Buttercup

[RS1600BDA]

Excuse me if this is a silly question; but this year our grazing land for horses is absolutely covered in buttercups. Do they stop grass growing? If I topped the unused paddocks would it help in any way?
All thoughts and advice is appreciated.

 

[cotswoldcs]

Buttercups are problem weed and a lot of people don't know that they are actually toxic for animals. Horses in particular will avoid grazing them and this results in them being overly competitive producing a field of yellow in horse paddocks this time of year. Topping will help but spraying wtih Envy or similar is the only way to eradicate them.

 

[2wheels]

Buttercups are problem weed and a lot of people don't know that they are actually toxic for animals. Horses in particular will avoid grazing them and this results in them being overly competitive producing a field of yellow in horse paddocks this time of year. Topping will help but spraying wtih Envy or similar is the only way to eradicate them.

and lime.

 

[RS1600BDA]

Thanks for the replies, very helpful

 

[Forkdriver]

The sheep graze ours out, but put the horses back and the buttercups are back.

 

[Sheeps]

I have a couple of fields of old pasture and this year the buttercup seems to have taken over. They got a bag of gran ime in early spring and npk fertilizer. I am going to top paddocks behind cattle. When is the best time for spraying them? Or is any time in the growing season ok

 

[deleted user 837354]

Spray with at or nearly full rate envy, use an adjuvant. Spray now whilst they are growing hard. They will stop growing and slowly begin to fade away after 10 days. Correct fertility or pH issues in the soil also to encourage the grass to take up the free space.

 

[DaveGrohl]

I have a couple of fields of old pasture and this year the buttercup seems to have taken over. They got a bag of gran ime in early spring and npk fertilizer. I am going to top paddocks behind cattle. When is the best time for spraying them? Or is any time in the growing season ok

What size bag of gran lime? I got into trouble yest for saying "a bag/acre" by the unit police. 50kg or 600kg? Or indeed 1000kg? Or any other non-binary nomination?

 

[Sheeps]

What size bag of gran lime? I got into trouble yest for saying "a bag/acre" by the unit police. 50kg or 600kg? Or indeed 1000kg? Or any other non-binary nomination?

50kg it's not big enough acres to get ground lime on it.

 

[Exfarmer]

Buttercups love lime! They are not an acid loving plant. Anyone telling you other wise is trying to sell lime

 

[RS1600BDA]

Had them sprayed last week. All dying now. Will top the fields in a few days. Will do them again next year until they are gone. As with things like this the next door fields have them too but he won't spray his, so i guess I will always have them to some degree.

 

[Exfarmer]

Had them sprayed last week. All dying now. Will top the fields in a few days. Will do them again next year until they are gone. As with things like this the next door fields have them too but he won't spray his, so i guess I will always have them to some degree.

They spread mainly by creeping and seed, but the seed wont blow, so incursion will only be slow

 

[RS1600BDA]

They spread mainly by creeping and seed, but the seed wont blow, so incursion will only be slow

Good to know, thank you.

 

[davidroberts30]

Had them sprayed last week. All dying now. Will top the fields in a few days. Will do them again next year until they are gone. As with things like this the next door fields have them too but he won't spray his, so i guess I will always have them to some degree.

Leave them as long as you can before topping at least three weeks

 

[Christoph1945]

When are the little blighters more toxic; when they are dried up, or when they are fresh and producing green foliage? I have read tell that ragwort is more toxic when dried off; I suppose that is because the toxins are more concentrated in the dry foliage of the the ragwort.

Do you keep stock off any areas that have been sprayed for weed control. and for how long?

 

[davidroberts30]

When are the little blighters more toxic; when they are dried up, or when they are fresh and producing green foliage? I have read tell that ragwort is more toxic when dried off; I suppose that is because the toxins are more concentrated in the dry foliage of the the ragwort.

Do you keep stock off any areas that have been sprayed for weed control. and for how long?

Read the label usually two weeks

 

[DaveGrohl]

When are the little blighters more toxic; when they are dried up, or when they are fresh and producing green foliage? I have read tell that ragwort is more toxic when dried off; I suppose that is because the toxins are more concentrated in the dry foliage of the the ragwort.

Do you keep stock off any areas that have been sprayed for weed control. and for how long?

My understanding of ragwort is that it becomes palatable while it's dying off and that's why it's dangerous. I think label recommendations to keep stock away revolve around this.

 

[RS1600BDA]

Read the label usually two weeks

We were told two weeks which we will do. They did say top it after a week though. hhhmmm.

 

[neilo]

We were told two weeks which we will do. They did say top it after a week though. hhhmmm.

Which chemical was used? We will be able to find a label online, even if nobody on here knows already.

Very unusual to NOT say don’t mow for at least two weeks though, and often longer.

 

[RS1600BDA]

He is coming back next week to do a couple more paddocks. I will try and find out but I am not sure he will tell me.