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Gorse

Gorse

Ulex

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Gorse

DESCRIPTION

Describing gorse to a Kiwi farmer is like describing a jockstrap to an All Black; hardly necessary (i.e. it’s an uncomfortable fact of life and  you already know what it looks like). 

But for the sake of form, gorse is a woody, deep-rooted perennial brushweed that can grow to 4 metres high in dense, impenetrable stands. Its small green leaves are hard spines, and in autumn and spring it produces the masses of bright yellow flowers so beloved of tourists.  

Alas, gorse also produces about 8,000 seeds per bush per year. And these seeds can survive in the soil for at least 30 years. So it’s hardly surprising that controlling and ultimately eradicating gorse is a long term proposition, involving a combination of several management practices.

MANUAL & MECHANICAL REMOVAL

If stands of gorse are not too dense and mature, plowing or rotary slashing can be an effective approach. After plowing, seedlings and regrowth will require follow-up spraying with herbicide (see below). Slashing will need to be repeated, probably several times,  interspersed with hard grazing by sheep, as well as some follow-up spraying as necessary.

Cutting smaller gorse with a scrub cutter or chainsaw and treating the stumps with herbicide, although labour intensive, is very cost-effective for isolated plants or small stands. Large individual gorse bushes can be successfully cut off just above ground level, and the stumps swabbed with herbicide (see below).

BURNING

Gorse burns well and if conditions (and regulations) allow, burning can be a cost-effective option. But seeds are not killed by the fire,  and even the burnt stumps will regrow, so follow-up spraying with herbicide is inevitable. Most authorities advise spraying with herbicide some months before burning, because the dying bushes will burn better.

GOATS

Goats can contain or even eliminate gorse given time, but the property needs to be suitably fenced and carefully managed over several years. Up to 20 goats per hectare are required to make good progress.

BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

There is a widely-occurring gorse seed weevil that has some impact during the summer months, but is ineffective against seeds produced outside that season. Other biological agents are being developed and tested, and may prove beneficial in the future. Of course, they said that about the rabbit. And the possum. And the cane toad.

HERBICIDES TO CONTROL GORSE

Stump Treatment Herbicides to Kill Gorse

In all cases, add SuperWetter  at 10ml/L water to aid penetration. Plants should be cut as low to the ground as possible and treated soon after cutting. Use a paintbrush on large stumps to totally cover the top and sides of the stump down to ground level. A spray bottle or knapsack sprayer can also be used.

Using our Cut'n'Paste Original or Glimax Professional , or MetGel ready to use stump gel's is also effective. Effective year round, and are grass friendly in that you are just applying to the stump. Any drips or spillage on grass will kill the grass.

Spraying Herbicides to Kill Gorse

Spraying with suitable herbicides is best option to kill dense and inaccessible stands of gorse. While gorse can be successfully sprayed year-round, the best time is during the flush of ‘soft’ growth that occurs a few weeks after flowering. The time when this occurs varies in different parts of the country, and even then varies a bit from year to year. It generally coincides with late spring, summer and early autumn. 

Notes:

  1. GrassMate is grass friendly. MSF600, G-360 GLYPHOSATE, and Granny Herbicide are not grass friendly.
  2. MSF600 is the slowest acting (takes several months) but the lowest cost. It’s also the most popular.
Non-Selective Herbicides to Kill Seedling Gorse in non-cropland areas