[kanisha]

Hi still hoping that somone has a cure for this stuff. I cut it by hand every year ( it has been mown and grazed) and its still spreading. I am hoping to get back to the UK to pick up a few bits is there a product i can buy ( without a special licence) that will get rid of bracken.  current methods are barely holding it at bay ( pigs are not an option.) any suggestions pleeeeze

[bazzais]

I get my farm quad every year, have a few cans and just do donuts on them - they still grow back but its good fun

This year its been so dry that they have hardly come back at all - but it could be a cycle? Who knows.

Its a real struggle fighting it back - and I'd like some tips too

Baz

[Dougal]

Real strong roots on bracken so it's hard to kill. Have heard that the best way to kill it is not to cut the stem because it can seal itself but to roll it to bruise the stems so that the stems bleed. This will, over time, weaken the roots. In this part of the world the old farmers used to wrap a heavy chain around a roller and roll the bracken with that to cause the maximum bruising.
The only chemical that I know of is 'asulux' (not sure on spelling). It is very effective, needs two sprays 3-5 years apart. I know it can be quite dear and I don't know what the licenceing rule and regs are on it.

[ellisr]

I thought you burnt out bracken

[shearling]

It is burnt in the south on a rotation basis as the most effective and natural control system especially for SSI potected areas

[Nuffield]

In Australia they spray it with glyphosate using a weed wiping mat that does not get the herbicide onto non target species.

[Fronhaul]

This year we cut the wretched stuff in the spring and then grazed to crush it.  Cut it again at the end of July, and are now grazing the affected area having harrowed it to start bruising it again and hand broadcast forage rape seed.  On our last farm we always sprayed but the area we are working on here is steeply sloping straight down to a river holding migratory fish.  There is no one right way to control the stuff as I understand it.  But crushing it seems to upset it as much as anything, especially in areas where spraying is difficult

[Miss Piggy]

Hi Kanisha, know this isnt helpful to you because you said pigs were not an option but just for others. We are tackling a large field on a slope running down to a stream that is head high with bracken and brambles. We have pigs on the slope that are doing an incredible job of digging up the field, they root up the bracken rhisomes nibble off all the roots just leaving the very centre hard core of the rhisome which the OH goes around with a bucket at feed time picking up. There has been absolutely no regrowth this year on the large section they did last year. Looking forward next year to no regrowth on this years and last years patch. The pork and sausages taste good too. ... Anne

[Floyd]

I have had the same problem with it encroaching about 2 yards a year.  Glycphospate has no effect however I have resulted to using a systemic killer known as Brack-n. 

This was applied in late may and has shown great results with the fronds being almost completely down to the ground.  Will probably require a second treatment next year.

Not an organic control route but since I had nearly an acre spread of the stuff hand control was out of the option.

I got it on the internet, however just done a search and couldn't find the company,  I am away from the croft until Monday but could give you the details on my return

[kanisha]

Ooohh yes please Floyd thank you everyone loads of useful info

[Dougal]

You have to be careful when grazing bracken covered areas due to the fronds being poisonous to stock. Sheepwill hardly touch the stuff but catle will sometimes eat young fronds which are carcinogenic. Takes a while but it will make a real mess of a cattle herd.

[Fronhaul]

My error I should have said we are using Shetland Sheep for grazing although we have been advised to add a few ponies (preferably Exmoor) to the mix.  Bracken poisoning is not pleasant.  I did query the use of Exmoors but apparently they aren't too interested in the stuff either.

[Floyd]

Heres the website is expensive but I have had very good results

www.progreen.co.uk

[SallyintNorth]

A few other aspects to consider when grazing (amongst) bracken.

1.  Ticks love bracken, and if there are deer about or you are using sheep, there will be ticks.  So you would probably need to treat your stock with a tick and/or tick disease preventative.  Plus if your disease is a Lyme Disease area, you will want to try to limit the contact between people and ticks.

2.  I heard (but it could be incorrect) that the spores would be carcinogenic without being specifically eaten.  They'd get onto stock that was moving through the bracken, and then be ingested when the stock lick themselves and each other.

[tizaala]

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ptq/ptq.htm

This link tells you all about how nasty bracken can be, I did post it in the pig section on using it as bedding for pigs, scary stuff.