Number 2 son and myself spent a couple of hours yesterday pulling Ragwort by it's roots and bagging it up. We both wore gloves because it's said to be very harmful to animals (lethal to horses) and farmer's livers. Apparently our skin isn't waterproof. So you should always wearing gloves when pulling Ragwort.
Farmers have told me cows browze graze around Ragwort plants. I know it's lethal to horses and I am not letting our calves eat it. It's also very dangerous if you make hay or silage with Ragwort in it.
There is even a noxious weed act here in Ireland dating back to 1936. Years ago there use to be noxious weed officers who would visit farms and even local authorities could be made responsible for having these weeds on their land. I think county councils are the worst culprits for spreading Ragwort seeds.
Yes, we pull ragwort. It is wrong to not do anything and just let it grow, as many people do. I believe DEFRA say it should be destroyed. We burn it. What has happened to De Gea and his sudden change of mood?
ReplyDeleteGood on you Rachel and P folling the Ragwort. I think their could be a lot rural jobs creating strimming verges for people to walk on and for pulling Ragwort.
DeleteDon't know what's happened with Degea. I think he wants to go to Madrid. Who wouldn't? I always wished Ronaldo well when he left United for Real. Two fantastic players who want to live in a warm climate and a latin culture. I think the best players want to play in Spain some time during the careers.
Great Ashes win today for England. The English wickets and team made England very proud today. Thanks1
wow! That's a hell of a lot! If memory serves me correctly (i think) you can use it for dyeing wool, but don't quote me on that!
ReplyDeleteDidn't know you could use Ragwort for dyeing wool. I know there are some moths that find it's flowers very attractive. Thanks!
DeleteI pull and burn the damn stuff Dave.
ReplyDeleteI hear that another noxious stuff is the Japanese Knotweed is spreading like wildfire. The blame lies with the British colonialists introduced who into Ireland. The roots go down about two metres and it can penetrate tarmac and concrete. Once again there is nothing being done to destroy the stuff.
Good on you Heron.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of exotic weeds came with the likes of the Rhododendrons to the big Irish estates and gardens. Japanese Knotweed came to the UK and Ireland in the nineteen sixties. People actually planted it for it's ornamental shape. Like you say there is little or nothing been done to eradicate it. Thanks.
To my knowledge farmers do not pull this here, if anything they probably spray chemicals on it and many other weeds as that always seems to be the answer here, spray a chemical on it and the ground and kill all the bees and what not while your at it sighhhh. I can really get on a roll about chemical use. I feel pretty safe saying pulling it or any other thing by hand would not be the first thought here. I think its great you guys pull it rather than dump gallons of chemicals on it and the ground... I didn't realize this was so toxic to animals.
ReplyDeleteA lot of farmers don't pull Ragwort in Ireland Texan. Ragwort kills horses and other animals. A lot of organic principles date back hundreds nay thousands of years. Long before man made chemicals were invented. I wonder what or if there will be a time when these weedkillers get banned and we all have to be organic. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBurn it Dave, apparently the seeds remain viable for up to 20 years but 'they' say that you can eradicate it in three years by pulling out any plants you find, doesn't make too much sense to me! Leaves give a green dye, flowers yellow, mix the two together and you have a brown dye.
ReplyDeleteJapanese Knot weed first came to Briton in the 1820's accidently in a shipment of plants from Holland.
I think you are facing an uphill battle Anne if your neighbouring farmers don't bother to pull the Ragwort on their land. We live on a peninsula and it's often very windy (gale season Nov to March) so it's easy for seeds to spread. I have read that rush seeds can remain viable for sixty years.
DeleteDidn't know they had traced Japanese Knot-weed back to Holland. I think Himalayan Balsam came with the Rhododendrons. No doubt a lot of plants get washed up on our shores from across the Atlantic and further a field. Thanks!
This stuff keeps popping up about my garden, I pull it up by the roots and put it in the green wheelie-bin (garden waste) presumably the council composts all their collections.
ReplyDeleteBeen pulling it up for 4 years now and it's still making an appearance, don't know where it come from, but it's rife in the hedgerows.
Hi Cumbrian. Ragwort is a nuisance isn't it? Our refuge collection is private here and if you avail of their service you pay by the weight. Suppose a lot of Ragwort will go into land fill. When I lived in England. I use to see council worrkers pulling it by hand and throwing it into the back of pickups, especially on motorway verges. Apparently it's a condition of the single farm payment that farmers pull and spray noxious weeds. You never hear or see it enforced though.
DeleteThanks for your comment Cumbrian.
That's a job well done. Last summer I helped my friend remove it from her 6 acres....it's hard work.
ReplyDeleteHi BG. Good on you for helping your friend to remove the Ragwort from her fields. It is hard work especially when you carrying a sack of it on your back. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI tripped over a bind weed trip wire in the garden when stacking wood today, Dang weeds. Hope you can get rid of the ragwort
ReplyDeleteHi Sol, It's a nuisance bindweed isn't it? We have got rid of our Ragwort but no doubt we will get ragwort seeds from farms that don't pull it. Thanks!
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