Weedkiller - Docks, Thistles, Nettles etc

[Tim Watson]

Have any of you got any advice regarding weedkillers? We have a rash of docks, nettles and thistles - not banks of them but enough to want to get them out of thefields and margins.
We don't particularly want to get a contractor in to spray everything (we have houses bordering two field boundaries) so will spot treat the areas needed.
We have been recommended by Mole Valley to use Grazon 90.
Any thoughts, comments etc would be very helpful. Will obviously do all the usual MSDS sheets etc.
Thanks

[Saffy]

We use Grazon, you have to leave it a week before you turn the stock back in, may be longer with horses - not sure, I expect it can be Googled, also must be on the packet.

It is less important to leave the stock out when you are spot treating, was what I was told but I always leave them out anyway, they are supposed to have the sense to keep away from it but I don't risk it.


Stephanie

[Broomcroft]

Grazon will deal with most things and is what our agronomist recommended for docks, thistles, nettles. Things like Thistlex he said will only do the same thing but nothing else. We spot treat large thistle whilst stock in the field because they are not going to eat it. Just bought a great little powered sprayer for the quad, takes 55 litres and cost less than £100. I leave it on all the time so I can zap things when I come across them.

[davidw]

I've used Dow agrochemicals Forefront. It kills docks, thistles and nettles without killing the grass, but it also kills clover. It prevents most of the nuisance weeds from coming back for a couple of years. Again you have to keep stock out of the field for 6/7 days.
Oops!. I've just read that Forefront isn't recommended for spot application.



Edited By davidw on 1272377972

[Tim Watson]

Clive, was that sprayer new or s/h? if new could you let me have the details?
thanks

[Duncan MacIntyre]

If you are likely to be supplying dung for use on gardens or using it for your own gardens or crops, be careful. There are sprays with an ingredient the name of which escapes me but activity persists for over 2 years. I have seen good gardens wrecked by dung from young stock loose housing which had been fed silage from ground treated like that in spring, silage made, stored, fed during winter, beds mucked out next spring and it was still killing potatoes etc. The licence was withdrawn but there may still be some around, and there was talk of it being re-licenced. Allegedly completely safe for the animals.

Duncan

[Broomcroft]

There is a problem with Forefront and we stopped using it. Can't remember what. Something about when it gets through into the manure and is re-applied to the field. That may not be the problem but we definitely stopped using it right or wrong.

Tim - the sprayer is from Spraytech Ltd, Cornwall. 01566-772208. From them I've had a big sprayer with 3m boom and lance 150 ltr, a little seed/fertiliser broadcaster for the back of a quad/mule and the 55 ltr sprayer I mentioned. I don't know what's it's called, just say 55 litre the same as Clive Taylor of Broomcroft Farm had recently.

Spraytech



Edited By Broomcroft on 1272389761

[Tim Watson]

Dear All,
Thanks very much for the help.
Looks like Grazon is the way to go and the electric sprayer is the same price as the manual backpack I was looking at and will be a lot easier on my back so thanks Clive for that! :D

[clacko]

Dear All,
Thanks very much for the help.
Looks like Grazon is the way to go and the electric sprayer is the same price as the manual backpack I was looking at and will be a lot easier on my back so thanks Clive for that! :D

if your spraying docks/thistles, then a drop of fairy liquid will help with the garlon/grazon or the proper stuff like spreader, but they both do a simular job, we are using chipman 4 now, same as garlon 2 but twice the strength and works out cheaper for 5ltrs compared to 10 ltrs garlon 2. paul