I had a client ask me this week about bracken fern weed control. In his food plots he has tried cutting, burning, round up, cultivating, and plowing. Yikes! These plants are almost full proof.
So I decided I might do a little post here. Maybe it can help you understand why it is such a problem and maybe even some ways to initiate and maintain control. The key here is a long term strategy, with no letting up!
All of the methods of control are aimed at a particular biologic behavior of the plant. So here goes.
#1) NO BURNING: Bracken fern is considered a fire resistant plant. Some people have used burning to reduce the amount of dead fronds. Burning will only increase fern growth and the density of emerging fronds. If you are harvesting bracken fern, this would be to your advantage. But in any other circumstance, it will only fuel the plants efforts and give you a major headache.
The reason for this is the best spore germination requires sterile soil. On unsterilized soils, the spores may germinate but the new plants are quickly overwhelmed by other growth.
Now having said that, if you feel you still have to burn to reduce the fronds, do so in the winter before a planned cultivation or herbicide application in the spring.
#2) WINTER CRUSHING
In the winter only. We put our cattle in the affected area. We then feed them hay, so they are not encouraged to eat the bracken fern on the deer food plot. This way they keep to their simple function of crushing the ferns. This tramples the frost into the rhizomes. In the spring we move the cattle out of there, so as not to expose them to poison.
#3) MOWING
Lots of people try mowing. Here is the key. The most effective time is in the summer. The biggest gift I can give you is the advice to cut every 3 to 4 weeks between the months of June and July. In the heat of the summer, there needs to be at least two cuts. This allows the rhizomes to generate second fronds which depletes the plants resources. Then you have to keep doing this for 3 to 5 years. Yes, I know, Yuk!
The other good piece of advice. When you mow, it is important to remove the forage so not providing cover for underground bracken rhizomes. If you remove the forage this allows the frost to destroy some of them in the winter. This also decreases Mg in the soil which helps decrease bracken fern growth in your food plots. Lower Mg in the soil is also better for grass growth.
Leaving the forage also provides a mulch against the soil and this can inhibit growth of any competing plants you are trying to grow by excessively shading it. The mulch can also be heavy and prevent the plants from emerging into the light in their most critical period.
Another interesting fact is that the bracken fern releases allelopathic chemicals which increases its ability to eliminate other vegetation. Even after the plants are removed, existing vegetation can be inhibited by toxins in the soil. Thus, if you have a bracken fern problem in your food plots, you have to be steadfast in your resolve for the next 3 to 5 years.
4) USING CHEMICALS:
Both Asulam and glyphosates can kill bracken fern. But here is the kicker: Asulam is more effective if cut first and both work best for the long term strategy if applied in the fall. The bracken fern has an extensive root system which is highly competitive. Kind of reminds me of dandelion! The only way to reach the underground root system with the chemicals is to take advantage of biologic behavior. In fall the transfer of food to rhizomes takes place in the autumn. This natural behavior allows us to get chemical further down deeper into the root system.
The important thing to note about chemicals is they are PART of the control program, not the answer to the problem when used in isolation.
#5) CRUSHING IN THE SUMMER
Emerging croziers can be bruised by the use of harrows, rollers or bracken crushers. Crushing is carried out with the same frequency as mowing. Crushing has the advantage of being safer when areas may damage blades of mowers.
#6) SOIL TEST AND PLANTING CHOICES:
First thing to do is soil test. You want to use the test to tell you if you are contributing to your bracken fern problem by giving it the exact soil conditions it thrives on. You may need to use fertilizer and lime applications to correct acid pH before you choose your next plant. Depending on your area, you may be able to select a plant with different soil pH requirement than the bracken fern and treat your soil accordingly. This may help you win the fight.
The best idea is to pick a rapidly growing tough grass for planting, that does well in your area. This will allow you to use the mowing strategy to your advantage. You can usually call the local agriculture office for information on what grasses grow well in your area. These are usually cheap to plant and can survive a variety of soil and waterfall variations. Be warned though, for food plots, stay away from perennial rye grass. If you use rye, use the annual variety. See my article on annuals.
Ideally you want to allow pasture to go to seed in the first year, especially if you are using perennial choices. This will help out compete the bracken fern in the next season.
6) CULTIVATION:
BEST in SUMMER. This allows the rhizomes to surface and then they dry out. Best period is between June and August for most areas. Follow with annual choices. Then use mowing to keep bracken fern from out growing your new crop. The fern uses vegetative growth and if allowed it will easily out grow even the best growing annual if you don’t mow it as the annual establishes itself.
You can also use the weed control strategy noted in the annuals article. In food plots where I have excessive weed competition, I plant only annuals and spend the entire summer the first year or two dealing with the weeds. Most of the focus is put on the weed control. I then choose an easy annual that provides forage in the early winter during bow season.
Usually you have to do this 2 to 3 consecutive years if this is your strategy. I know. Yikes again!
#6) WASH EQUIPMENT:
Clean all equipment before moving to a new food plot. The rhizomes are moved with the machinery and create new infestations. Be extremely careful of this one. It is a lousy way to contribute to the overall problem yourself.
I hope this was helpful. This is a tough weed, and only the persistant win against this one. Have a great day.
Dr. Judy
Sorrento was a nice quiet town. This entire coastal region is covered in terraced fruit and olive orchards. The rocks are steep, the roads are narrow, and riding along the coast in a bus is similar to an amusement park ride. The buses honk going around the corners as there is not enough room for two vehicles.
It fascinates me, how much effort goes into making the land productive through the use of terracing. It also cuts down the avalanche risk by keeping the soil stable. The food was average when compared to the north. I felt that way about the food in all of these locations.