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Ragwort


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I would suggest I'm a reasonably but not outstandingly-observant cacher, and enjoy watching flora and fauna the year round, often with a view to photographing what attracts my attention.

 

This year, however, I've noticed a massive increase in the amount of ragwort around the countryside. Now I don't know a heap about it other than it's a golden yellow and that it's supposedly extremely poisonous to horses (and cattle?), which I suppose is why it's attracted my attention. There are so many fields with ragwort in them. And verges.

 

I had a friend staying a couple of weeks ago who grew up in Scotland and she said that when she was young, they all had to go out and dig up any ragwort which grew in the fields as it was illegal to let it stay put. That's the first I've heard of it, but if it's the case, a lot of people are breaking the law.

 

Does anyone have any observations/comments to make?

 

:unsure:

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I would suggest I'm a reasonably but not outstandingly-observant cacher, and enjoy watching flora and fauna the year round, often with a view to photographing what attracts my attention.

 

This year, however, I've noticed a massive increase in the amount of ragwort around the countryside. Now I don't know a heap about it other than it's a golden yellow and that it's supposedly extremely poisonous to horses (and cattle?), which I suppose is why it's attracted my attention. There are so many fields with ragwort in them. And verges.

 

I had a friend staying a couple of weeks ago who grew up in Scotland and she said that when she was young, they all had to go out and dig up any ragwort which grew in the fields as it was illegal to let it stay put. That's the first I've heard of it, but if it's the case, a lot of people are breaking the law.

 

Does anyone have any observations/comments to make?

 

:unsure:

 

Yes it's poisonous to horses, and one of my daughter's tasks on her weekend job at a riding school is to go ragwort pulling to keep it under control.

 

I was also under the impression that it's illegal to allow it to flourish on your land, but a quick google suggests it's not, though I don't think Google is often accepted in Court so maybe worth consulting a lawyer if you want to be sure <_<

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Speaking as one who is currently waging a war with the stuff at the new yard I HATE THE STUFF!!!!!!!! Yes the caterpillars are cute but what it can do to horses, tho is if it gets into hay mostly as horses sensible enuf to avoid it when its growing... Given how easily it spreads too I dont understand the allowing the weed to grow but being required to control its spread as if it's growing it will spread....

 

Looking at the Scottish stuff about it they do acknowledge that it is a food plant for other species but has the recommendation it should be controlled near grazing land... Sadly I don't think that gets the councils out of their obligations to roadsides as they are often near fields of horses!!!!

 

Rant over ;)

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I volunteer with the local wildlife trust and it's one of the yearly tasks to pull it out, but not at all the reserves. The trust (and many others) are starting to use controlled grazing on several of their reserves and at those locations we tend to control it. Unfortunately those reserves (hills or sand dunes) tend to be unsuitable for some of the agricultural control methods so it has to pulled out by hand by regular volunteer groups. It's taken several years but a couple of locations are showing a distinct lack of ragwort this year but it spread so easily I think we'll be going back regularly for several years.

For the last couple of years we've been using these tool and they work really well. They've also experimented with spraying citronella oil but it wasn't successful.

 

We could be seeing more of it because of the weather this year or possibly because a lot of councils are making countryside staff redundant.

 

I think it's poisonous to most mammals (including us) but most will avoid eating it whilst it's still growing.

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I have noticed an increase as well, but it seems to be in the grass verges that I have seen the increase.

 

I have also noticed that the council are no longer cutting the grass verges in a lot of places, just around the signs on motorways, so not surprised we are seeing more, so not sure if it is spreading, or if it was always there, just hidden by being cut down?

 

Still LOADS of Giant Hogweed about and Japanese Knotweed, especially along rivers and railway lines where it gets easily spread and carried along.

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I seem to recall something legal changing several years back, but can't remember exactly what. Something like Council's don't now have to enforce control, or something. Possibly it is because we don't use a lot of horse transport any more so it's not as important to keep it bashed down. I know, if you own a horse or two, you probably see it differently.

So since the policy/legal change it has become much more common, especially on road sides and non-cultivated areas.

Council's have also changed their mowing policies. "luckily" the desire to enrich the environment and enable/encourage wild flowers and 'natural' corridors for wildlife, fits very nicely with saving some money through fewer mows and hedge trims.

Conservationists pointed out that if you mow at the end of the summer, many plants have dropped their ripened seeds, thus more flowers next year. Similarly, if you trim hedges a bit later they provide better nesting opportunities for birds in spring. It does actually make sense to 'think' about when and how to do these things rather than doing them on a fixed date/schedule. Bit like turning the school central heating off cos it's the 1st May, and back on again in October, despite the weather!

Councils became keen when they realised it could save them some money. "scruffy" roadsides can now be seen as wildlife preserves and not as "unkempt"! :D

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You often find the stripy black and yellow caterpillar of the Cinnabar moth feeding on Ragwort so it is not all bad!

Some bright spark brought ragwort to NZ but forgot about the moth. It had to be introduced along with a bug for biological control. I think the requirment here is you have to keep it clear 20 metres from your boundary.

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From memory, a single flowering ragwort can produce 120,000 seeds which are both extremely fine and travel huge distances, and extremely robust and will survive many years dormancy. It's very bad this year - I don't know why, but poor land husbandry definitely plays its part (perhaps shifting agricultural patterns?), but I believe weather does too - possible the extra wet early summer activated seeds previously dormant? It's endemic and very robust, and very difficult to clear; and if you do, it only takes one person nearby (or not that nearby!) to be lazy and they'll just re-infect all land downwind. Control is traditionally by digging it up, but if in flower the seeds will stay dormant in compost so those who are really determined will burn it. Catchall herbicides work on large areas but then the weed dries up and becomes tasty, and it also doesn't destroy the seed.

 

Horses, cattle and other herbivores will eat green ragwort if there is nothing else to eat, but it is unpalatable until dried as others have said. It destroys the liver and is cumulative - a little one year, a little the next - all adds up until you have a very sick horse.

I work for a horse charity, and liver damage through ragwort poisoning is a very common and chronic problem.

 

It's also poisonous to humans! Studies show that it will get through the skin, but in a way that isn't too dangerous (excreted within 48 hours), but hand-to-mouth is a real risk, as is contact dermititus.

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From memory, a single flowering ragwort can produce 120,000 seeds which are both extremely fine and travel huge distances, and extremely robust and will survive many years dormancy.

...snip...

 

I've done a bit of Googling to check on my 20 metre memory. It looks like the general consensus is that most seeds only stray around 20 metres from the parent. From a Tasmanian website:

 

Dispersal: The small seeds can be dispersed as contaminants on animal coats, in soil on vehicles and machinery and in hay. Although the pappus attached to the seed can allow the seed to be blown up to a kilometre or more, most wind dispersed seed falls within 20 metres of the parent plant. The seeds are often carried by water along drainage lines

 

I note that in my home town, Wellington, renowned for its wind, the boundary control is 50 metres!

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Yes, we've noticed a dramatic increase in the plant this year. Along with a dramatic decrease in the cinnabar moth caterpillars that do such a good job in eating it! In fact we have only seen three of the caterpillars this year! Surely it is down to the ridiculously wet spring/summer. The number of moths and butterflies are paltry compared to other years. :(

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