Allotments 4 All

Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: I love digging on August 13, 2014, 22:27:13

Title: Ragwort
Post by: I love digging on August 13, 2014, 22:27:13

Ragwort on the allotment - leave it for the cinnabar moth caterpillars which are very prolific - or pull it up?

Title: Re: Ragwort
Post by: ancellsfarmer on August 14, 2014, 06:31:23

See the byelaws /rules of your local authority & this may be of interest:
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/enforcement/injuriousweeds.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88tdKtM1XE

Title: Re: Ragwort
Post by: galina on August 04, 2019, 13:01:46

Have just found a cinnabar caterpillar on the potatoes!?  Next to a rose bush.  Having recently seen and identified the day flying moth "butterfly" which is so unusual and red, it is obviously here to stay.  Never seen any before.   :sunny:

Title: Re: Ragwort
Post by: ancellsfarmer on August 04, 2019, 13:35:27

Is it eating the potato foliage, or just lost/stray? They do enjoy Groundsel as well as the Ragwort. Allegedly, they can synthesise the toxins in Ragwort , to protect themselves from predators, and are considered a 'species of interest' for research into such means of defence.

Title: Re: Ragwort
Post by: galina on August 04, 2019, 13:56:34

Well it must be feeding on groundsel of which there is always some around.  And the caterpillar just got lost on the adjacent potatoes.  Thanks for that Ancellsfarmer.    :icon_cheers:

Title: Re: Ragwort
Post by: galina on August 04, 2019, 16:49:32

Found another one weeding ................... and left the groundsel there in place it was on!

This daytime moth is not that common and so pretty.  Thank you Ancells, learned something.  :wave: