Buttercup invasion!!

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ny_grass

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So last year the buttercups (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus) took over and now some of my pastures are a sea of bright yellow.

What do you folks know about them? I'm trying to mow as much of my land this year as I can to knock it back (and the golden rod, multi-flora rose, thistle and some other less desirable plants). I'm assuming this will help. Unfortunately, because of the wet conditions I think I've missed the prime time and they've had their flowers for a couple of weeks (and therefore probably have fertilized seeds), but better late than never.

I'm pretty surprised by how quickly they invaded; I don't recall seeing them much when I moved on the property 4 years ago. Something about how I'm rotating the cattle through the pastures must be giving them an advantage...

JR
 
2-4 D will kill them, if you spray early in the spring, BEFORE they bloom. Once they bloom, the spray won't do much good. We're covered up with em down here too. I wonder if goats will eat em? Anybody know?
 
Dont kow much about goats, but if you fence off the buttercups and put the goats on the OUTSIDE of the fence, they should get in there and wipe out the buttercups.
 
Here in the UK buttercups are considered weeds. Don't let them flower or they'll polinate everywhere and you'll be invaded year after year. If you use some weed killer they'll go but only short term. They really need to be dug out by their roots to stop them returning. If you own a farm, do you have a cultivating machine, or such like to do the jobbie.
 
I don't have a real problem with buttercups, but I am fighting the mult-flora rose bushes. Mowing the roses will not get rid of them. They will just grow low along the ground. The best way I have found to get rid of them is to spray them after the cows have gone through the pasture. They stand out and can be sprayed without killing much grass. After the roses are dead, then mow them down.
 
nagwag":fts8kf4w said:
I don't have a real problem with buttercups, but I am fighting the mult-flora rose bushes. Mowing the roses will not get rid of them. They will just grow low along the ground. The best way I have found to get rid of them is to spray them after the cows have gone through the pasture. They stand out and can be sprayed without killing much grass. After the roses are dead, then mow them down.
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Interesting. I've had good luck with mowing multi-flora. They do come back, the next year but, I'm hoping, repeated mowing/grazing will eventually make their presence a mere annoyance.
 
ny_grass":2pxmj0qo said:
nagwag":2pxmj0qo said:
I don't have a real problem with buttercups, but I am fighting the mult-flora rose bushes. Mowing the roses will not get rid of them. They will just grow low along the ground. The best way I have found to get rid of them is to spray them after the cows have gone through the pasture. They stand out and can be sprayed without killing much grass. After the roses are dead, then mow them down.
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Interesting. I've had good luck with mowing multi-flora. They do come back, the next year but, I'm hoping, repeated mowing/grazing will eventually make their presence a mere annoyance.
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One good spraying will kill them and they don;t come back. Plus you don;t have to deal with the dead stuff that's hidden in the grass waiting for a cow to grab a bit.
 
tripleBfarms":3g55u637 said:
I wonder if goats will eat em? Anybody know?
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No, goats will not eat them, most animals won't eat them unless half-starved. The leaves of the plants are toxic. The toxic chemical is protoanemonin which can cause slobbering, blisters in the mouth, diarrhea and colic (in horses).

Generally weed killers applied early, and when there aren't too many of them, work well but when the pastures are innundated with them the best bet is to till it up and re-seed.

Katherine
 
My sheep love them and its never bothered them to eat all they want.
 
Howdyjabo":1cgw48fa said:
My sheep love them and its never bothered them to eat all they want.
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Maybe the fellow down the road from me will let me borrow some of his sheep for a week or so to get rid of them in my fields.

I did not know that sheep would eat them without any ill effects.

Katherine
 
Workinonit Farm":3r4q2y6e said:
tripleBfarms":3r4q2y6e said:
I wonder if goats will eat em? Anybody know?
Click to expand...

No, goats will not eat them, most animals won't eat them unless half-starved. The leaves of the plants are toxic. The toxic chemical is protoanemonin which can cause slobbering, blisters in the mouth, diarrhea and colic (in horses).

Generally weed killers applied early, and when there aren't too many of them, work well but when the pastures are innundated with them the best bet is to till it up and re-seed.

Katherine
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Is it not possible that correctly timed mowing, resting the pastures (to allow the forage to grow tall enough to crowd out the buttercups), and mob grazing (to trample everything), might not do the trick? I can't imagine (being organic in all but name) that I'd ever use herbicides on all my pastures.
 
Buttercups are an opertunistic weed. They are as you know like Dandilion very invasive. There for could be an indicator of over grazing.

Control methods seam to be limited if you do not want to use a chemical.
1, can you cut hay (non toxic in dry form) before seed is viable
2, no grazing, then close mowing before seed is viable
3, cultivation, with a crop for a year or two before returning to pasture.

I would check my soil ph, and compaction etc. You need to give the grass the upper hand, and ensure that the soil is in as good a shape as it can be.

Most species like good moist fertile soil, so that is the good news.
 
ny_grass":1gz0evqr said:
Is it not possible that correctly timed mowing, resting the pastures (to allow the forage to grow tall enough to crowd out the buttercups), and mob grazing (to trample everything), might not do the trick?
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Well, I think it could be worth a try. I have a smallish pasture where I have done a similar deal with. Being diligent with the bush-hogging, grazing and dragging as well as strategic placement of hay (seeds will drop) and it has made a tremendous difference in reducing the amount of Broome-Sage, however I haven't seen a big difference in the amount of Buttercups. There are a bit lessbut not as noticeable as with the Broome-Sage.

I have also been able to control the spread of Thistles the same way as well as reduce (by small amounts) the Thistles. I have found the best way to get rid of Thistles (and Burdock) is to pull them up by the roots and feed them to the hogs before they go to seed.

As you stated above, well timed mowing/bush-hogging can be helpful in the control of many 'weeds'.

Katherine
 
In Virginia often I see buttercups in poor fertility pastures. Grasses produce poor growth and the buttercups are able to take off. Also, horse pastures commonly have them because horse graze so close and can harm regrowth. I would do a soil test and also spot spray if it is not that bad. Link to Corrnell Soil Testing: http://cnal.cals.cornell.edu/
 
Sweet_Ag_Girl":2gxrheci said:
In Virginia often I see buttercups in poor fertility pastures. Grasses produce poor growth and the buttercups are able to take off. Also, horse pastures commonly have them because horse graze so close and can harm regrowth. I would do a soil test and also spot spray if it is not that bad. Link to Corrnell Soil Testing: http://cnal.cals.cornell.edu/
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Yeah, I probably overgrazed the paddocks that are most effected.
 

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