Clearing Bracken

Well, I have pulled a few out using gloves and they come out easily, the only trouble is that as I understand it, it leaves the rhizomes(is this the root?) in the ground. I had a look on google images and see that many plants or shoots come out of one parent root. I'm thinking shineys suggestion of Asulam is a good option so long as it's not prohibitively expensive.

 

I've been looking around and found this :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370847932385?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It's netting but it's cheep, I have calculated that the perimeter of my plot is 200m so to go all the way around would cost £30ish.

Could I string this between the trees and get some kind of plant to creep up it? Ivy for instance?

I know it's not what has been suggested but I'm trying to think out of the box and keep costs as low as possible.

 

That seems to be the kind of flimsy netting whose sole purpose is to keep small birds and animals off your crops. No way would it take the weight of any climbing plant, and you'd be very limited as to what plants could even grip it anyway. Ivy glues its self on, so it could probably grip, but the weight would just tear it down in no time. Lots of climbers twist themselves round stuff. These wouldn't stand a chance of finding a grip. Great if you want to grow peas though, but it isn't going to meet your requirements.

 

Ok, thanks for the heads up, I have another hair brain idea

I was trying to think of a way I can get 200m of fencing together for very little or no money. A tall order but I have an idea. I know a thatcher who is always looking to get rid of old thatch he has removed. The idea would be to build fencing from this by laying it out on the floor and using galvanized wire to knit it top and bottom. I will make it in ten meter lengths then stand it up. Then I can get some plants that will climb it. It could be supported by the trees and where the trees are thin, posts.

Am I deluded or do you guys think this could actually work?

I got the idea from this kind of thing:

 

I like Shiney's suggestion. I think that would be the cheapest solution, but it will take time to fill out.

The willow 'fedge' option is not excessively expensive, but for 260 metres / approx 800ft, you could be looking at about £360 for the willow whips to get started.

http://www.yorkshirewillow-shop.co.uk/100-x-salix-viminalis-1-5-metre-rods-whips/

Wire is the cheaper option by far, but then you still need to plant something to thicken up the boundary over time.

http://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/f...cultural-fencing-wire-fencing-plain-wire.aspx

Regardless of what you ultimately choose to plant, you need to allow for losses due to rabbits and deer pinching it. I planted a load of unprotected willow on my land 4 years ago, and it got munched, but enough survived so that I have a lot more now than I originally had. I also planted 100 young crab apples and hazels. Almost all were munched. If you're on a tight budget, then it is worth thinking about the cost of protecting plants vs the cost of losses.

The prices I've found are obviously internet prices. If you have a farmer's auction near you (not to be confused with the trendy 'farmers market'), then it is worth popping along. To give you some idea, at our local one, I bought two huge bundles of tree protectors for £40. I thought I'd got an absolute bargain as it was, until I realised that each tube in the bundle actually contained about half a dozen more tree protectors of different diameters inside it. I was tempted to bid on a massive roll of brand new wire mesh. I decided to wander off to get a bacon butty instead, figuring there's no way I could afford 200 meters by 2 metres of brand new mesh. I cam back just as the bidding closed. It went for about £30.

 

If you want a surrounding hedge on the cheap then propagate the plants you want - either from seed, or from cuttings. But they will take probably 3 years, 2 years if you are lucky, longer to reach matruity than "bought plants" - so you can pay your money and reduce the time the hedge takes to establish. If time is not a problem then propagating your own will be cheapest.

I have thousands of hedging plants (quite literally) that I have grown from cuttings ... and as I said earlier cell-grown plants are another route, which will gain you one year's growth and they cost about 50p - 80p each.

Can you get a forestry grant for the hedging maybe ?