Grassland paddocks & pasture weed control

Why do weeds need to be controlled in paddocks and pastures?

Controlling weeds in paddocks is important because they:

• Compete with grass for space, light, nutrients and water.
• Are unpalatable to your horse or pony.
• Can be poisonous, e.g. ragwort or buttercup.
• Take over the paddock and if left unchecked limit ability to graze.
• Can spread to neighbouring properties.
• Make pastures look messy, untidy and unkept.

Control options for weed control:

• Dig them out - OK for small numbers.
• Cut them down - temporary effect as perennial weeds will grow back.
• Use a herbicide – via a knapsack or boom sprayer (ATV or tractor).

Herbicide choice

Much will depend on how many weeds are present. Knapsack control works out more cost effective if weed populations are below 5% (count number of docks or thistles in a 5m x 7m area – this number gives the % weed population).

Choose a product that will deliver a:

• High level of safety so grass growth is unaffected.
• Short grazing interval so animals can return back to paddocks quickly.

Envy® and Grazon®Pro meet these requirements. They are professional use products which you can use if you hold a PA2 (for boom sprayer) and/or PA6 (for knapsack) certificate of competence (visit  www.nptc.org.uk  for details of your nearest course).  If not then seek training or employ a spray contractor or local farmer to do the job for you.