Derelict field restoration

Needtolearnalot

Member
Livestock Farmer
We have about 4 acres which we started the process of restoring last autumn .... things have not gone as planned - Help!

The history .... about 3-4 years ago someone else managed the land and reared pheasants on it. The huts were removed and the ground left.
The area covered by the huts and pheasant runs grew weeds - mostly nettle and dock. The remaining area had weedy grass with buttercup and creeping thistle.
Soil tests showed a Ph = 6 , Pand K indexes 1 and Mg 3

The field was ploughed last autumn and left over winter (it wasn't sprayed at all)
Earlier this year (late April) glyphosate was sprayed over nettle and dock areas.
It has been disced and power-harrowed ... but for a number of reasons it was left for 2-3 weeks during which we have had a mssive growth of grass, nettle, buttercup etc.

We have stubble/maincrop turnip mix we were intending to sow for autumn/winter sheep forage and follow on with sowing a grass/clover ley in spring 2023.

What is the best action now?
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
My personal feeling is that you would be better forgetting about cropping this season and aim on a summer fallow, deep cultivating every fortnight for the next 12 weeks or so and then ploughing before getting it frosted to create a spring tilth next year when you will be able to assess whether or not a full rate glyphosate is still needed (shouldn’t be).
Away with ye!!!!!
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
We have about 4 acres which we started the process of restoring last autumn .... things have not gone as planned - Help!

The history .... about 3-4 years ago someone else managed the land and reared pheasants on it. The huts were removed and the ground left.
The area covered by the huts and pheasant runs grew weeds - mostly nettle and dock. The remaining area had weedy grass with buttercup and creeping thistle.
Soil tests showed a Ph = 6 , Pand K indexes 1 and Mg 3

The field was ploughed last autumn and left over winter (it wasn't sprayed at all)
Earlier this year (late April) glyphosate was sprayed over nettle and dock areas.
It has been disced and power-harrowed ... but for a number of reasons it was left for 2-3 weeks during which we have had a mssive growth of grass, nettle, buttercup etc.

We have stubble/maincrop turnip mix we were intending to sow for autumn/winter sheep forage and follow on with sowing a grass/clover ley in spring 2023.

What is the best action now?
Spray eith roundup and drill turnips
 

Needtolearnalot

Member
Livestock Farmer
What rate of glyphosate was used, and what was the water source (mains or rainwater)?
You need full rate (5-6 L/ha iirc) to kill buttercups and couch, which means with conditioned/soft water too (hard water will lock a good proportion up).
Even at that rate, nettles will survive and come back ime.

Are the current weeds from regrowth, or new seedlings? If the latter, cultivate lightly again (glyphosate too expensive now), before sowing.

I don’t plant maincrop turnips until July either.
I was spot spraying ... the water source was mains. The glyphosate I used was a product I have used many times before, concentration 10ml to 1l ... this is usually quite effective when sprayed in early spring - turns nettles to a yellow/green variegation and then they wither and die. Unfortunately the spraying I did was just before the long dry spell in April .... spray in other places (round buildings) done a week or two earlier has killed the grass and severly checked nettles and dock.
I think current weeds are mostly regrowth ... glyphosate is expensive ... but I have some in stock.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I was spot spraying ... the water source was mains. The glyphosate I used was a product I have used many times before, concentration 10ml to 1l ... this is usually quite effective when sprayed in early spring - turns nettles to a yellow/green variegation and then they wither and die. Unfortunately the spraying I did was just before the long dry spell in April .... spray in other places (round buildings) done a week or two earlier has killed the grass and severly checked nettles and dock.
I think current weeds are mostly regrowth ... glyphosate is expensive ... but I have some in stock.
If you have docks then best spray it , but if it just grass and other weeds then a pass with a Harrow would do
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
If you have docks then best spray it , but if it just grass and other weeds then a pass with a Harrow would do
I was spot spraying ... the water source was mains. The glyphosate I used was a product I have used many times before, concentration 10ml to 1l ... this is usually quite effective when sprayed in early spring - turns nettles to a yellow/green variegation and then they wither and die. Unfortunately the spraying I did was just before the long dry spell in April .... spray in other places (round buildings) done a week or two earlier has killed the grass and severly checked nettles and dock.
I think current weeds are mostly regrowth ... glyphosate is expensive ... but I have some in stock.
Spray it all properly
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I was spot spraying ... the water source was mains. The glyphosate I used was a product I have used many times before, concentration 10ml to 1l ... this is usually quite effective when sprayed in early spring - turns nettles to a yellow/green variegation and then they wither and die. Unfortunately the spraying I did was just before the long dry spell in April .... spray in other places (round buildings) done a week or two earlier has killed the grass and severly checked nettles and dock.
I think current weeds are mostly regrowth ... glyphosate is expensive ... but I have some in stock.

I don’t know where in Montgomeryshire you are but I’m near the town of Montgomery. The mains water here locks up glyphosate pretty drastically, and spring water even worse, so I always use a water conditioner (and at a lower rate even when I’m using harvested rainwater). The difference is like applying 6L/ha vs 3L, it’s that dramatic.

Glyphosate will knock down the top growth of nettles like you describe, but the damned things come back ime.

And yes, I agree. Glyphosate is crazy expensive now, moreso if it isn’t effective for whatever reason. :(
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
I don’t know where in Montgomeryshire you are but I’m near the town of Montgomery. The mains water here locks up glyphosate pretty drastically, and spring water even worse, so I always use a water conditioner (and at a lower rate even when I’m using harvested rainwater). The difference is like applying 6L/ha vs 3L, it’s that dramatic.

Glyphosate will knock down the top growth of nettles like you describe, but the damned things come back ime.

And yes, I agree. Glyphosate is crazy expensive now, moreso if it isn’t effective for whatever reason. :(
Roundup is not expensive, the field is only 4 ac, so 5litre will suffice@£50
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
So ... about water conditioner .... what sort?

There are lots available, and I don’t suppose any work better than others, and all better than nothing if you have hard water.
Most are based on Ammonium Sulphate to acidify the water, and some folk have been known to just chuck some AS fertiliser in the spray tank to achieve the same.

I’m currently using Xclude, but only as that’s what my chem suppliers had in stock at the time.
 

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
Same issues here with a very dirty patch of ground. Weeded up on me three times now and I'm sick of it so will be spraying out what has come up, grubbing with the discs and then giving it 3/4 week to come up again, spray again disc and see what it's like then.
It's really beating me this piece of ground but I knew it was dirty when I first tried it. Good luck, keep us updated (y)
 
My personal feeling is that you would be better forgetting about cropping this season and aim on a summer fallow, deep cultivating every fortnight for the next 12 weeks or so and then ploughing before getting it frosted to create a spring tilth next year when you will be able to assess whether or not a full rate glyphosate is still needed (shouldn’t be).
cheaper to use glypho this year :X3:
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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