The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: Perris on June 13, 2017, 09:10:52 am

Title: Bracken
Post by: Perris on June 13, 2017, 09:10:52 am
Advice please: Is soft young bracken, simply pulled out of the ground, good for anything? And at what part of the year is it to be avoided as carcinogenic?
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: bazzais on June 13, 2017, 01:26:48 pm
I think PTQ is in the plants leaves at anytime - but it has to be injested in quite high quantities.  I would advise - bashing not pulling, as over a period of years it will weaken the root structure. Plus I cant imagine having time to pull all that bracken ;)

Under most circumstances the animals wont touch it if there is enough grass - but you do get certain ones that like it for some reason.

The effects can be passed through lactating animals to the offspring.

We have bracken everywhere - never really been a concern for us but was interesting researching it.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: bj_cardiff on June 13, 2017, 01:41:23 pm
If you keep cutting it seems to knock it back quite a bit. I don't have much but have never worried about the animals eating it
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: mab on June 13, 2017, 03:06:00 pm
Pulling is the hard way - ask me how I know! Rolling / knocking down is better, but if you want to make use of it then mow it, dry it, bale it and it can be used as bedding. Apparently that's what they used to do with it.

It can also be used for mulching  or composting.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Perris on June 13, 2017, 07:24:59 pm
thanks all - very helpful :hug: I don't have to deal with much fortunately, just the stuff spreading in from the other side of a hedge, but I'll try drying whatever seems too tough for composting and using that as bedding...
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: arobwk on June 15, 2017, 11:48:24 pm
My 2 pennies worth:  pulling won't give you any real advantage over repeated bruising/cutting and the latter is so much easier.  But if it's coming from "next door" and not also being addressed by your neighbour, you will need to cut/bruise for ever! 
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Perris on June 16, 2017, 08:34:37 pm
it's coming from a c.10' wide scrub strip with a ditch, which extends way beyond my property, and which the farmer just strims at head height once a year, so sadly, yes, I think it's going to continue for the foreseeable future.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: arobwk on June 16, 2017, 10:43:56 pm
Perris,  If neighbour's annual strim is early in growth cycle (i.e. when the fronds start to unfurl) that is a good thing.  If that is the case and assuming you both hit them about the same time, slow progress will be made!  However, from my limited experience so far, one hit per year will not be enough.     
I have yet to deal with my own bracken properly, but I am now better kitted-out with equipment and will be scheduling a couple of bracken hits a year at least.
(The herbicide option is not something I wish to consider right now - but ....... !)
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Perris on June 17, 2017, 04:06:12 pm
the annual strim is usually later in the year, when the hedges get done, ie late July-August. If it turns out to make decent bedding, I may yet come to view it as an asset instead of a pain!
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: bazzais on June 17, 2017, 06:10:13 pm
Its terrible bedding compared to straw - absolutely useless.

You could possibly sleep on it for a few nights as a human in a field - but for animals - wouldnt even go there. Animals piss and s**t in there beds!
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: bazzais on June 17, 2017, 06:14:49 pm
Interesting allowed to say piss but not s**t?
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: harmony on August 24, 2017, 11:27:46 am
I thought bracken spores were the most carcinogenic bit. In Japan young shoots are a delicacy apparently. Semi feral herds of horses eat bracken shoots when there is nothing else to eat. It becomes a problem when they eat over a certain percentage of their daily food intake in bracken. Pigs kept on areas of bracken have been found to have carcinogenic tumours and the advice is to remove them from land with bracken for 15 days before slaughter.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Bionic on August 24, 2017, 01:53:24 pm
A neighbour of ours has just, about a week ago, had his bracken fields sprayed with something. It was done by helicopter and they do it every few years. I haven't noticed the difference in his fields so far.


The stuff being sprayed is nasty stuff too, sorry don't know the name, as beekeepers we were informed because its bad for the bees and 3 of our out hives were right in the path line. OH blocked the bees in for 24 hours
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: harmony on August 24, 2017, 03:36:39 pm
Asulox? The "safest and most efficient" method of bracken control I think they say?! At one point it was banned.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Bionic on August 24, 2017, 04:01:06 pm
I don't know the name Harmony but it could well be the one you have said. Apparently it is banned in Europe. Not sure how they get to use it here.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: harmony on August 24, 2017, 05:38:04 pm
Tight licencing for a very specific spraying period, I believe.
Title: Re: Bracken
Post by: Bionic on August 24, 2017, 09:54:35 pm
Yes that's right. Come the end of Sept any left over spray has to be destroyed