Solutions

Controlling bracken is a top priority for many people and there are ways to manage it. A preventative measure is to ensure farm equipment is clean when going from bracken fern dominated areas to clean ones. Other times plowing a field and planting crops can control bracken ferns. By cultivating a field the rhizomes are brought to the surface. Doing this in summer is most effective because then the rhizomes can be left out in the sun to dry and die. Normally going 15-20 cm deep is deep enough. However, this cannot be done in areas with shallow soil or in areas that are prone to erosion.

Slashing the fronds as they emerge from the ground can help with control. However, it takes at least 3 years of slashing before the bracken fern starts retreating. This is a lot of effort and therefore this is a hard method for large areas. Slashing needs to happen often and can be time consuming. Sometimes combining slashing and burning can also help. Burning alone does not do much since the rhizomes are underneath the surface and are not harmed. Herbicides can also help, however, these need to be researched carefully. The most important thing is to make use of the pasture after the bracken fern is gone. If the pasture is not farmed, grazed, or other plants put into it than bracken fern will simply come in again. For example, a farmer could plant alfalfa in the pasture and this could help keep the Bracken fern from taking back over. 

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