[Bignij]

There was a fair bit on the plot and was just wondering if it was ok to compost it?

[Brambles]

NO - NO - NO.  My husband spends hours every year pulling ragwort wherever he sees it.  It has been classed as an illegal plant, very toxic and must be burnt. It is not worth risking seeds getting into your compost.  Nasty stuff :x

[jennyb]

burn burn burn!! :twisted:

i used to spend hours digging this up in the paddocks when i worked at the stable yard.

Evil plant to horses!  plus if you are digging up lots wear gloves as it can affect you by being absorbed through the skin.

make sure you get the roots too.

[Bignij]

It's bonfire time then.

[ck2day]

It's bonfire time then.

Definately, it causes liver failure in ruminants and also in humans as can be ingested through the skin, so DO NOT forget your gloves. A single plant can have upwards of 10,000 seeds and can lay dormant for up to 20 years. Try and dig it up rather than pulling it up as any roots left can regrow into plants! So you really do have to keep on top of it.

Claire

[jaycee]

Whilst I do agree with all the comments on the ragwort and wouldn`t allow it on my small piece of land, it does have some place in the order of things . You might be interested in the following
 Quote from Buglife ....  "At least 30 insect species (and 14 fungi species) are entirely reliant on Ragwort, and about a third of the insects are scarce or rare. Ragwort is also a critically important nectar source for hundreds of species of butterflies, bees, moths, flies and other invertebrates, helping to maintain what remains of their much declined populations in the UK countryside".

[Porffor]

All i can say is they'd do well to move to Wales.. particulary the SW coast.. the farmers seem to pretend it's not there around here.. much to my disgust and alarm (as I have 2 horses on grass livery).  :shock:

[woodburner]

The verges of theA12 are crammed with it too.  :?

[jennyb]

i notice it on my way to chelmsford on the verge of the A1060 too woodburner.  essex seems to have lots of the horible stuff

[Bernard]

This antipathy towards ragwort started suddenly a few years ago and immediately became such an exaggerated issue that on one occasion I saw council workers uprooting it from verges, where it does not matter, whilst it was still growing happily in the adjacent fields, where it does matter. We have a number of poisonous plants and it seems that over the years any one of them can at some point become the subject of a topical 'witch hunt'.

[Ruby Red]

The cinnabar moth is just one that feeds on it. Such is the Elf n Safety illness these days , I bet they are going bonkers over it. Like has been said on here, there are dozens of poisonous plants and shrubs in the wild. They are food for hundreds of species. As long as people respect them there is no need for hysteria.  :roll:

[rainie]

I think a quite few years ago this moth was introduced more, to eat the ragwort plants, the caterpillar is black and yellow. I pull my ragwort by the roots and burn but if i see caterpillars on it i put them on smaller bits so they survive. (the caterpillars, not the plants).

[woodburner]

If it's in the verges next to fields, well, hay fields at least, then it does matter because it will seed into the fields. I'm all in favour of a few weeds, you should see the bottom of my garden but this is pretty nasty stuff. I agree it should not be irradicated from areas where it is doing no harm, though. There seems to be little chance of it being irradiacted anywhere, so not really a conservation worry.  :roll:

[Bodger]

Whilst I do agree with all the comments on the ragwort and wouldn`t allow it on my small piece of land, it does have some place in the order of things . You might be interested in the following
 Quote from Buglife ....  "At least 30 insect species (and 14 fungi species) are entirely reliant on Ragwort, and about a third of the insects are scarce or rare. Ragwort is also a critically important nectar source for hundreds of species of butterflies, bees, moths, flies and other invertebrates, helping to maintain what remains of their much declined populations in the UK countryside".

Its not a native to these shores, so the insects must have subsisted on native plants before its arrival.

[Milly]

Horrible stuff, I spent days picking it from paddocks because it is toxic to horses. Even if left in a pile if they comsume any it is dangerous to their health, it has to burnt. The problem is, no matter how much I made sure our paddock was cleared, our neighbour never bothered and the seeds can blos over.