[HollyLolly]

Okay, I know I'm not the only person who gets ragwort in their field, but it's driving me Crackers!!! :evil::shock:

I have roughly an acre and a bit, and just me to control it, and it's my first summer there so it has never been managed properly before (well, not recently anyway) so it's flipping everywhere!! I'm getting it sprayed and quarantining the horses for now, but I wondered if there was a way to keep it away. I've tried pulling it, but it takes forever, and there's soooo much, I did a full barrow the other day and it only cleared about 4m squared, if that!

I was wondering, if I placed something that wouldn't let light through, would that make them wither?

Once it's down to a lower level I can manage it, but right now it's crazy, and waaay too much for me I'm terrified one of my horses will eat it and get sick

Any tips / ideas on how to control this evil weed, will be greatly appreciated! (like I said, I can't pull the whole thing right now, I need something that will do it first and then I can maintain it)
Thanks
Holly

 

[faye]

Spraying wont work as it wont kill the root.
Also Once dead ragwort becomes sweet and horses will eat it more readily.

We used to have a massive issue with ragwort (like you before we bought them our field was not looked after). Essentialy you need to get yourself some gloves, a mask and a ragfork (Ragfork - Takes our Ragwort by the Roots) and dig the whole lot up and burn it.

4 of us used to go up every weekend and come back with several wheelie bins full of the stuff. It is worth it though as now I go up there and very rarely even find one rosette of it

The only way to kill it properly without puling it is to kill off everything in the field, plow the field and reseed it. Takes 6 months before you can put horses back on it.

 

[Heatherloveslottie]

Yeah I just use a ragfork to try and get it out of the field. The thing that takes ages for me is flattening the ground down afterwards though, I have too many holes and skids in the field from Tazz's winter antics and sliding stops as it is! I don't think there's any other way to get rid of it really, you just have to spend the time getting it out with the ragfork.

 

[faye]

Heather, Instead of flattening it by hand (or foot as it is) get local farmer with a roller up.

 

[Heatherloveslottie]

Good idea but I don't know if I'd be allowed, it isn't my field (or my horses for that matter!) I'll suggest it to the person who owns them both though, thanks!

 

[faye]

Costs me about £20 plus fuel to get equip to my field. I pay cash in hand so it is very cheap. Just don't ask during lambing time, if you do you WILL get your head bitten off and a resounding NO!

 

[Heatherloveslottie]

That would definitely be worth it, I waste so much time haha! There's a farmer near us but its arable so I don't think lambing will be a problem