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Post by Spirit of Wales on Apr 28, 2010 13:10:00 GMT 1
My fields are over run with Dock Leaves again this year. We paid a fortune to have field sprayed last year, but they are back twice as bad. I can't afford to get another contractor in to spray so any advice on how best to treat/kill docks. I have a knap sack and will happily spend several hours wanding around zapping them, but need some advice on best herbicide to use that won't kill the grass.
Thanks
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Post by jill on Apr 28, 2010 13:27:30 GMT 1
MCPA - kills docks, thistles and nettles as well as ragwort, but if you mix it properly won't damage the grass. What did the contractor use, did he use the correct concentration? Have you spoken to him about it? Or have you got a lot of rough land nearby that has plants that seed over yours, because if so you will be spraying every year.
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Post by Spirit of Wales on Apr 28, 2010 13:58:39 GMT 1
Thanks Jill. Where do I get MCPA from?
I'm surrounding by unmanaged woodland, previous owner done nothing to manage docks and hedgerows are full of them, so my fields are a target for the seeds.
My contractor used Pastor last year as he believed it to be the best thing with me having horses on the land. It did do the trick last year, but this year they are as bad.
Thanks Spirit of Wales
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Post by jill on Apr 28, 2010 14:01:15 GMT 1
You can get MCPA from any agricultural supplier, it's sold as Spear. If you are near Aberystwyth I would think FArmers Co-op would have some. It comes as 10 litre packs and will last a couple of years, I use mine in my knapsack sprayer year in year out, the only docks and thistles now are a small number in the hay crop which I can't get at to spray.
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maude
Novice Poster
Posts: 32
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Post by maude on Apr 28, 2010 14:05:57 GMT 1
Hi Spirit of Wales
I have a similar problem. My fields were sprayed by contractor last year with Graze On I think it's called. Anyway it didn't seem to kill much and this year we have loads of docks.
I have sprayed them with SBK (available at garden centres) in a knapsack sprayer with good to excellent results. It also kills nettles and other tough weeds but doesn't kill the grass. Sadly it doesn't seem to do away with the dreaded ragwort though.
I think I paid £14.99 for a large bottle which if I remember rightly makes up to 40 litres.
HTH
Maude
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jinglejoys
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Post by jinglejoys on Apr 28, 2010 14:35:40 GMT 1
Don't have any docks,just goats ;D
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thelwell
Olympic Poster
WELSH PONYS RULE
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Post by thelwell on Apr 28, 2010 14:42:42 GMT 1
what about depetox thats what we use on our fields with good resaults for the docs and nettles.
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Post by stablehand on Apr 28, 2010 21:54:48 GMT 1
if the weeds have ben there for many years it will take at least three year to get on top of them, Many different week killers that work really well, just got to keep on with the battle.
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Post by kafee on Apr 28, 2010 22:25:40 GMT 1
Can you mow them? There used to be a lot of big docks in the previous field I rented, but the owner kept cutting them, and the docks disappeared. I don't like using weedkiller but I tried spraying the nettles, docks and burdocks etc. in my present field, thinking I'd only have to do it once, - wrong! I used Round up (kills everything) on the nettle patches the first year, but they came back! So the next year I tried SBK( kills everything but grass), and they still came back. So I've given up spraying, and last year I cut them every time they were big enough to cut. They are still there, but there are a lot less this year. I think it's a case of whatever method you use, you just have to be more persistant than the weeds! Good luck!
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daisysp8
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Post by daisysp8 on Apr 28, 2010 22:30:42 GMT 1
Totally off topic ............. I read this topic as:
"How best to kill Ducks"
And was like OMFG why would you want to kill Ducks ....... **ahem** ... panic now over lol ... and good luck with the Dock killing ;D
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Post by annas on Apr 29, 2010 8:35:41 GMT 1
lol Daisy!!
I had the same problem and the docks had been there for a while. I went to the garden centre and brought a stump killer (also does docks). Then a few of us spend a while cutting off the docks and putting the killer on the stumps. This was more suitable as it only treated the plants we put it on and once dry it was safe for animals as nothing else got contaminated.
Anyway docks are back this year but they are less. So will keep doing the same until hopefully they will be gone. I also make sure that none of them get to seeding so cut them off way before that happens.
Good luck, they are a real pain to get rid of and spread everywhere!!
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thelwell
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Post by thelwell on Apr 29, 2010 10:23:36 GMT 1
as people say its like ragwort it just takes time to kill it of like ragwort you pull it every year and it comes back the following year but not as much
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Post by taklishim on Apr 29, 2010 11:21:26 GMT 1
I found sprays ineffective. The docks came back. Next thing I bought was a strimmer. Continual strimming, everytime they raised their little heads we strimmed and they went permanently. As someone said persistence is the key. Best thing was no withdrawal times for animals and no risk to animals (or humans) from chemical sprays.
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Post by wabuska on Apr 29, 2010 11:57:51 GMT 1
Strimming and spot spraying. A total nightmare. A quad mounted with a spot sprayer is a lot easier mind you.
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Post by Spirit of Wales on Apr 29, 2010 12:42:24 GMT 1
Thanks everyone, I'll give them another blast with weedkiller as I don't want too many docks in my hay. Then try and keep on top of them by zapping every time one appears. At least I have no ragwort, now that would be a nightmare Spirit of Wales
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