Cutting knapweed

I am cutting the knapweed in the north pasture. Unlike cattle who will eat knapweed before it flowers, horses seem to avoid it.  Still, since the horses are pastured here I don't want to spray herbicide on the weeds.  While Brash is touted as safe for livestock, and I do spot spray, the herbicide is still a chemical. 

It appears my spray campaign last year worked on the rest of the weeds as there are less of them - including knapweed in other pastures, and almost no sage is left.  But the north pasture knapweed is thick as ever.  This may be because the cattle ate much of it down last year preventing all of it from being sprayed effectively later.  Also I still am working with the effects of seeds from prior years.

Another exception to "less weeds this year" is clover.  I thought I had gotten rid of it a few years ago.  But it is back with a vengeance this year.  Especially in my yard.   My neighbor noticed the same thing with clover in his yard.  Perhaps the wet cool year had something to do with this.


I am using this to cut the knapweed.  I don''t know what to call it as it doesn't look like a sickle or scythe.  I'll call it my "cutter".  It does a decent job of cutting the weeds.

Swinging my "cutter" is hard work especially as some of the knapweed has grown tall, thick and with good sized stalks.  I have spent a number of hours each of the past several days cutting knapweed and it gets tiring.

Cut knapweed and what remains to be cut.

Closer view

Close view of the flowers

The bees are loving the flowers.  It is a shame to have to cut the weeds and deprive the bees a source of food, but knapweed is nasty and I am better off without it.