Gorse is an especially hard plant to control as soon as it is established due to its continual nature.
It's nitrogen-fixing ability means that it tends to live in areas with less well off soils where other vegetation find it hard to survive. It additionally has very durable seed; researchers have found that it can continue to be viable in the dirt for up to 40 years and also ploughing or burning of the soil won’t help if not done correctly. In reality, these methods usually provide better still conditions for gorse seeds to germinate in because there is even less competition from other vegetation that aren’t so sturdy.
A thick layer of gorse plants tends to make the underlying dirt more acidic, thus replanting efforts will require to take this directly into account - pick trees and shrubbery that do well in acid soils.
1. By hand Cutting and slashing lower gorse is still the most quick solution if you don’t plan to use chemicals. It is hard work and typically needs to be done by hand because gorse tends to like growing on poor soils, typically on inclines that aren’t conducive to vehicle or mower access.
If this is the situation, then more compact plants can be grubbed out - make sure you remove the root crowns or they are going to resprout.
Plants with a base size larger than 15cm should end up being cut using a saw or chainsaw. At this point you might use a chemical gel on the tree stump, otherwise you will be needing to pull out the root system to stop it resprouting. Do this just as the plant starts to blossom - the gorse’s food reserves in its roots are low at this point, and there will be no seed distribute to worry about.
2. By tractor, bulldozer or digger Large-scale gorse contaminations can be cut back making use of heavy equipment, and big diggers are especially useful on steep terrain. However, you’ll still need to be diligent in handling regrowth, and it can be hard to re-establish meadow on steep locations if you’re possessing to fertilise, lime and plant seed by hand.
3. By pet Goats and/or lamb can be used to control gorse but this is a very long-term project and usually works best for managing younger crops.
Some farmers have cut or burned off mature stands, then used goat's and/or sheep to control regrowth over 4-5 years. Another option is to use cattle (to help trample the gorse), then sheep (to take in any good forage) then goats (who may eat the left over gorse, a very nutritious plant for all of them).
4. By fire Burning off gorse is another more gorse removal high-risk prospect however can be very effective when done correctly (with a enable). Someone knowledgeable in this method should be managing if you do intend to do this, and check with your local council and fire service to see when there are restrictions or permits required.
A temperature of 100°C or more for 15 min's is required to kill gorse seed. The warmth should penetrate the earth by about 2cm during this time. Get the temperature wrong (way too low) and you will actually encourage up to 100% germination of any gorse seed in the dirt.