Gorse/Furze Removal

WilburWild

Does anyone know a good chemical free way of removing gorse from my new garden? I'm planning on growing vegetables I don't want to use chemicals. It's about an acre and it's fairly thick.

magicbastarder

do goats eat gorse?

dfbemt

Burn it and return lots of nutrients to the ground ....... although on a professional capacity this should not be done.

jezko

dfbemt wrote: »

Burn it and return lots of nutrients to the ground ....... although on a professional capacity this should not be done.

Elbow grease, Cut and grub the Gorse plants.... I have never seen a non professional weed killer kill something like gorse.... and if you plan to grow veg, try use as few herbicides as possible

lottpaul

jezko wrote: »

Elbow grease, Cut and grub the Gorse plants.... I have never seen a non professional weed killer kill something like gorse.... and if you plan to grow veg, try use as few herbicides as possible

Sadly have to agree - lots and lots of elbow grease and perseverance over the coming years as the tiny little bits you inevitably miss (and seeds) sprout and grow but you will succeed. Try and get as much of the root up as possible with a mattock/graffán, well worth investing in.

magicbastarder

i've been reading that it's actually a very nutritious feed for animals. i suspect you'd want a tough animal, though.

fodda

lottpaul wrote: »

Sadly have to agree - lots and lots of elbow grease and perseverance over the coming years as the tiny little bits you inevitably miss (and seeds) sprout and grow but you will succeed. Try and get as much of the root up as possible with a mattock/graffán, well worth investing in.

Try a Chillington Heavy duty hoe www.chillingtonhoes.com/heavy.html perfect for ground clearence and vegetable growing.

Some videos here

http://www.youtube.com/user/999crocman#p/a/u/1/2pYNsX2mMd4

http://www.youtube.com/user/999crocman#p/a/u/0/8L4OcedSPT4

lottpaul

magicbastarder wrote: »

i've been reading that it's actually a very nutritious feed for animals. i suspect you'd want a tough animal, though.

Strange but true - I remember the in-laws showing me a huge heavy metal grinder that they used to "mince" up the gorse into a fine green mush that they added to animal feed during the winter when nothing much else green was available. They swore by it but said it was tough work grinding and the new animal feeds did away with the need for it.

Funsterdelux

I agree with the elbow grease! I recently cleared a half an acre myself (with some help), the furze/gorse/whins if your from the north, were 12 ft high, long gangly.

First we cut them to about a foot or so above the ground, firstly with a chainsaw, but I got fed up as it was slow and noisey, so I got a bow saw and it was actually faster! So cleared them and put the cut furze in a big pile and also a barrier hedge to the neighbours.

Then we got the lend of a 3ton mini digger and a couple of days, dug up all the roots/stumps! used the digger to dig the ground where we want to grew veg (about one third of the site), then got a lend of a tractor and harrow to even the ground out and lift stones and bold roots!

So all that needs to be done now is throw some manure on it and make a few ridges!

P.S. going to leave the pile of furze there for wildlife and let nature take its course, within reason!

fodda

Gorse bushes which are one of the first to flower in the new season provide one of the first feeds for bees and also provide cover and nesting sites for birds which are beneficial to your garden. I also think they look great.

In your photo you appear to have a lot of sally trees behind the gorse, these are like a weed but they usually prefer wet ground which may be no good for your vegetable garden.

Funsterdelux

fodda wrote: »

In your photo you appear to have a lot of sally trees behind the gorse, these are like a weed but they usually prefer wet ground which may be no good for your vegetable garden.

You could also use the sallys for stakes or for weaving small borders fences

magicbastarder

goats for scrub clearance:

http://devonfinefibres.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/goats-for-scrub-clearance/

cnocbui

Burn it.