I’ve noticed how pretty the meadows are looking with all the different wild flowers and grasses. Just beautiful this year! Is that because the fields haven’t been sprayed this year?
The fields haven’t been sprayed for the past three (four?) years. We have pulled more ragwort by hand than any of us can bear to think about. The result: moon daisies, campion and ragged robin re-appearing, a dozen different vetches and vetchlings setting up house in Village Green, more species of grass than I know how to name and, of course, BUTTERCUPS all over the place.
Southwick Country Park the last two years (at least) I’ve avoided walking through the country park just a little earlier in the season than now, as there clear signs at the allotment entrance to the county park saying spraying was taking place and to avoid the area.
I therefore avoided it for at least 48 hours maybe up to nearly a week.
Then shortly afterwards, the buttercups and other ‘weeds’ curled up and died off, so that’s really odd then. Was that for something different?
I’ve also enjoyed seeing more wildlife and wild birds. I recently caught a video of a female great spotted woodpecker gathering bugs to feed its young
Sarah, you’re almost right and I am almost wrong. The ragwort was sprayed in 2018 and 2019 but not since. And it hadn’t been sprayed for a few years before that. It does make a huge difference and this year the reserve seems to be humming with life,
Ahh, that must be what I’m thinking of then 😃
Last spraying was in April 2018 after complaints about the ragwort. The tennant farmer sprayed with a specific low dose weedkiller on Sleeper, Corn, Kestrel and Lambrok fields. FoSCP hand pulled the rest in Village Green and any other fields needing it. The farmer did a top cut to stunt the ragwort in October of that year.
Previous cutting was In April 2015 – it was sprayed with a general broad-leaf weedkiller – this was the one that set everything back..
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 
I’ve noticed how pretty the meadows are looking with all the different wild flowers and grasses. Just beautiful this year! Is that because the fields haven’t been sprayed this year?
The fields haven’t been sprayed for the past three (four?) years. We have pulled more ragwort by hand than any of us can bear to think about. The result: moon daisies, campion and ragged robin re-appearing, a dozen different vetches and vetchlings setting up house in Village Green, more species of grass than I know how to name and, of course, BUTTERCUPS all over the place.
Southwick Country Park the last two years (at least) I’ve avoided walking through the country park just a little earlier in the season than now, as there clear signs at the allotment entrance to the county park saying spraying was taking place and to avoid the area.
I therefore avoided it for at least 48 hours maybe up to nearly a week.
Then shortly afterwards, the buttercups and other ‘weeds’ curled up and died off, so that’s really odd then. Was that for something different?
I’ve also enjoyed seeing more wildlife and wild birds. I recently caught a video of a female great spotted woodpecker gathering bugs to feed its young
Sarah, you’re almost right and I am almost wrong. The ragwort was sprayed in 2018 and 2019 but not since. And it hadn’t been sprayed for a few years before that. It does make a huge difference and this year the reserve seems to be humming with life,
Ahh, that must be what I’m thinking of then 😃
Last spraying was in April 2018 after complaints about the ragwort. The tennant farmer sprayed with a specific low dose weedkiller on Sleeper, Corn, Kestrel and Lambrok fields. FoSCP hand pulled the rest in Village Green and any other fields needing it. The farmer did a top cut to stunt the ragwort in October of that year.
Previous cutting was In April 2015 – it was sprayed with a general broad-leaf weedkiller – this was the one that set everything back..