Ragwort in neighbouring garden

Auds22002 · 08-08-2021 1:46pm #1

Hi

I'm not sure what section I should have this in but all advice welcome.

My poor parents are tortured with their neighbour ,he is a young fit man with new wife and baby ,we have known them all their lives as it was his mother's house before.

In the last few years he has neglected his garden and there is now 3ft of ragwort growing in the back garden.my elderly parents have asked him to cut it lots of times,and have been ignored,now it is getting near Sept and will definitely spread into their garden when it goes to seed.

My mother has gone to the local co co but they said its private property and nothing to do with them. I know there is a noxious weeds act 1936 but who do we go to to get it enacted.

My mother is now fixating on this and driving herself mad her brother is dying at the moment and she's already stressed so need to get this sorted.i don't live there anymore so not sure I have any clout getting involved. Any advice appreciated

rolling boh · 08-08-2021 2:00pm

is there anyone else living with him they could ask it may have to be pulled up by hand at this stage so would be better to stay on terms with him when they asked before was his reaction telling them where to go or just him thinking its nothing to be moaning about .

What.Now · 08-08-2021 2:04pm

Whats the reason for the anxiety. Is your parents place a farm or are there pets around?

ztoical · 09-08-2021 10:45am

you won't get an enforcement under the Noxious Weeds Act 1936 unless you are living on farm and there are livestock near this guys garden. The plant is dangerous for horses and other livestock which is why farmers have to remove it but a lot has changed in farming since the 1930s and other then sending out leaflets reminding farmers of dangerous plants there hasn't been any enforcement of it as a law in years. If his garden is causing an issue for your parents then they can speak to the local council but it would need to be massively overgrown and the roots or branches of trees or brambles coming into your parents garden and damaging fences or foundations or bringing pests in for them to really enforce anything. Air borne seeds landing in your parents garden isn't likely to result in any action from the council. Anything directly overhanging their garden they can cut back to the property line but you can't go into his garden to remove the ragwort.

Princess Calla · 09-08-2021 11:05am

I completely understand where your mum is coming from if you're farming your land and have livestock.

If that's not the case I can appreciate where your neighbour is coming from. Ragwort is an incredibly important pollinator. There was actually a report on it on "Countryfile" last night.....it's a food source for a certain moth and inturn that moth well the caterpillar acts as host for some fly larvae.

If the council did contact him, he just has to say he's taking part in a "rewilding" scheme save the bees etc.

I do wonder if your mum would be as quick to knock into a new family asking them to look after their garden to her liking or does she still see your neighbour as a child because he grew up there.

Scotty # · 09-08-2021 11:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727049#Comment_117727049

Regarding no enforcement, 65 penalties issued last year... https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/65-penalties-issued-last-year-for-the-presence-of-ragwort-on-land-36307549.html

OP, you've asked nicely, if it's causing you're ma that much stress offer to go in and cut it yourself, or, just go in some morning with a scythe and cut it yourself. Otherwise solicitors letter threatening legal action.

Princess Calla · 09-08-2021 11:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727236#Comment_117727236

OP don't do that.

80sDiesel · 09-08-2021 11:43am

Ragwort , whilst not being a pretty wildflower, has a very high nectar count so it is important to biodiversity. Nothing preventing someone letting it grow in their garden. I would suspect that it’s as a result of an unkept garden more than ‘rewilding’ .

magicbastarder · 09-08-2021 11:52am

to cut to the chase - OP, what is your mother's concern?

ragwort is not generally a concern outside agricultural contexts.

ztoical · 09-08-2021 11:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727236#Comment_117727236

Fines to farmers payments by the Department of Agriculture. It use to be years ago the Garda prosecuted ragwort growers but they haven't prosecuted anyone for years, they leave it entirely to the department of agriculture who focus is on farms and commercial land. They aren't going to go after someone for having it their garden unless they are right next to a farm. Technical the National Roads Authority should be removing it from all roadsides under the law but they don't bother. The OP can go to the Garda or a solicitor as yes technically it is illegal but Garda aren't likely to care and a solicitor is going to cost money.

OP do not go into their garden and cut anything. You'll find yourself getting a solicitors letter if you do. You can only cut anything from their garden that is overhanging the property line. Also you shouldn't cut ragworth, if you want rid of it it has to be pulled up from the roots otherwise it will be back very quickly.

