Bracken
About bracken
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is a native British fern commonly found in woodland and heath land. It is tolerant of a wide range of soils and climates and has an extensive underground network of two rhizome types which makes control difficult.
Is it harmful?
Fronds are poisonous to cattle and horses and harbour disease-carrying ticks and carry carcinogenic spores, however sheep and cattle normally avoid it.
The fronds are most toxic at the newly emerged or crozier stage. The fronds become less toxic with age but it is important that bracken cut for animal bedding should have died back entirely. The rhizomes are also poisonous and are a potential hazard to pigs that may uproot them and to cattle when ploughing exposes the rhizomes. Bracken is considered a human health hazard due to the carcinogenic spores. It also provides a habitat favoured by sheep ticks which transmit Lymes disease.
Treating bracken
Asulox can be used for bracken control. Apply Asulox on fully expanded fronds before the onset of senescence; usually early July to late August (early August in Northern Britain). Senescence begins with the fronds turning a darker green, becoming glossy and hard to the touch, with subsequent bronzing. Herbicidal symptoms are virtually absent in the year of spraying but in the following season there is little or no frond re-growth.
Apply Asulox in water with Warrior. The addition of this additive will increase the uptake of product by the fronds and in doing so will improve its reliability under adverse climatic conditions.
For more information on Asulox click here
For more information on Warrior click here
