Nettles and Thistles

[bjreroberts]

I have one area of a field, which used to be an orchard that has a lot of nettles and thistles. As the land has previously been registered organic I am loathed to spray.

The Dexters avoid grazing the dense patches, but as I go around pulling the weeds they are equally happy munching the pulled weeds as they are the grass freed up from this activity.

If they are happy eating the pulled weeds, why not when they are in situ? Is it that their nose or around their eyes more sensitive and so they avoid sticking their heads into these areas, but once in a pile they can easily get them?

[Broomcroft]

What sort of thistle are these Ben? Mine won't touch a thistle be it creeping, spear or marsh. I've just removed a group from a field totally infested with creeping so I could top them.

Maybe they'll only eat them when they're cut/pulled?

[Jac]

Wilted nettles are a great delicacy to livestock. Get the topper or strimmer out.

[Duncan MacIntyre]

For whatever reason it seems that many plants are more appetising when wilted, this is most important in regard to ragwort, because whilst stock, be it horses or cattle, may be ignoring the growing plants, if they are still in the field when it is cut or sprayed they will then eat the half dead plants with relish.

Duncan

[Saffy]

Sorry to digress but I am still amazed at the way dexters clear japanese knotweed - they just love it! I think it is quite an interesting point as surely this could be a legitimate use for them in certain places.

Stephanie

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Yes Stephanie, we have Japanese Knotweed 8 feeet high and thick outside one of our fences, and now and then a shoot tries to emerge in the field but never lasts long. The North Ronaldsay sheep have a go at it too.

Duncan

[Saffy]

Its a shame you can't just move the fence a bit Duncan and let them at it. We strip grazed the herd down to a huge patch which was usually fenced off along with the stream and they had a little go at it but were only there two days. Then we turned in one old cow and two weaned heifers to mooch around what was left in the field - to our shock a few days later they had devastated this huge area of knotweed, it is about 20ft by 6ft and must have been about 8ft high in places. It must taste nice, I know there is a recipe where you can cook and eat bits of it but I don't fancy it myself - anyone tried it?

Stephanie

[bjreroberts]

They are creeping thistles and it is only when they are pulled that they eat them.

I am vary wary of ragwort, especially when I tend to collect it in old feed bags I cannot turn my back or they will be in there. I tend try to do any ragwort when they are not on the field and take the bag straight home to the council compost bin.

[Fen Farm Dexters]

Strimmed a bed of thistles in one field last week. Thought I should rake them off to stop them choking the grass, but the cows are doing a wonderful job of clearing them up on their own.
One organic website says the foliage is high in copper, iron and trace elements.

[Broomcroft]

I've had no joy topping creeping thistles at all. I have 3 fields in a row infested with creeps, one I have sprayed with Pastor and it's done the job, the other two are now thick with them, so it'll be Pastor for those fields next year as well.

[bjreroberts]

From what I have read, topping creeping thistle has little benefit as it will grow back from the roots. Although back breaking they need to be pulled just prior to going to seed and leaving no leaves at all this will drain the reserves in the roots and they will die off. Having said that if I don't see any improvement after next year I may resort to chemicals.