Auds22002 · 09-08-2021 2:57pm

Thanks for all the replies, the issue is my mother has allergies and is dreading when it starts to pollinate ,its definitely not a rewilding thing as he also has bags of rubbish piling up and all bins are overflowing which is causing rats ,and it's not a money issue either as he just got a new porshe, they do have dogs no livestock as its a housing estate,they have approached him and he just says yep going to do that soon, mum has seen his wife trying to sort it but it's too much for her. No she doesn't see him as a child as he's 44 ,just saying they've know him all their lives ,house was rented for decades and always fine but he moved in about 5 years ago let it go to ruin. I suppose if he doesn't listen to wife as she has no back garden to sit with newborn he's not going to listen my parents .

Ger Roe · 09-08-2021 3:04pm

The rubbish build up and rats are probably your best focus in contact with the council. I would try that angle.

ztoical · 09-08-2021 3:08pm

If the rubbish is bringing rats in then you can go the local council or the Department of Environment, they have powers to force him to clean the garden if its bringing rats. If they have children you can also go to the HSE as the droppings are a danger to the kids. I would first speak to the neighbor one more time and tell him you are going to do this if they don't clear the garden by X date just to avoid a feud.

Esel · 09-08-2021 8:27pm

I live in an urban area and had ragwort in the garden. Neighbour is a wagon ‐ any excuse to cause trouble. Got a notice/ warning from Dept of Agriculture...

Jeremy Sproket · 09-08-2021 8:31pm

Just pop over the wall in the middle of the night, pull up the roots and put down some weed killer.

Princess Calla · 09-08-2021 9:39pm

I love the way people think it's ok to just jump over their neighbours fence ,pull up plants/weeds whatever put down poison because the neighbour is doing something they don't like.

Also how many people appreciate being asked/told to cut their lawn....it's "only" 3 foot so not blocking her light. She doesn't have livestock and her dog shouldn't be in the neighbours garden ...I'm not saying it is.

The pollen is also a rather silly argument, loads of us suffer from hayfever/allergies etc you can't dictate what can/cannot be grown....grass is the biggest offender.... should we tarmac everything?

OP contact the council over the rubbish, I don't know why you didn't include that in your opening post. Go at the problem from that angle!

If you start jumping fences you'll start a feud. At the moment your neighbour is passive and causing your mother an awful lot of stress, unknowingly, imagine what it will be like if you start a tit for tat situation.

And for the love of god don't put any poison down when a baby lives in the house... imagine what could happen if they ingest some by accident.

Auds22002 · 09-08-2021 11:26pm

Absolutely I won't be going into the garden or putting poison down,besides it's the whole garden it would take a week to pull it out. Not just the sides etc its the whole large back garden ,judging from some replies I guess it doesn't matter, may not bother some people, and hopefully it won't seed in neighbours lawns but several other neighbours have asked too.

I just wanted to see if there are any rights as a resident but obviously not ... thanks anyway.

Auds22002 · 09-08-2021 11:44pm

This is only a small section of the garden

Princess Calla · 10-08-2021 12:23am

Well I think everyone would have an issue with the rubbish and rats, so I presume she mentioned the issue when she complained to the council, I'm surprised they haven't acted on that.

I'll be honest we let our front garden, now it's only a small garden, go wild*. We ended up with a collection of orchids growing in it and lots of dandelions. Now one of my neighbours is out with the lawnmower as soon as his grass grows a mm, so I'd say it may have stressed him out abit. When the orchids died it was cut back, however if any of the neighbours had knocked in requesting us to cut it, even if I was about to cut it that day, the reply to their face would have been "I will yeah, no bother" close the door and out of pure stubbornness that grass wouldn't be getting cut this side of Christmas.

I do think when you live in housing estates you have to accept not everyone's priority is the same as yours. What bothers one person won't even be a blip on another's radar.

*Our residents association actually asked everyone to allow some of their garden to grow wild as part of the pollinators programme. Portions of the common green areas have been left wild and also planted with wildflowers. Biodiversity is something our community is at least trying to take seriously.

Ray Palmer · 10-08-2021 11:10am

I made the front garden a no mow garden and added wild flowers from Keelings that they were giving away free. It included ragwort. A neighbour came in and started weeding the garden. She is nuts but strangely used to be a Green Party volunteer. I had to ask her to stop coming onto my property. If it isn't agricultural land the OPs mother has nothing to say.

I highly doubt the rat issue as one bin wouldn't be enough for them. They are in every housing estate already. It all sounds like hysteria

Mickeroo · 10-08-2021 11:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117728679#Comment_117728679

For what it's worth for a bit of peace of mind, if your photo is anything to go by it's already pollinating and has been for a while, so if it's not already causing her allergies to act up now it shouldn't get any worse.

Ragwort in neighbouring garden

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