Plantain Ribwort Spray to kill it

madmac187 · 07-08-2022 5:59pm #1

Hi folks the lawn at home once was a paddock with a few mares before I built the house, anyway lawn down 3 years and it’s riddled with plantain ribwort, how do you kill it, grazon pro won’t do it and local creamery and garden centre don’t know what herbicides they sell and only stuff I’m recommended is removed from the market. I intend to spray it and then from there clean it. Any direction would help.

The Continental Op · 07-08-2022 10:15pm

What have you tried? I can't imagine that grazon pro wouldn't do it? In my experience they really aren't that difficult to get rid of. They have plenty of leaf to take up the weedkiller and are rosette weeds that are close to the ground so you can mow away with out cutting them so the weedkiller works away better.

For good Plantain Ribwort you need poor compacted and generally badly looked after soil - possibly from have horses on it. The horses aren't an issue on their own but the problem is their owners tend to be interested in horses and don't give a toss about the state of the paddocks. If you said you also had a problem with Ragwort that would compound all my prejudices :-)

Wait till the soil is not so dry and hire a decent coring machine. Put it over a couple of times. A slitting machine would probably be as good. Then do the same again in the spring. Keep cutting very regularly but don't cut to close. The main aim isn't to get rid of the Plantains but to get the grass to grow so it competes with them. Thats the time to start thinking about getting rid of them with weedkiller. Killing them now without improving the soil just means they will be back again.

But sorry to say the bottom line is Ribwort Plantain is a sign of poor compacted soil. Long term you might be better rotovating the lot and reseeding.

madmac187 · 07-08-2022 11:33pm

Ragworth was never an issue thank god, we aerated the soil last year with tiller, neighbours cattle did harm. I sprayed grazon pro before and it didn’t do a tap. I’m still contemplating spraying it now, aerating again and spray in may and aerate again after. Just certain parts are bad and others not so much.

The Continental Op · 08-08-2022 8:44am

If you are spraying try something cheaper like Dicophar. Might be worth digging a test hole in a really bad area to see what soil you have. You also get a lot of Plantain Ribwort with the soil is really thin.

pauly58 · 08-08-2022 8:58am

I spot treat it with Glyphosate, nasty stuff I know but it works well.

madmac187 · 08-08-2022 2:35pm

Dicophar won’t touch it, I think Pauly is right spot treat glytophosphate. Do you spray or get the spot treatment stuff?

The Continental Op · 08-08-2022 3:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119445560#Comment_119445560

Kills it for me even plain old 2,4-D really hits it. I do wonder what you are doing or if we are talking about the same Plantain Ribwort?

If you want to spot treat a larger area then you may find a weed wiper helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-BGaCzsTw4

You can just about still buy them (they were really popular now they aren't) and there some home made designs on youtube.

For spot treatment in grass I'd make one with a smaller applicator than the one you can buy above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvQqTc7VGOg

You don't have to have the valve but Amazon have them https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08HMWG99V/ . In my experience the weed wipers need a bit of experimenting with to get them just right, dripping is real bad but so is a dry wick.

I spotted this on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keyfit-Tools-AccuTip-Overspray-Accurately/dp/B0992RQ834/ totally rip off but the idea is good and I might give it a try and make DIY some foam pads.