Should I Remove Bracken Fern from My Property?

Many homeowners struggle with the question of whether or not to remove bracken fern from their property.

Bracken fern is a weed that can quickly take over an area, crowding out other plants and damaging the landscape.

Removing bracken fern is the best way to protect your property and keep it looking its best. There are several methods for removing bracken fern, so choose the one that works best for you.

What is bracken fern and what does it look like

Bracken Fern is a type of fern that can grow very quickly and takes over other plants in the area. These types of plants are often referred to as invasive species because they cause problems for native plant populations. It has been said that if you remove bracken fern from your yard or garden, it will help to prevent this type of invasion and provide more space for native plants to grow.

Bracken can be identified by its green leaves that grow to about six inches long with wavy edges; its dark brown stems that grow up to three feet tall; and small clusters of white spores under each leaf.

How do I identify bracken fern on my property?

There are over 100 types of ferns in the world, but one of the most common is bracken.

Bracken fern is a very common plant and can grow in many areas of the world such as North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Since they are so widespread it is important to know what kind of environment bracken fern can grow in.

These plants are found most often near the edges of meadows, wetlands and roadsides. They prefer soils with high amounts of organic matter, moisture and nutrients like calcium carbonate or limestone. They also like to grow where there have been disturbances recently such as landslides or deforestation making them great at growing on disturbed land.

How does bracken fern spread?

Bracken fern spreads via spores, not seeds. Spores are tiny, single-celled plants that grow into larger plants during cross-pollination with another bracken fern plant. Once they develop into adult plants, they will reproduce more young plants until there is a vast area of bracken ferns.

Is bracken fern poisonous to people or animals?

Bracken fern is known to be poisonous to both humans and animals, but there are no cases of their toxicity being fatal. These plants contain ptaquiloside which is toxic to humans if they ingest large amounts of it. It can cause vomiting, diarrhea, coma and even death if the person ingests too much of it.

Also, bracken fern contains thiaminase which can cause rhabdomyolysis when eaten by horses. This means that the muscle fibres in their body start to break down and lead to kidney damage or even death.

The best way to remove bracken fern from your garden

If you are trying to get rid of bracken ferns in their own yard or somewhere else outside where it can cause damage, they can use a cultivator to remove the plant. If the bracken fern has spread throughout your property then you might need to use herbicides in its place.

The most effective way to rid your yard of bracken fern is to remove the entire plant. This will prevent them from spreading, but soil erosion can still happen due to their ability for horizontal growth.

Do not try to kill them by pulling them out, because they will just grow back again in the same area since there are spores in the soil ready to start the process all over again.

In conclusion

The best way to deal with bracken fern is to remove it before it becomes established. This can be done through manual removal, herbicides, or flame-weeding.

Want to know more about removing bracken fern?

Knotweed Removal aims to provide the most up-to-date information, help and advice for YOU to make informed decisions. If you are unsure or uncertain about how to proceed, please reach out to us and we will gladly come back and advise you as best we can.

Governmental advice can be found here and the UK law covering the removal of Japanese Knotweed as stated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 can be found here.

The best means to contact us is via our email – hello@knotweedremoval.tips

Do not forget we have a library of blogs covering many areas relevant to Japanese Knotweed, our free downloadable How-to Guides and Product Reviews on the latest methods being employed to eradicate or remove Japanese Knotweed.

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