Bracken control. Any advice

[trigger2 3,145]

I've got about half a acre of bracken that I would like to get rid of on a small patch of ground. Has anybody got any knowledge on the best way to get rid of it. 

Would I gain anything if I cut the dead bracken now with a Strimmer/brush cutter and raked/cleared the area off before it starts to grow. I can then keep it strimmed off through the summer once it reaches about 8 to 10 inches in height. Pigs I believe would be ideal but they are not a option. 

Or would I be best leaving it until later in the summer and spraying it? It's on a steep bank so not accessible with tractors and toppers.

 

[Arry 21,821]

Think the best way to control Bracken is to keep rolling it Mate. Keep bruising it kills it in the end.

Cheers Arry

[jok 3,255]

Don’t know about that Arry. Watched Countryfile the other night and the wardens were hand clipping with shears. Looked hellishly boring but the results were good. I remember as a child, being slightly rebellious, setting alight the middle of the Eildon Hills at Melrose. To be fair it had the desired result but our local fire service were less than impressed. I remember some fairly sore parts of my anatomy. Jok.

[breeze 1,307]

Surely the roots of it have got to come out for it not to just keep growing back...... Ain't it ? 

[jok 3,255]

Thinking further. One of the gardeners hates is ‘Mares Tail’ which, like bracken is very intrusive. The olde way of dealing with it was, and probably still is, bruising. Because of its surface structure it is unlikely that normal weed killing methods would do any good. Bruising breaks the surface which allows penetration by herbicides which can then reach the root ultimately killing the plant. Jok.

[Mother_Mary 844]

Needs sprayed with Asulox/glyphosohate at the right time of year. Usually well into August.
The plant needs to be starting to die  back for the year and it will take all the chemical down into the roots and you’ll see a good kill rate year 1.
Year 2/3 spot spray at same time of year any re growth and should do the job

 

don’t bother with strimming/bracken bruisers etc 

[Greyman 28,439]

Buy a couple of piglets, stick an arc down for them to sleep in and when they are big enough to make bacon the bracken will be gone ground turned over and fertilised and you,ll get a few quid and some nice cuts of pork  

[Arry 21,821]

30 minutes ago, jok said:

Don’t know about that Arry. Watched Countryfile the other night and the wardens were hand clipping with shears. Looked hellishly boring but the results were good. I remember as a child, being slightly rebellious, setting alight the middle of the Eildon Hills at Melrose. To be fair it had the desired result but our local fire service were less than impressed. I remember some fairly sore parts of my anatomy. Jok.

Found this mate. A mate had two Suffolk Punch horses and he used to do up on the side of Dartmoor told me about mate.

Cheers Arry

Rolling

Rolling crushes young bracken fronds that emerge in the spring and weakens the plant by bruising the stems and causing them to bleed. Rolling should be carried out again later on in summer, and should be repeated over a number of years to be effective.

Where stands are particularly dense and vigorous, you may need to cut / flail / roll three times per year. Where ground-nesting birds are present, mechanical control should be avoided during May–July.

[trigger2 3,145]

34 minutes ago, Mother_Mary said:

Needs sprayed with Asulox/glyphosohate at the right time of year. Usually well into August.
The plant needs to be starting to die  back for the year and it will take all the chemical down into the roots and you’ll see a good kill rate year 1.
Year 2/3 spot spray at same time of year any re growth and should do the job

 

don’t bother with strimming/bracken bruisers etc 

Sounds like the best option. I will look into it. Thanks

[Mother_Mary 844]

Just now, trigger2 said:

Sounds like the best option. I will look into it. Thanks

If you wait till the fronds on the plant are beginning to curl back in on themselves ,that’s the time to hit it. Ideally dry day so maximum uptake and don’t be too shy with the chemical first year. 
timing is critical and you’ll see a huge difference the next year. 
atb 

[low plains drifter 10,481]

 

[Ken's Deputy 4,459]

Without actually opening that video; Is the method he's demonstrating there that we jump about amongst the stuff, wrenching the head off it?

[trigger2 3,145]

19 hours ago, low plains drifter said:

 

Good little vid that. Bracken is some tough old stuff

[TOMO 26,156]

whats the land inteded for?.....if your wanting to grow your own food....then maybe not use a chemical spray

[trigger2 3,145]

12 minutes ago, TOMO said:

whats the land inteded for?.....if your wanting to grow your own food....then maybe not use a chemical spray

Got sheep on there mate, just clearing it for the extra grazing.