Anyone else like gorse?

[Mycoman]

A bit of ground of mine - just under an acre, steeply sloped - is covered in gorse. I like it. There are rowan, ash and blackthorn growing up through it (8 years since horses grazed there) protected from roe deer, I understand their root nodules fix nitrogen, birds and bees love it and the flowers look and smell great.

 

The thing is, everybody I ask for advice says get rid of it - burn, spray, mulch, whatever - and start again by planting trees. Why is this? What am I missing?

[Ty Unnos]

I reckon gorse is awesome. The colours at this time of year is great. If over time you want to replace with trees just plant in and around it. As the trees close off the canopy they will kill it anyway.

[nepia]

Yeah I love the stuff; flowers virtually the whole year round and as you say the pollinators love it. But I'd suggest thinking carefully about planting other stuff: gorse thrives in poor soil where other plants don't, probably to do with it being a legume - broom is the same - and hence fixing at least some of its own nitrogen.

 

Leave it alone and keep enjoying it.

[Jesse]

A bit of ground of mine - just under an acre, steeply sloped - is covered in gorse. I like it. There are rowan, ash and blackthorn growing up through it (8 years since horses grazed there) protected from roe deer, I understand their root nodules fix nitrogen, birds and bees love it and the flowers look and smell great.

 

The thing is, everybody I ask for advice says get rid of it - burn, spray, mulch, whatever - and start again by planting trees. Why is this? What am I missing?

 

I love it , its great for wild life and to roll around in with your pants off:lol:

[nepia]

I love it , its great for wild life and to roll around in with your pants off:lol:

 

 

My life has been so empty...

[RichardT]

Depends on context. I like to look at whin and I like the wildlife it hosts, but not so much to walk or quad along paths choked with it.

 

Hence I also like what the 14t Hyundai with attached FAE mulcher is presently doing to some unwelcome patches of it here.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

love it, its a great protector of young regenerating trees, much like hawthorn is Gorse fills the same role in the process of reclaiming grazing land.

 

an important habitat niche.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

[David Goss]

I like it as long as I dont have to cut and chip it, that sucks.

[sussexlad]

I love it , its great for wild life and to roll around in with your pants off:lol: