result from the feeding for some months
previously of hay or silage cut from ragwort infested swards.

whelan2 wrote: »

I think I remember someone saying sheep don't live as long as cows so don't show as much affects of the ragwort.

Possibly, think they also tend to eat the plants when they are very small and less potent.

I wondered why it had "wort" in it's name and looked it up.

What is a wort plant?

"In combination Used in names of plants and herbs, especially those used formerly as food or medicinally, e.g. butterwort, lungwort, woundwort. Archaic: A plant or herb used as food or medicinally. 'St. John's wort is an herb that some people use to treat depression." (from the internet)

"It is used to make medicine. Be careful not to confuse golden ragwort (Senecio aureus) with other species of ragwort, such as alpine ragwort and tansy ragwort. Despite serious safety concerns, people take golden ragwort to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, water retention, bleeding, chest congestion, and spasms." (from the internet)

and NZ also have the Ragwort flea beetle.

https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/20464/Ragwort_Flea_Beetle.pdf

July 2017



July 2019



There are a few small ragwort plants here to be pulled but massive reduction in 2 years. Plenty of thistles to deal with but at least they can be topped.

PoorFarmer wrote: »

Anyone use a rag fork to dig them out? Find that they are pulling out of the ground very easily during this dry spell.

Think topping takes about 7 years to get rid of them completely. Definitely do something with them before they go to seed. Between 10k and 50k seeds per plant apparently.

Been using one where the plants appear - though its mainly fields which are close to boundaries now or where there is seeding from adjacent fields. Great job and help remove root and all and good to prevent back ache tbh ...

PoorFarmer wrote: »

Can you recommend a good one or where to get one. See plenty on ebay but would be unsure how sturdy they are. (I have been known to be hard on handles)

Afaik the one that I have and had for about 10 years is the FYNA LITE ragworth fork.

I haven't broken it yet and it's got a fair bit of abuse tbh. Bought it on the internet but can't remember where - some UK website I think . Prices are fairly similar- just watch for P&P costs.

Muckit wrote: »

I have some here on a piece of ground that won't see livestock. Is spraying the way to go to get rid? I suppose best to pull if they show the flower and spray regrowth?

Yea, don't spray if in flower they will go to seed.

Pull now, spray in autumn and again in spring.
Whatever you do, once you start keep on until they are all gone or you are wasting your time.

Even when you think they are all gone, there may be seed still viable in the ground which will reappear later possibly after being disturbed by poaching or ground cracking in drought etc. These should be small in number and can be dealt with by spot treatment or pulling when in flower. I take the approach now of never walking into a field with ragwort without pulling some before I leave.

I filled 3 tipping trailer loads a few years ago from one 10 acre field. Have about 1 big fertilizer bag worth this year across 60 acres of what was heavily infested land.

If you spray you need to spray in either November or Feb/March and you have to do it two years in a row at least. . Ragworth is a biennial it seeds skip a year . seeds from ragworth that flowers this year will not Germinate until late next summer so spraying on one yaer only fails to kill them. Its also the reason that summer spraying is virtually useless as they will flower straight after spraying and viable seeds will germinate 12-15 months later . It is also why lads after spraying one autumn/spring thinking they are gone find them reappearing again 16-20 months later. With spraying you need to make sure the rosette's have regrown in the spring before spraying. When you have got good control it is important to then pull any that appear every year so as not to let them seed. Lads often make the mistake of throwing a plant into the hedgerow after pulling some. These plants will go to seed from there food reserves. either take back to yard and thrown in a rubbish bin or pull flower heads off them wearing gloves before you throw into hedgerow. If you top single ones in a field pick up as well and dispose of

Water John wrote: »

I found spraying once in Mar/April completely cleared them.

What did you spray with?

No topping required here