If he stands in the forest, he causes worries and problems for very few people. But if the fern ventures into the garden, grows rampant in the bed or destroys the well-kept lawn, the fun is over.

Fern is poisonous and should be kept out of the reach of children

Reasons that make fighting worthwhile

All fern species are poisonous. Pets such as cats and dogs are particularly at risk. Even grazing animals such as horses, cows, sheep and goats are not immune to the danger.

Furthermore, small children could quickly poison themselves with this plant. The bracken fern in particular is considered to be highly toxic. Even inhaling small doses of its spores can lead to symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting and signs of paralysis.

Another reason to fight ferns is that they like to spread through their spores as well as via their stolons. Bracken and funnel fern are rampant. This crowds out other plants.

Control tool #1: dig up

It is not biologically harmful to the environment to dig up and destroy the annoying ferns. But with bad luck, the spores have already formed and the ferns appear again next year. Therefore, digging is best done in the spring before sporulation. A follow-up check is recommended in the following year.

Another thing to keep in mind when digging up ferns is that most types of ferns are deep-rooting. Their subterranean offshoots are far-reaching. They too should be rigorously removed (preferably pulled out) when digging up.

Means of control #2: mowing down

  • Mowing ferns in the lawn
  • first time: in June
  • second time: in midsummer (before the new leaf fronds have fully unfolded)
  • Procedure weakens the rhizomes and thus the plant
  • Success: medium
  • possibly necessary again in the following year

Control agent no. 3: chemical club

If nothing helps and you don't care much about the environment, you still have the option of fighting the fern with chemicals. The use of herbicides is usually successful in the first year. However, the stocks usually recover and the next year the chemicals have to be used again at the expense of the groundwater.

tips and tricks

Prevention is better than fighting: Ferns grow on nutrient-poor soils. If the soil is regularly fertilized and mowed, no fern will spread at all.

Category:

Vegetable garden