One of the dilemmas one faces when confronted with a head high impenetrable wall of gorse is …where do I start? As demonstrated at the field day conducted by the Tylden Landcare group the use of the eco blade technology in which the gorse is mulched and the trunks painted with herbicide is one way to start.
The accompanying photos show a roadside at Glenlyon where the Hepburn Shire has undertaken mulching with swinging head mulcher attached to a tractor to reduce dense gorse to a manageable level and a paddock on private property where an impenetrable wall of gorse has been returned to a lawn by initial mulching with heavy equipment followed by regular follow up with a ride on mulcher.
In both instances the stumps of gorse and the seedbank are still in the ground the areas will require follow up treatment generally involving the use of herbicide on the freshly germinated plants or combined with the mulching to have a long-term impact.
The National Best Practice Manual for Gorse published by the Australian Government in partnership the Tasmanian Government provides examples of the various options to return gorse infested land to production and emphasizes the importance of conducting follow up for at least two years before revegetating the land with grasses or shrubs.
