How Can I Control Ragwort Organically?

Many people want to know how to control ragwort naturally without using standard weed killers.  This can be done fairly simply and effectively via what is known as cultural methods and or using a plant based weed killer called Barrier H.

Control ragwort organically with Barrier H

Barrier H is an organic citronella based weed killer that can be used to control ragwort. It’s capable of killing Common Ragwort during the rosette stage of its growth and preventing seeding once it has flowered. It is also highly flexible as it can be used year round with no on label earliest or latest timing.

The ideal time to spray ragwort with an organic weed killer is early to mid-spring (March – May) before the plant has grown too large or is flowering.  If you do need to control larger plants or flowering ragwort, Barrier H can still be used but you must make sure that you cover the plant thoroughly. When re-growth is seen later towards autumn, around Sept – Oct, this is again an ideal time to control ragwort.

Where ragwort is present in paddocks and fields, Barrier H is very often used in conjunction with other cultural control methods as outlined below.

Based on a natural environmentally friendly citronella plant extract, Barrier H not only controls ragwort but can also be used on other broad-leaved weeds making it an ideal all round organic weed killer.

NB: When ragwort is treated with a weed killer, even if organic, it will become more palatable as it dies. Ragwort is poisonous to livestock and horses as it dies back so all grazing animals must be removed from the field for at least four weeks, or when the dying plants have been removed. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Controlling ragwort naturally & culturally

There are a number of ways ragwort can be controlled organically:

• Plants can be removed by simply digging them out
  • Care must be taken as cutting or incomplete removal can cause the flowers to grow larger and become an annual plant making the problem worse and increasing the level of infestation
  • Plants that are cut back when in flower can still also produce seeds that are viable, but can reduce infestation levels
    • Ragwort seed spread is the main cause for increasing levels of infestation
• Removal of the ragwort culturally needs to done ideally before the plant gets to flowering stage. The ideal size for removal is when it is a seedling or at the rosette stage (about the size of a small side plate)
  • It is easier to remove the rosettes when the soil is damp & moist ideally after a rainy period
  • Ragwort can be a biennial plant which means removal will need to be done for at least two years
    • The first year it produces the rosette close to the ground, running to seed the next year in June – October and then dying
• Ensuring that your grass is well fertilised is also key as healthy grass can outcompete weeds, keeping them at bay. Paddock fertilisers are specifically designed for these situations & for where there are grazing livestock

PROGREEN TOP TIP:  Always wear gloves when handling ragwort plants, even when they are dead as they are still poisonous and this can enter into the bloodstream causing liver problems. We recommend our Ultranitrile gloves.

How do I get rid of ragwort when it has died?

It is generally suggested that ragwort should be disposed of on site. This is done to stop the risk of the spreading the infestation elsewhere. Once the ragwort is dead you can:

• Compost it
• Burn it
• Take it to landfill
• Leave in it situee to decompose. If this is done you MUST exclude grazing animals from the area until has completely rotted away and has become inedible.

For more information on ragwort, check out our How to Control Ragwort by problem page.