[Elenepona]

We have 3 sloping paddocks for the  and the furtherst, nicest, flattest paddock has a big patch of bracken at each end. 
I prefer not to use chemicals if there are other effective ways and have read about bracken bashing, pigs, or the normal bracken poison. Based on reading that cows trample bracken and some people roll bracken to break the stem and thus deplete its energy, I have declared war on the bracken and have been taking great pleasure in stamping on the new fronds rising up  I was doing it most evenings (just experimenting on one corner of the field) and winning  but since being on holiday for 5 days and perfect warm wet weather, the bracken is now winning and some of them are a foot high 

So if you are still reading lol my question is....has anyone else tried to tackle the bracken themselves and with what success? I am thinking of asking the OH to strim some now to impeded them? Or are we just encouraging more to grow?
I know I need to do some research on how bracken actually reproduces and spreads!

Thanks in advance

[harmony]

Eliminating bracken is very difficult. That preferred chemical based "weed killer" was asulux (spelling may be wrong) but it was withdrawn and then re allowed for a window of time and of course you need a sprayer licence now. It was used in the Lake District with some success but we will still have huge areas of bracken. Bashing it is known to work but to have a significant effect it needs to be by machine.


Feet can make a difference but you need hundreds. Footfall keeps the paths open to walk across the open fells where bracken is all around but you are talking lots of feet over a very long period of time. Sheep trods across the fell work in the same way.


On some of the commons here farmers have repeatedly mown some patches and over the years the bracken cover has diminished.


I believe in Japan new shoots are a delicacy! 


Don't know if I have been any help but I wouldn't I wouldn't suggest you spend your evenings tramping down bracken!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

You have to be careful, don't ingest it as it can cause cancer! They were talking about this a year or two ago on the forum and someone mentioned about using a machine to break the bracken stems. Here is an article written about it https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=445

[mab]

persistent mowing does diminish the bracken (2-3 times/year - more often once it's only growing a few inches high) but won't finish it off anytime soon.


I made myself a bracken roller last year but it's too soon to draw any conclusions; there are claims that it's better than mowing so I though I'd try it. When it's growing tall anything to knock it down helps - I found a chain harrow quite effective for a couple of years, but then it grew with smaller, springy stems so it just bounced back up after the harrow passed - hence my making the roller which, if it's heavy enough, should bruise the stems.


pigs should get rid of it - if you leave them in there long enough (years?). Surprisingly there's very little known about the carcinogenic risks of eating pigs that have eaten bracken - the only thing I could find recommended that the pigs should not have access to bracken for 15 days before slaughter.


It's susceptible to frost so I believe ploughing and exposing the roots over the winter can help a lot but I've not tried it.


Asulox or glyphosate (roundup) will kill it - but don't use weedkiller until it's more or less fully grown i.e. summer/late summer (leaving aside the question of legally using weedkillers now - but I think you can still legally buy and use roundup from your local garden centre, albeit at a horribly inflated price - but I'm not 100% certain on the legally bit).

[Elenepona]

Tried rolling it this evening (farmer was rolling my other paddock which had been harrowed) but the roller was only a < 1 tonne and although took the heads off the bracken, the stems popped back up?

Farmer gave me a quote for topping but I don't want to loose all the nice grass in that field.

I think I'm going to get a price for a professional to spray the bracken by hand. Although that will mean I have to resist stamping/ strimming it! 

Don't want to put any animals on to eat it as I'm vegetarian and that does not sit well with me personally.

[henchard]

Asulox has been relicensed  this year and it should be sprayed late July until August just as the bracken is starting to turn brown on the edges. It is a very effective spray if used effectively.

http://www.brackencontrol.co.uk/Asulam

[harmony]

Don't want to put any animals on to eat it as I'm vegetarian and that does not sit well with me personally.
[/size][/color]
[/size]I don't follow the above? However bracken is poisonous to cattle, sheep and horses. They tend to eat it if there is nothing else. [/color]

[Penninehillbilly]

Apart from if your daft enough to eat it, (or Japanese)i believe it's the spores which are carsinogenic? So thats only a problem late summer.
It used to be commonly used as animal bedding.

[Buttermilk]

Apart from if your daft enough to eat it, (or Japanese)i believe it's the spores which are carsinogenic? So thats only a problem late summer.
It used to be commonly used as animal bedding.

I was always told that bracken poisoning causes thiamine deficency in horses.

[harmony]

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/toxicology/bracken_fern_poisoning/overview_of_bracken_fern_poisoning.html

[Foobar]

I scythe mine or strim it with the brushcutter.  Wait until all the fronds have unfurled then cut it.  You must wait for them to unfurl because you need the rhizome to use up as much energy as possible pushing them up, then you cut it before it has a chance to replenish it's energy by taking in sunshine from the leaves (fronds) .
Then wait for it to regrow and repeat. And repeat.  In the first year you'll need 3 cuts probably, then the next year maybe two cuts, and the next year maybe just one. Etc.  This does work .

[mab]

I scythe mine or strim it with the brushcutter.  Wait until all the fronds have unfurled then cut it.  You must wait for them to unfurl because you need the rhizome to use up as much energy as possible pushing them up, then you cut it before it has a chance to replenish it's energy by taking in sunshine from the leaves (fronds) .
Then wait for it to regrow and repeat. And repeat.  In the first year you'll need 3 cuts probably, then the next year maybe two cuts, and the next year maybe just one. Etc.  This does work .

That's interesting - maybe I've been mowing mine too soon as it seems to pop up again more quickly the shorter it grows - hence I've been doing more mow's per year as I go along. I think I'll have to try waiting it to unfurl on a trial patch.


I wonder if that rule applies to rolling too?

[Foobar]

Yes it should apply to rolling too - as long as your rolling is crushing the stems.

Loving the title of this thread btw 

[pgkevet]

Apparently just chaining will also bruise and break the fronds.
I had mine topped three times last year (slopes need more experience than i have for tractor driving) and the bracken is definately thinner and struggling more through the recovered grasses. I just booked the first topping for next week