Ferns!

[Jamoke]

Does anyone have a decent method of getting rid of these God aweful things? Am I just looking at killing them with glyc or will mowing them eventually do it? Ferns are so damm crazy, I'm afraid they'll just keep coming back.

[turkeyfeathers]

Where’s there is ferns your PH will be off for planting food plots i I know 

[moog5050]

Acidic soil.  But if you may be able to have a huge plant sale.  Remember when ferns in the house were the rage?

[dbHunterNY]

careful that spraying you don't kill other native browse that you want to replace it.  if you spray it'll just comeback if you have deer over browsing, highly acidic soils, and thick overhead canopy blocking sun light. don't use an extended control type of spray just regular gly if you do. have to address the other stuff first, except thinning timber. you'll want to kill fern first before letting in more sunlight.

[Jamoke]

It's a spot I cleared so lots of sun coming in. And yes the soil is acidic. I put a clover mix in and the ferns are growing right over it.  Been mowing it down for now. My logging roads around this spot are growing perfect clover. Just wanna fix my main plot.

Edited July 16, 2019 by Jamoke

[Jamoke]

On 7/15/2019 at 10:37 AM, moog5050 said:

Acidic soil.  But if you may be able to have a huge plant sale.  Remember when ferns in the house were the rage?

I planted ferns in my landscaping about 15 years ago and those bastards were starting to come up threw my driveway! I HATE those things. Had to dig up every root ball. Grrrr

[G-Man]

Lime ,more lime , mow ,lime, mow 

Or spray, lime ,mow ,more lime, mow

[Jamoke]

4 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Lime ,more lime , mow ,lime, mow 

Or spray, lime ,mow ,more lime, mow

Maybe I'll get some bags of lime then. Thank you!

[G-Man]

4 minutes ago, Jamoke said:

Maybe I'll get some bags of lime then. Thank you!

If you get ph up high enough it will not grow as conditions are not right for it.. bonus your clover grows better as well

[Putnamcounty Bowhunter]

+1 lime, mow, lime, mow/spray... I’ve got a real problem with hay scented ferns on my lease and I’ve been fighting them all summer.   

As we get closer to the fall, mowing should work better- all it’s done so far is spur more growth but it has given the food plot crops a chance to get above the ferns and begin to outcompete.    

 

Ive has the best success pouring hi-cal fast acting lime directly on the areas of fern growth.  Seems like it killed the rhizomes.   Nothing else was growing in those spots either cus it’s so alkaline,  but I’ll rake out the dirt in those “scorched earth” spots ahead of fall planting to spread it around and bump up the ph throughout the plot.  Should clear the ferns and make those particular spots viable again for higher ph plants like alfalfa. 

If all else fails, burn down everything with glypho and keep liming away!  

[Jamoke]

Update:
Lime worked and gly sent it packing....
In the spring I planted a clover mix from Hancock and it took off and flowered. In June I mowed it at the highest setting. 3 weeks later the whole plot was gone! All dirt and I can’t grow crap in it anymore! The remnants of the cut clover wasn’t even there. It was like the twilight zone. What happened?


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[corydd7]

Deer browsed it down? Do the clover stems looks like they just didn't grow or nipped off? Perfect time to throw some rye and save your plot. After I finish this glass of jack that's exactly what I'm doing. My clover gets crushed this time of year, I over seed if with wheat or rye and the deer seem to enjoy it.

[Jamoke]

Deer browsed it down? Do the clover stems looks like they just didn't grow or nipped off? Perfect time to throw some rye and save your plot. After I finish this glass of jack that's exactly what I'm doing. My clover gets crushed this time of year, I over seed if with wheat or rye and the deer seem to enjoy it.

Their wasn’t a shrewd of clover left. The plot looked like a dirt carpet. Never seen anything like it. It was loaded with clover. Wtf


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[Jamoke]

Here is big n beasty in a different plot. I also seeded my new dirt carpet plot with this and nothing. This won’t even grow in it.


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[land 1]

have u done a soil test,,,,ive been using B&B for few years, never had issue and had it grow in 5.3ph

[land 1]

also mowing clover 1st yr i found isnt great maybe in late august before rain the roots need time to really get going

[Billdogge]

Time for Rye. 

[left field]

Maybe too late, but here's a good paper on fern control and eradication: https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/d/5957/files/2015/03/fern-management-fact-sheet-Dave-Jackson-PSU-2016-zrs1al.pdf

 

[Billdogge]

Not too late for Rye. Seed right before upcoming rain. 

[Jamoke]

also mowing clover 1st yr i found isnt great maybe in late august before rain the roots need time to really get going

I guess I shouldn’t of cut it first year. It was coming in thick too. I just can’t believe that all of a sudden nothing grows in it. It’s like someone dumped nuclear waste on it. I did plant that clover mix again in it a few weeks ago and it’s coming in spots but barely out of the ground.


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[G-Man]

1 hour ago, Jamoke said:

I guess I shouldn’t of cut it first year. It was coming in thick too. I just can’t believe that all of a sudden nothing grows in it. It’s like someone dumped nuclear waste on it. I did plant that clover mix again in it a few weeks ago and it’s coming in spots but barely out of the ground.


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I dont cut clover 1st year , if its thin just frost seed next spring ,and you can add winter grains in fall. If its growing in thin now then add winter rye now as a cover crop and let it go to head next spring then roll it . Let clover get established the rye will help soil and keep weeds from. Competing

[land 1]

Thats weird ive had no issue growing B&B but i have had issues with low ph and growing clover

[squirrelwhisperer]

Do deer eat ferns?

[land 1]

i have seen them browse on dead or dying ones but imo not a heavy sought food source

[SWEDE]

On 9/6/2020 at 4:08 PM, Jamoke said:

Their wasn’t a shrewd of clover left. The plot looked like a dirt carpet. Never seen anything like it. It was loaded with clover. Wtf


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Exact same thing happened to me. Gyco to kill ferns lime fert. Wt clover. Came up good. 3 weeks later it vaporized. No deer tracks no shriveled clover. Just gone. Empty dirt