Docks!!!

dudders

Member
Location
East Sussex
DSCN2303.JPG
DSCN2304.JPG
I call it a spud, but may be wrong on that.

When using it, don't think that it'll just miraculously slide every plant out. You have to wiggle and jiggle a bit, go at it from different sides - be crafty. Sometimes the stem of the plant will snap, so you have to find the bottom section and go for it again. Soon learnt.

Not got many docks left now, but just spent 15 minutes on my neighbour's land - which is where all my weeds come from - to get this little haul. I've had roots over 18" long, and some that are clearly very old - black gnarled lumps that were never going to die. Interesting how shallow rooted the big thistles are - so easy to get them up, got to be better than just cutting them.
 
Last edited:

New Puritan

Member
Location
East Sussex
@dudders - I've got one of them, and just posted a photo of it here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/organic-weed-control-ideas.176922/page-5

I call it a "dock fork", 'cos that's what it was called at the farm sale I got it at, and I use it to dig docks up.

There were 5 of them at the farm sale - I only got one but I wish I'd got 2. Or all of them, to sell on here :)

Are they a Sussex thing? Personally I've been really impressed at its ability to get docks out by the root without much (or any) soil attached.
 

llamedos

New Member
you all need some of these, organic control :cool:

They start like this.
DSCF7252.JPG


to this
DSCF7250.JPG


then this

DSCF7248.JPG


almost done
DSCF7247.JPG


Once they have eaten the leaf, you end up with just the fronds of the leaf, it goes black and the whole plant dies, the seed heads curl and shrivel, you would think they had been sprayed off.

Dock beetles have been in abundance this year.(y):happy:
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
you all need some of these, organic control :cool:

They start like this.
View attachment 546802

to this
View attachment 546804

then this

View attachment 546806

almost done
View attachment 546808

Once they have eaten the leaf, you end up with just the fronds of the leaf, it goes black and the whole plant dies, the seed heads curl and shrivel, you would think they had been sprayed off.

Dock beetles have been in abundance this year.(y):happy:

They are excellent bugs! On one of my 'test strips' the other year I guess they were forced into one area and absolutely mullered the docks like you say. They just don't seem to have the numbers for a big area of docks. I was curious if you could breed them up and unleash a dock slaughter?
 

llamedos

New Member
I was curious if you could breed them up and unleash a dock slaughter?

I might catch a few and set up a tank to see if I can get a late season hatch to hibernate, and then watch them for a year.
The older larva drop off the leaves into the ground, before they turn into the beetle, but, before they do, they apparently secrete onto the leaves to stop competitors eating those leaves.
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
That's not bad. I won't tell the story but suffice to say we had a monumental cock up which resulted in a lot of docks going to seed! Had some squire ultra squirted on them that I had knocking about. Will be interesting to see what happens.

IMG_1499682303.850158.jpg
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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

  • 1,293
  • 1
As reported in Independent


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

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top