weekly tips: How to battle buttercups

IT has been hard to ignore the sudden surge in the growth of buttercups around Ireland. Don’t be fooled by the fact buttercups are quite pretty, they are a weed and are toxic for livestock.

The Creeping buttercup is particularly difficult to control in large scale infestations. There a number of natural and chemical ways of controlling the spread of buttercups in your paddocks.

NATURAL CONTROL

When possible it is best to control weeds naturally. Buttercups grows very close to the ground so mowing is of no use.

For very small infestations hand-pulling the weed is an option, however, this does require levels of patience. Specially designed tools are available to pull buttercups that make sure that you remove all of the roots. Wear protective clothes when pulling the weeds as the sap is dermatologically toxic.

Changing growing conditions is a less labour intensive means of naturally controlling the spread of buttercups. Buttercups like to grow in compact soil that is low in nutrients and with a low pH. The weeds can be controlled by lowering the acidity of the soil, increase percolation and fertilise.

CHEMICAL CONTROL

If none of the natural means of controlling the spread of buttercups, it is time to turn to dealing with them chemically. This is an effective means of weed control but caution must be taken when using and handling these chemicals, and they should always be stored safely and out of reach of children.

It is also very important to remember that the majority of chemical weed controls are not safe for livestock, so paddocks should not be grazed following the spraying of such chemicals. Always read and follow the instructions carefully.

Herbicides containing glyphsate can work well for spot control. The risk with these weed killers is that they can kill any vegetation. Herbicides with aminopyralid are generally considered to be safer to use around livestock, although care should still be taken.

Always wear protective clothing when handling herbicides and be vigilant for any regrowth of the weed.