Bracken

[JockCroft]

Is anyone else finding Bracken plants where never had before? Noticed a very small number last year. Now noticable that they are spreading. Driving around the district seeing a lot of plants appearing, mostly in roadside ditches. Cant remember seeing any in the wider area until last year.
Does Roundup kill them?

 

[ringi]

Roundup works but should be used while the sap is moving into the roots as otherwise only the tops will be killed.

 

[Cowpoke82]

Not bracken but hemlock this year is awful , vast areas of it

 

[Dry Rot]

Asulux used to be the killer of choice but, like anything that works, I think it's now banned. Someone told me cutting the fronts would kill it but it didn't kill mine. I think repeated crushing does, so cattle.

 

[Turnip]

Asulux used to be the killer of choice but, like anything that works, I think it's now banned. Someone told me cutting the fronts would kill it but it didn't kill mine. I think repeated crushing does, so cattle.

Keep an eye on the cattle if you do as bracken is poisonous.

 

[ringi]

Someone told me cutting the fronts would kill it but it didn't kill mine. I think repeated crushing does, so cattle

Cutting is needed 3 times over the summer so more energy from the tubers is used to grow the fronts then is returned to the tubers. Then the next year there will be a reduction in the number of fronts, but it needs repeating for many years and if cutting is every stopped the bracken will spread again.

Likewise with crushing by cattle, the grass copes well with 3 sets of mod grazing over summer, the bracken hates it. The cattle needs to be given a reason to walk over the bracken if the bracken is so thick that there are not patches of grass.

 

[ringi]

Asulux used to be the killer of choice but, like anything that works, I think it's now banned

Bracken is not a issue in most countries hence it is not economic for the maker of Asulex to do a complete set of safety studies. Each year Asulex gets a short emergency use licence with all unused Asulex having to be returned and destroyed. No one know if/when this year emergency use licence will be issued.

On ground where a weed wipe can be used, Roundup gives as good a result as Asulex. Asulex don't directly kill the tubers but prevent them from budding for a few years. (Frost and cattle walking over the dormant tubers kill some of them and not being shaded by bracken for a few years help the grass get established so it can compete.)

 

[Cowpoke82]

Asulux used to be the killer of choice but, like anything that works, I think it's now banned. Someone told me cutting the fronts would kill it but it didn't kill mine. I think repeated crushing does, so cattle.

Not banned but only allowed to be applied by helicopter

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Not banned but only allowed to be applied by helicopter

I think helicopter only was 2 years ago for just one year. '21 and '22 you could use landbased methods.
We are all waiting to see what this year produces when each one of the 4 countries gov's have to make their own decision.
I'm sure WG will come up with a permit, around mid Sept.!

 

[Cowpoke82]

I think helicopter only was 2 years ago for just one year. '21 and '22 you could use landbased methods.
We are all waiting to see what this year produces when each one of the 4 countries gov's have to make their own decision.
I'm sure WG will come up with a permit, around mid Sept.!

Be a bit late by September as bracken will have gone past the correct stage for spraying

 

[Nithsdale]

Not banned but only allowed to be applied by helicopter

Asulan (the chemical in Asulux) has been banned for 10 years, at least.

But govt keep issuing 'emergency' licences every year allowing the chemicals use. It is currently unknown if the license will be issued this year.

 

[Nithsdale]

Does Roundup kill them?

Glyphosate kills bracken. You can do it any time during its growth cycle and it will kill what's growing.

But, most effective kill reducing the crop in following years is to spray during the last 10-14 days of July and first 7-10 days of August, when the bracken is at its absolute strongest and is starting to turn, drawing all it's energies back down into its root systems, preparing for the following years growth.
Done at the right time 1 application of Glypho will give 99% successful kill and clearing the land.

 

[Cowpoke82]

Asulan (the chemical in Asulux) has been banned for 10 years, at least.

But govt keep issuing 'emergency' licences every year allowing the chemicals use. It is currently unknown if the license will be issued this year.

Yes I was aware of this as we spray bracken every year in fact we have 200 litres in store at the moment

 

[michael N123]

https://droneag.farm/solutions/dji-agras-spraying-drone/

I want one of these for bracken

 

[ringi]

https://droneag.farm/solutions/dji-agras-spraying-drone/

I want one of these for bracken

Are these yet good enough to spray all bracken leafs without spraying anything else?

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Glyphosate kills bracken. You can do it any time during its growth cycle and it will kill what's growing.

But, most effective kill reducing the crop in following years is to spray during the last 10-14 days of July and first 7-10 days of August, when the bracken is at its absolute strongest and is starting to turn, drawing all it's energies back down into its root systems, preparing for the following years growth.
Done at the right time 1 application of Glypho will give 99% successful kill and clearing the land.

Blenheim had a very heavy roller to flatten bracken. It seemed to work well for them in certain more sensitive areas.
All part of the tool-box.
SS

 

[Nithsdale]

Blenheim had a very heavy roller to flatten bracken. It seemed to work well for them in certain more sensitive areas.
All part of the tool-box.
SS

I've never used a crusher, some folk say they work others say they don't.

I'd imagine you'd need to use the crusher/roller mid July, before before the sap's start going back to the roots

 

[Landrover]

I've never used a crusher, some folk say they work others say they don't.

I'd imagine you'd need to use the crusher/roller mid July, before before the sap's start going back to the roots

You need to crush more than once, we use an old set of gang Cambridge rollers, it works but not as good as roundup but we're organic so chemical is out of the question, topping works but you have to get it at the right time

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I've never used a crusher, some folk say they work others say they don't.

I'd imagine you'd need to use the crusher/roller mid July, before before the sap's start going back to the roots

They had welded 50mm x50mm angle iron bars on the roller itself at regular intervals and were proud to tell of its success.

I don’t suppose it ever went on a hard road but I never asked that Q
SS

 

[suffolksmallholder]

You need to crush more than once, we use an old set of gang Cambridge rollers, it works but not as good as roundup but we're organic so chemical is out of the question, topping works but you have to get it at the right time

I think this is why Blenheim were so pleased with the big roller. No chems.
SS