The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Bionic on July 31, 2012, 07:36:24 am

Title: Ragwort survey
Post by: Bionic on July 31, 2012, 07:36:24 am
http://www.bhs.org.uk/Press_Centre/BHS_News/Ragwort_survey_2012.aspx (http://www.bhs.org.uk/Press_Centre/BHS_News/Ragwort_survey_2012.aspx)
 
Please take the time to complete. Although its by the BHS it affects sheep and cattle too
 
Sally
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: mab on July 31, 2012, 10:54:49 pm
done!

Actually only seen one clump nearby, on my neighbors land - when I see him I'll ask him if I can remove it - don't want it spreading my way.
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: supplies for smallholders on August 01, 2012, 09:01:07 am
This year has been terrible for ragwort - we have completely sold out of Rag Forks, as have the manufacturer.

Field margins and verges around us are full of the stuff!
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on August 01, 2012, 09:48:57 am
agree with this, each year we clear a field of the ragwort that keeps popping up before we cut it for sheep hay. It had been reducing in amount each year...until now! This year it is back to square 1, very dispiriting! However some other fields have none! (We have a battle with it as there is 40 acres of land which hadnt been cultivated for 30-40 years, and the cattle farmer next door wasnt very good at clearing it on his land. So will take a while to get clear completely)
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: Greenerlife on August 01, 2012, 11:50:24 am
If I reported every field with ragwort that I have seen in Surrey, I would be filling that form in until next seasons ragwort!   :(   I would say in my nearest square mile, there are two green areas without it.
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: sabrina on August 01, 2012, 12:34:53 pm
Its all around me
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: Small Farmer on August 03, 2012, 08:26:02 pm
We've just cut, baled and burned about half an acre of almost solid ragwort.
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: YorkshireLass on August 03, 2012, 08:28:51 pm
Hmm.


They want to use the info for lobbying. On the one hand, fine. On the other hand, we are pulling what we can and our stock avoid the ragwort that we miss. I'm not going to set us up for fines and all that jazz!
Title: Re: Ragwort survey
Post by: SallyintNorth on August 19, 2012, 11:30:00 pm
I am not about to look up the map reference of every verge in Cumbria.  Or, in fact, of any of them. So I have not registered a single sighting in Cumbria.  But our verges are pretty much wall to wall yellow.

I'm sorry but a badly designed survey submission application will result in poor quality results.  (GIGO.)