Bracken

[Lloyd90]

Query and easy one … can you plant bracken (assume you need to spread the spores?) from one area where you have it, to another area of woodland where you don’t have any? 
 

thanks 👍🏻

[TIGHTCHOKE]

I have transplanted small self set plants in the past in order to move the cover along.

[JDog]

Bracken in woodland generally smothers natural regeneration.

If you are looking at providing ground level cover in an existing wood then consider Lonicera nitida.

[Walker570]

Sorry Lloyd but I cannot see why anyone would want to plant bracken anywhere. It completely kills all other plants. Look for a better natural wodland alternative or if you have hazel, hawthorne, elder then spleach these and lay them down and then the natural woodland plants will grow through and the winter stems will be supported as cover and the laid branches will sprout the following year and provide further cover.  BUT always lay them in the direction beaters will be walking so they don't have to clamber over them.   I did a wood which had an under cover of elder and I dropped these(spleached) in lines with narrow walkways in between and it worked well. Only problem there it did invited dogs to run on a bit up the alleys.     Lonicer planted en mas can become difficult to work through but will work in clumps.

 

[old man]

1 hour ago, Lloyd90 said:

Query and easy one … can you plant bracken (assume you need to spread the spores?) from one area where you have it, to another area of woodland where you don’t have any? 
 

thanks 👍🏻

Would propose no, it has an interesting toxicity? Most who have it in large areas probably wish they hadn't?

[Smudger687]

Bracken is nasty stuff - as others have mentioned, it smothers the growth of other plants. It is able to accomplish this because both the plant and the spores are full of a highly carcinogenic and toxic substance called ptaqiloside. The plant seeps ptaqiloside through its root system into the surrounding soil as a form of area denial for other plant species. Bracken spreads rapidly and it is difficult to stop it once you have an established population in an area, and there are few herbicides available to control it. In some areas of Wales pre-mains water supply, the bracken infestation was so bad that the rates of oesophageal and stomach cancers were significantly higher than the rest of the UK, due primarily to groundwater contamination of the wells. 

Bracken is also notorious for harbouring ticks. If there's deer in an area, you can be almost certain that you'll find ticks on the bracken. 

As JDog said, I'd consider other species. 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Smudger687

[Lloyd90]

9 hours ago, JDog said:

Bracken in woodland generally smothers natural regeneration.

If you are looking at providing ground level cover in an existing wood then consider Lonicera nitida.

thank you 🙏🏻 

9 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Sorry Lloyd but I cannot see why anyone would want to plant bracken anywhere. It completely kills all other plants. Look for a better natural wodland alternative or if you have hazel, hawthorne, elder then spleach these and lay them down and then the natural woodland plants will grow through and the winter stems will be supported as cover and the laid branches will sprout the following year and provide further cover.  BUT always lay them in the direction beaters will be walking so they don't have to clamber over them.   I did a wood which had an under cover of elder and I dropped these(spleached) in lines with narrow walkways in between and it worked well. Only problem there it did invited dogs to run on a bit up the alleys.     Lonicer planted en mas can become difficult to work through but will work in clumps.

 

Thank you, good advice 👍🏻
 

Bracken is a common cover found in many woodland and especially ground for spaniel trials, hence it would be really good to have an area on my ground. 

2 hours ago, Smudger687 said:

Bracken is nasty stuff - as others have mentioned, it smothers the growth of other plants. It is able to accomplish this because both the plant and the spores are full of a highly carcinogenic and toxic substance called ptaqiloside. The plant seeps ptaqiloside through its root system into the surrounding soil as a form of area denial for other plant species. Bracken spreads rapidly and it is difficult to stop it once you have an established population in an area, and there are few herbicides available to control it. In some areas of Wales pre-mains water supply, the bracken infestation was so bad that the rates of oesophageal and stomach cancers were significantly higher than the rest of the UK, due primarily to groundwater contamination of the wells. 

Bracken is also notorious for harbouring ticks. If there's deer in an area, you can be almost certain that you'll find ticks on the bracken. 

As JDog said, I'd consider other species. 

Cheers 👍🏻
 

I was training in a different woodland today that is absolutely full of the below type of grass. 
 

Any ideas what it’s called? 

[Walker570]

Dunno but those small trees are ideal for spleacing.

[jall25]

Lloyd

Look at planting - if that is what you are to do - native species

Dog woods / hazels / black thorn / haw thorn / dog rose/ holly/rowan - if you want cover and habitat

Lonicera is a chinese species so is sub optimum and should not be encouraged

 

What we have done in various areas of the woods is clear areas of between an acre or two and plant game strips / wild bird strips in them

 

[Son of a gun]

Hi Lloyd, 

As said previously if planting it’s preferable to use native species, do our bit for the other wildlife on the shoot! Holly is great but very slow growing, dogwood, hawthorn and dog rose are also good game shrubs too. 
If planting new cover isn’t possible then maybe some thinning is required. Most woodland sites will have dogwood, bramble, hawthorn etc coming through when you let the light in. 
 

I believe that photo is a sedge grass (maybe common sedge), pendulous sedge is quite common especially if you’re on damp ground. I believe you can buy plugs of them online (they’re common in gardens) and plant out, but mindful to clear a bit of an area around so it doesn’t get smothered young! 
 

Good Luck! 

[Jim Neal]

Lloyd if you were nearer to me I'd be happy to dig you up as much of that stuff as you can carry.  When it's allowed light it gets very dense and makes great flushing cover.  Work a couple of dogs through a big patch of it and the birds pop up literally from all over the place, it's good stuff for rough shooting over

[Lloyd90]

On 23/02/2022 at 22:42, Jim Neal said:

Lloyd if you were nearer to me I'd be happy to dig you up as much of that stuff as you can carry.  When it's allowed light it gets very dense and makes great flushing cover.  Work a couple of dogs through a big patch of it and the birds pop up literally from all over the place, it's good stuff for rough shooting over

The sedge grass? 
 

There’s a woodland near me absolutely full of it! Sadly no game birds. 

On 22/02/2022 at 09:16, Son of a gun said:

Hi Lloyd, 

As said previously if planting it’s preferable to use native species, do our bit for the other wildlife on the shoot! Holly is great but very slow growing, dogwood, hawthorn and dog rose are also good game shrubs too. 
If planting new cover isn’t possible then maybe some thinning is required. Most woodland sites will have dogwood, bramble, hawthorn etc coming through when you let the light in. 
 

I believe that photo is a sedge grass (maybe common sedge), pendulous sedge is quite common especially if you’re on damp ground. I believe you can buy plugs of them online (they’re common in gardens) and plant out, but mindful to clear a bit of an area around so it doesn’t get smothered young! 
 

Good Luck! 

thank you 

[Jim Neal]

19 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

The sedge grass? 
 

There’s a woodland near me absolutely full of it! Sadly no game birds. 

Yes.  I'd guess there needs to be a good mixture of other attractive habitat rather than just the grass on its own.... and of course the birds need to be there in the first place!

[Fellside]

Wood rush (Lazula sylvatica)

Native and harmless but not brilliant pheasant cover to be honest.