Replacing gorse with something else

[woodyguy]

I'd just plant away. As long as you clear/strim the regrowth once per year then it wont re-establish. I've been delighted at the massive growth of wild service that I planted 3 months ago. The big green buds looked out of place in January but now that they've put on 6 inches growth in 3 weeks I can see why they looked so plump. Great tree.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

I wonder if switch around from putting bracken first in wales and gorse first in surrey is due to level of rainfall?

 

It's certainly wet here

And pretty dry in Surrey ( comparitively)

[matelot]

Hi, long time lurker here

 

I've planted trees amongst gorse with fairly disappointing results.

 

I cut circles into the gorse of about 6 foot diameter, and then planted a mixture of broadleaves.

 

Most of the trees never really took. I don't know if there was still too much shade, it also crossed my mind that the leaf litter beneath the gorse wasn't good for trees.

 

The only trees that seemed to do well were some oak.

 

If I was doing it again I would clear bigger areas of gorse. You can also use the cut gorse as a "fence" to keep any deer out.

 

Depending on the site you could maybe burn the gorse? Obviously not if there are any nesting birds though.

 

Good luck anyway, I've read your other tree planting posts with interest.

[Daniël Bos]

I live on the corner of "gorse drove" and "gorse lane" the thing that seems to do best here and what they've replaced all the gorse with is tarmac! not a gorse bush left within at least 20 miles of here.

[spandit]

 

I cut circles into the gorse of about 6 foot diameter, and then planted a mixture of broadleaves.

 

 

Good luck anyway, I've read your other tree planting posts with interest.

 

Thanks, I couldnt really find any information on what my "woodland" might look like after 1,2,3 etc. years so thought I'd post up how mine is doing. I've started a blog as I post on different forums and it's easier to consolidate things in there.

 

I'm lucky that my gorse isn't in big patches, it's confined to hedgerows so should be fairly easy to remove, prickles aside. I just think I could use the space for some more useful species (there'll still be plenty of gorse around).

 

Will follow the advice of cutting it back and trimming and I like the idea of using it as a dead hedge to deter deer - that's certainly something I'll look at doing as they're generally great for wildlife.

[ArthurBottlesworth]

They used to chop gorse for winter stock feed

Better than nothing I'd guess.......

 

We've cut down gorse years ago and top it each year...nothing like silver underneath it....and the bugger isn't dead yet.....

 

When we bought place we had some butterflies ( either pearl washed or pearl bordered fritillaries) at that point the one we had wasn't considered rare so no money forthcoming, but apparently they live on the violets under bracken, don't know if they are still here but the bracken is....

[GrahamW]

Gorse also grows on chalk, provided that there is a sufficient clay cap. Southwick Hill, on the South Downs, is a good case in point.

 

Gorse burns with a ferocious heat and makes excellent firewood - assuming that you can find big enough logs of the stuff to make it worthwhile.

[difflock]

The gorse "stumps" and heavier branches also have an apparently wonderful "zig-zag" or wriggly grain structure/pattern.

From my NI observations.

But the small size is the limitation

m

[nepia]

So as not to start a whole new thread...

 

Does anyone know what's happening to the gorse in Sussex and perhaps elsewhere?  It looks devastated; nearly all the top growth is dead.  We're nearly into June and it's brown, brown, brown.

Walking over Beachy Head last week I genuinely thought it had been sprayed as part of scrub control but it's the same on the banks lining the A22.

And yet my mate has it on his farm at the top of Scotland and it's thriving so the winter and spring haven't done for it have they?

 

Any similar experiences beyond my limited universe?

[spandit]

My gorse is looking pretty splendid around my pond - it's all naturally regenerated and providing good dog-proof cover so hoping some of the wildlife the pond attracts will actually stay. It has been really cold and wet this year so far but it's pretty tough stuff so should bounce back, I hope