Dock sprays

[Coximus]

rotational grazing, dont let them set seed, keep the height below 5-8cm and spot spray the big ones. Sheep will eat them as the grass runs down. After 2-3 years they are hardly noticable and a spot spray run every may keeps them gone. Same with thistles

 

[Ashtree]

rotational grazing, dont let them set seed, keep the height below 5-8cm and spot spray the big ones. Sheep will eat them as the grass runs down. After 2-3 years they are hardly noticable and a spot spray run every may keeps them gone. Same with thistles

Rotation grazing is excellent. Falls short however where you need by necessity to cut silage on the same ground year after year as the other half of the farm is too wet, hilly, stoney etc, to cut silage there[emoji53].

So the silage ground always seems to be the place for docks to have a party [emoji11]

 

[Coximus]

It can be an arse, But I always have a Knapsack with Depitox mixed up from mid april to mid july with me when driving round fields. Its a hassle, but I spot spray as many as I see, and over the last few years the persistent ones are disappearing. Set yourself a target - spot spray 20l a week for a month and see the difference.

 

[cornishfarmer]

What are people paying for doxstar pro. Mv was £50.50/ha which I thought was a little expensive

 

[Kevtherev]

I noticed that fields that were einbock harrowed hard had considerably less docks than the ones that hadn't.
Don't think they like to be ripped?

 

[Cows 'n grass]

rotational grazing, dont let them set seed, keep the height below 5-8cm and spot spray the big ones. Sheep will eat them as the grass runs down. After 2-3 years they are hardly noticable and a spot spray run every may keeps them gone. Same with thistles

My bad dock fields are at home where we milked with a rotational grazing system until 2 years ago. Now the milkers are on the next door farm and we just have calves and cutting ground on the leys at home. The calves wont touch them and dock numbers have just exploded since the cows stopped eating them.

 

[czechmate]

When I first came here there was one very bad field. I sprayed in the spring with just Mcpa which was satisfying but of course plenty came back. I sprayed again with just Mcpa. It bleared the field of docks
Just lucky with the timing I guess ?
Regarding ally. After some arable spraying I had a little left so ran it out on a small paddock. Yes, it kills some weeds but the grass never grew all year.

 

[clemmo]

I find squire very hit and miss timing needs to be bang on

 

[jd6110]

I have a field fertilised for grazing but with recent boost in grass growth decided am going to top up wit fertiliser and bale it up. Docks are coming strong now so wondering should I fertilise before I spray and leave few days then spray or spray 2mor and leave few days then fertiliser? Tia

 

[jd6110]

Bump

 

[Hampton]

I have a field fertilised for grazing but with recent boost in grass growth decided am going to top up wit fertiliser and bale it up. Docks are coming strong now so wondering should I fertilise before I spray and leave few days then spray or spray 2mor and leave few days then fertiliser? Tia

It makes no odds really. Do both on the same day.

 

[nails]

You need to encourage these little beggars. Since we went organic 7 years ago we have some fields where they have virtually wiped the docks out .

 

[Jackson4]

But docks are a perennial plant and therefore the same plants should be there this year as I didn't spray them. What I'm thinking now, is that chemical weed control on grassland shouldn't be required. Its expensive, probably harms soil, the animals eating it, the people eating the animals and the person applying it. Rotational grazing with the right stock at the right time along with timely cutting. Now where did I put those sandals?..........Ah yes they are in my beard.

I think you have to graze them very hard.. like something has to suffer hard. I have a few fields always have docks in but even with no leaves they will push up a seed head. Maybe after 4 or 5 years alot of weeds would be tired out. Have some creeping thistle which i have cut for 3 years in a row before flowering and its way smaller than the fresh ones from last year but they are still there and as spread out and really just need spraying with thistlex. Neighbour sprayed his docky field, ideal height etc and looked better but notice them again this year (he grazes it after a cut with sheep) they really need hitting hard for 2 or 3 years. I do spot sparay (Edit: getting posh with the lingo!) my docks and they are on the endandered list but have to keep at it.

 

[neilo]

You need to encourage these little beggars. Since we went organic 7 years ago we have some fields where they have virtually wiped the docks out .
View attachment 335844

Don't those same bugs clear the clover out too though?

 

[clemmo]

Not here they don't!

 

[milkloss]

Don't those same bugs clear the clover out too though?

Now you've said that it's got me thinking. My red clover in one field has all but disappeared but do have some serious docks. Perhaps those little beasts (what are they?) have decided the clover is tastier.

 

[clemmo]

Green sorrel beetle I think it's known as

 

[milkloss]

Green sorrel beetle I think it's known as

I wonder if it's possible to breed them in any useful numbers? I sprayed a field a couple of years ago for docks and left a 'test strip' to see the results and this foot wide strip got decimated by beetles so they obviously do a good job.

 

[clemmo]

I tend to find the docks recover all to do with the massive energy reserves in the big tap root

 

[cornishfarmer]

Normally green bugs(berty beetles) don't start chomping until August/September. Never noticed then before these months.hopefully this year after spraying they won't have any to eat on!!!!!