Bracken Management on Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen
Welcome to my blog!
Please take a seat - I can't promise that the ride will be bump-free but I do hope you will take away something that will help you when you consider managing your bracken.
Just a Very Short (Personal) History
We, my wife and I had always wanted to live in a beautiful location. Circumstances arose where, with considerable work, this might be possible. We took the opportunity and purchased our new home in mid-2016.
After a few months of restoration we move in at the end of 2016 and all was well.
It was in early March of 2017 that the issue with Bracken first rose it's ugly head and I started researching what might be done to control this rural "weed".
Target Acquired - Much Learning Required
After a few weeks of googling the subject I took my first tentative steps on road to Bracken-Control Nirvana! The information I gleaned from Google had included ideas from Academic Studies and several UK government websites (please see references below).The key learnings were that;
1 - Bracken is not all bad - There are several species of butterfly and other insect-life that thrive in the bracken-forest environment.
2 - Though it isn't all bad it does have a significant negative impact on the landscape if allowed to grow out of control. Though I have yet to spot any use of the word "weed" in reference to Bracken I have come to consider it as such. I appreciate that this term has no technical significance but it strikes the appropriate tone when considering this maestro at the art of thriving!
3 - The management of Bracken is not a task to be taken lightly. I decided early on that the best approach for our land would be manual in nature. There are many reasons for this. Here are just a few -
- The land that has been most successfully colonized consists of steep (30%+) slopes and trying to get any large mechanical device would be fruitless and dangerous.
- The pre-existing litter was sufficient to ensure that even manual activities would require considerable effort and dedication.
- The existence of 3-6 inches of litter across the landscape meant that the bracken had been growing for several years unchecked. In fact the litter that had accumulated on the most northerly section of the land had, partly due to the reduced exposure to prevailing winds, accumulated to between 8 and 12 inches.
- It was absolutely essential that the removal of the Bracken not lead to soil erosion. One of the first things I established was that the ground cover, though sparse in patches, was significant enough to enable re-growth and filling of the areas where the Bracken was to be removed. Ultimately I am hoping for a significant re-growth of the heather that the local landscape is justifiably famous for. exposignthemselves to
4 - Health and Safety concerns should not be taken lightly. The manual approach to Bracken Management means that a person, me, has to walk the land on a regular basis. This involves considerable effort and stress on the joints which I learnt to my cost. In addition to this there is a risk of Lyme Disease which is brought to the intrepid adventurer who decides to expose themselves to the management of Bracken! Lyme Disease is carried by the ticks that inhabit bracken. Not all ticks carry the bacteria that cause lyme disease but it is the ticks that live on bracken that are most likely to. Lyme disease is not to be trifled with and anyone, even walkers, should wear appropriate clothing when passing through bracken infested landscapes. Here a historical note is appropriate. Back in the early days, when I was still trying to get to grips with the basics of the issue, I would come out of the fields, after an inspection of the extent of the problem and regularly remove 4 to 5 ticks from exposed parts of my body. It is with considerable fortune that I appear to have avoided contracting Lyme disease. After further research and more fully appreciating the risks I decided up a form of dress that I currently use to this day. This consists of, starting from the feet upwards - White compression socks - White compression leggins and a White Compression top. Together with tight fitting gloves this arrangement has meant that I have not been bitten by a tick for the last 3 months. Regarding the cleaning of this "kit". It is vital that, after coming inside after some time in the field, all these cloths are removed and placed in a tumble dryer for 30 mins. This will then kill any ticks that have attached themselves to the clothing. Ticks thrive in damp conditions and are not sure to be killed during a wash cycle. So first 30 mins in the dryer - to kill the ticks and then into the washing machine.
This is the end of my first installment.
Any comments/suggestions would be gratefully received so please don't be shy.
Future posts will include photos and, possibly, some video.
We are all learning, all the time, and the old phrase Know thy Enemy has never been so appropriate!
This is the end of my first installment.
Any comments/suggestions would be gratefully received so please don't be shy.
Future posts will include photos and, possibly, some video.
We are all learning, all the time, and the old phrase Know thy Enemy has never been so appropriate!
References -
http://baildonmoor.org/wordpress/information/bracken-management-a-long-term-balanced-plan
https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/topics/updates/guidance-archive/agri-environment-climate-scheme-management-options-archive/guidance-for-bracken-management-archived-18-05-2015
http://www.brackenbruisers.co.uk/products.html
http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/35013
http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/33017
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