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Thistles less of a prickly problem if sprayed nowLatrobe City’s Weeds Management Officer, Peter Steller, has urged rural and rural residential property owners to take advantage of Spring to tackle infestations of thistles and Ragwort on their properties. By Latrobe City Council - 19th October 2005 - Back to News Mr Steller said there are great advantages in using weed control methods on thistles and Ragwort now, as the weeds are easy to identify among short-cropped pasture, and can be eliminated using far less spray than if left to mature.
"Nodding Thistle, Spear Thistle, Slender Thistle and Variegated Thistle all grow prolifically in this area, and when they mature their seeds can be dispersed by the wind, by animals, machinery and in contaminated fodder," Mr Steller said.
"Spraying thistles in the earlier stages of their development, before they mature, prevents them reaching the stage where they seed. Additionally, spraying a thistle now, that has only developed to a fraction of its mature height and girth will use far less herbicide than that needed later on," Mr Stellar said.
"Now is the best time to spray Ragwort too, a perennial plant (sometimes annual) that can reproduce from seeds, crowns and roots, making it one of the most troublesome weeds in the Latrobe Valley and nearby ranges," Mr Steller explained.
"If allowed to flower, an average sized Ragwort plant produces sixty to seventy thousand seeds but a large plant can produce as many as a quarter of a million.
"Though the great majority of seed falls within the immediate area of the parent plant, because such a vast number of seeds are produced, the amount which becomes airborne and travels for long distances is large. It means that in the right conditions seed can be carried several kilometres affecting other farming properties and even native vegetation reserves.
"The plant has a reddish to purple base, with single or multiple stems with bright yellow Daisy-like flowers in summer. At this time of the year only the rosette will have grown, and can be identified by its dark to mid green leaves that are paler on the underside, The leaves are wrinkly, divided and can be up to 35 cm long. Sometimes the young leaves can be covered in hairs that look similar to a cobweb," Mr Steller said.
"There are 100 herbicides registered for use on Ragwort. At the rosette or ‘cabbage’ stage most broad leaf herbicides will be effective, but as the plant matures most of them become less effective, and a harsher chemical less suitable for general use must be used," he advised.
"The best time for systemic herbicides to work is when the treated plant is actively growing, this moves the poison around the vascular system of the plant in the shortest time.
"Some people leave the treatment of thistles and Ragwort on their properties too late. As the plant matures, the herbicides take longer to work, and the seeds can still ripen and disperse even after the plant has been treated," Mr Steller said.
Mr Steller said that advice on what herbicide to use for eradication should be sought from agricultural supply specialists. "Always read the product label and follow all label instructions carefully before using any herbicide," Mr Steller added.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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