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Our
2nd visit to this site, but our first Autumn
/ Winter contract pulling Ragwort.
The
Ragwort rosettes were well grown (often bushy and 6"
tall). The ground was moist, so extraction from the clay
was easy. The work was concentrated around the animal
shelters and edges to the road. Large amounts of Ragwort
were removed and piled for collection (see photos). The
2003 crop was obviously going to be large, so despite
the 105 man-hrs of work from our workforce of 3/4, several
areas of the 120 acre site were not dealt with.
A
further visit in the Spring 2003 confirmed that a lot
more work was going to be needed, and that there was an
over-riding need to allow the pasture to repair, before
control became possible. The turf depth & density
on this site needs to recover before control is possible,
so the removal of hoofed animals from the site during
any period of wet weather is essential. The clay soil
is heavy with Ragwort seed (which is relatively short
lived), so a policy of no grazing for two years
is recommended.
See
drawings & site details.
Cost:
£1606
