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Home: Community full menu: Environment
Ragwort Weed
David Hosley - March 2005
david.hosley@kirklees.gov.uk
Ragwort Weed Policy
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How to identify common Ragwort ?
Flowering stems are produced from late June onwards. These are between 30-100 cm tall carrying dense flat topped clusters of bright
yellow daisy like flower heads each 1.5 - 2.5 cm across. The leaves on the mature plants are divided into narrow lobes with the bases
clasping to the non woody main stem. The flowering stems die back after producing seeds, each plant being capable of producing up to
150,000 seeds.
Why should I be concerned about Ragwort ?
The Defra Code of Practice issued by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on how to prevent the spread of common ragwort
aims to define the situations where there is a likelihood of common ragwort spreading to neighbouring land where it will present an
identifiable risk of ingestion by vulnerable grazing animals.
Under the Weeds Act 1959 the occupier of land should take action to prevent the spread of common ragwort.
The Code does not seek to eradicate ragwort as it very important plant for wildlife in the UK as it supports a wide variety of
invertebrates and is also a major source of nectar for many insects , but to prevent its spread to areas that pose a high risk of
poisoning to livestock in fields or areas used for the production of forage.
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Assesment of risks
Where common ragwort is present on land the owner of the land should make an assessment to determine whether action should be taken to
prevent the spread onto neighbouring land by establishing the risk posed to animals or forage production.
Three risk categories are used to assess risk, these are:
- High risk - Common ragwort is present and flowering/seeding within 50 m of land used for grazing by horses or land used for forage production
- Medium risk - Common ragwort is present within 50 - 100m
- Low risk - Common ragwort or the land infected is more than 100m from land used for grazing by horses or land used for forage
production is present.
However these distances are only guidelines when assessing the risk, as prevailing winds and topography can affect the likelihood of it
spreading to neighbouring land.
Action & control of common Ragwort
Where a high risk of spread has been identified the owners of the land should put in place and implement a ragwort control policy to
take into account vegetation management , nature conservation status and biodiversity attributes of the land . Immediate action to
control the spread should be taken using appropriate control measures. The land should be monitored for the effectiveness of the
clearance for up to six months or until the end of the growing season.
Where a medium risk of spread has been identified, a control policy should be established to ensure that where a change from medium to
high risk of spread can be anticipated it is identified and dealt with in a timely and effective manner.
Where a low risk of spread has been identified no immediate action is required. Where a low risk is identified but the presence of
ragwort is likely to present a risk in the future, contingency plans should be prepared for its control.
Cutting - emergency treatment to prevent seeding, it is essential to cut before seed heads are mature as upto 150 000 seeds can be
produced from one plant. All cut material should be disposed of correctly as seed can still be set and foliage continue to cause a
danger to animals and it should be removed from the area. Gloves must be worn.
Levering and pulling - Loosen and dig/pull up plants before seed heads mature, best results are obtained when soil is moist, all material
should be removed as above. Pulling alone can cause the plant to break off, and leave the rosette in the ground ready to grow again.
Gloves must be worn. Probably one of the best controls but very labour intensive. All material removed should sealed in plastic bags for
landfill or proper incineration (improper burning can spread the seed ).Transporting pulled ragwort should be in a sealed container or
well covered to prevent the spread of any seed.
Spraying - should be done in April or May prior to the flowering stage using the appropriate chemical and spraying equipment for the area
to be treated. With small infestations spot treatment with a selective or glysophate based weedkiller. Boom spraying to fields or
paddocks prior to flowering using a proprietary selective weedkiller, however most products also kill other broad leaved plants. Blanket
wipes with proprietary selective weedkiller to the taller plants is more beneficial to the field or paddock.
Where can I get further help and advice ?
Advice on ragwort and help on the control and eradication of ragwort can be sought from Defra website www.defra.gov.uk. The reporting of
ragwort locations and technical advice on its control can be made to Kirklees Council using the ROSS freefone service on
0800 731 8765 or Culture and Leisure Services culture.leisure@kirklees.gov.uk.
Defra will only take enforcement action under the Weeds Act where common ragwort poses a high risk to horses , production of forage, and
where a problem is identified contact should be made with the land owner where the ragwort is growing to resolve the matter informally
and the policy should encourage collaboration and cooperation with neighbours to achieve effective control of the spread of common
ragwort.
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