Bracken!

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Camilla

Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Hello.
This is the first time I'm posting on here and I need some help. I have 8 piggies and I am going to make a big out door run for them this spring. My problem is that the area I have is covered in Bracken!
Does anyone have any good ideas how to permanently remove it so it will be safe for the piggies?

Thanks
 
Wont be easy but you will have to cut it back to ground level and then perhaps cover the area with black plastic to kill it off, dig the area over and perhaps seed the area or turf it over. I am guessing it is more bracken than grass then
 
Yes. About 90% Bracken. Starving it of oxygen is a good idea. Someone else said to put a thick layer of horse poo on it and it will kill it. Not sure of that but I would have plenty of it.
 
Bracken fern has a rhizome which stores its energy until it has a chance to grow, products which absorb the poison into the leaves taking it down to the roots will kill it but I dont know how many of them I would want near my piggies. The only other way of killing it is to cut it down or dig it out and when new bit come up just dig them out too. I think it is poultry poo which stops it growing not horse poo sorry (I have plenty of the horsey kind too)
I think that the fern is edible for people and some animals when it is young but I would check it out for the piggies before letting them eat it, hope this helps
 
Bracken is notoriously difficult to remove. If you mulch it with horse manure put down a really thick layer, a big pile of it even and cover it with black polythene as sharonS said. Leave it for 6 months and hopefully it will kill it off, you can then spread the manure and dig it in to the soil. The only thing is if you leave any bracken in the area around it it will spread back in to where you cleared. The other option is to use a glyphosate herbicide which is systemic so would kill the whole plant but is inert in the soil. You'd then need to dig over an clear the area of the dead plants or mulch/cover it so it rots down and then dig it over before seeding or turfing. Either way I don't think you'll have it ready for this year unless you really like digging!
 
I foyu dig it over now then you will clear the bracken, but you must dig to quite a depth and be careful to remove all the roots. This isn't easy as the roots can be the same colour as the earth if you have brown earth. You need to dig deep and clear slowly, it doesn't work if you don;t get all the roots up.

Personally I would look on this as a very good form of exercise, alternative to aerobics!, and get digging rather than use any chemicals near my piggys.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top