Admittedly: With its long, grass-green, finely feathered fronds that gently sway in the wind, the fern looks good. When it grows over entire areas, you are reminded of a tropical forest. But the fern is not always welcome!
How do I effectively remove ferns in the garden?
Section: To effectively remove ferns, you can mow the plants repeatedly to weaken them or dig up the roots and stolons to permanently eliminate them. Herbicides can help, but are not always successful and can cause damage to the environment and other plants.
Ferns are spreading rapidly
Thanks to their spores, ferns spread in no time. With the help of their foothills, they occupy an ever-increasing territory over time. Therefore, you need to act quickly if you want to remove a fern.
Mowing - a solution soon, but not permanently
If you want to move quickly, mow down the troublemakers. But be warned: the roots survive and the ferns will soon sprout again. If you keep mowing over the ferns every few weeks, they will eventually be so weakened that they will die.
Dig up roots - that's successful
The best way to permanently remove a fern is to dig up its roots (including the runners). Most fern species are shallow-rooted. Start digging up the roots in the spring. In the summer the new spores have formed and are distributed.
Use herbicides – many ferns still come back
Many gardeners swear by herbicides. But with ferns this often makes little sense:
- Apply herbicides to the leaves
- Roots usually survive
- new shoots next year
- Twice application necessary
- Disadvantage: Damage to other plants, wildlife, groundwater, etc.
Ferns are poisonous
Without asking permission, many species of ferns spread out in meadows where grazing animals graze. Animals also sometimes wander off with their thoughts and are not really focused when eating. There is a great risk that they will also eat fern.
Why danger? All fern species are more or less poisonous. The ferns native to this country, such as the bracken, are extremely toxic and you should be careful not to consume them. Whether human or animal – no one is immune to the toxins it contains.
Tips & Tricks
Once you have dug up ferns, consider sowing the seeds of another hardy plant. With luck, this will grow before the fern can develop again.
