Effects of renewal time, taproot cutting, ploughing practice, false seedbed and companion crop on docks (Rumex spp.) when renewing grassland

•Summer renewal resulted in more dock plants than spring renewal.•False seedbed reduced dock seed plants after summer, but not spring renewal.•A spring barley companion crop reduced dock density and biomass.•Taproot cutting weakly affected docks and without ploughing resulted in more docks.•Deep ploughing (24 cm) and plough skimmer reduced emergence of docks from roots.