Gorse propagation and seeds

[glow777]

Hi all

Can someone offer any advice on the following.

At our local reservoir, which is set on private land, there is a cliff face about 100' long. During summer rowdy teenagers most of them off their heads on drink and pretty much everything else jump off these cliffs into the water 40' below. I'm not against anyone having a good time but these youths and the litter they are leaving is spoiling the area for everyone. Local police come and move them on but they come back within hours.

At the moment with the mini drought we are having water levels are low so they are unknowingly jumping into very shallow water and its only a matter of time before someone gets killed. A month or so ago one youngster covered his t-shirt in lighter fluid set it a light and jumped in while his friends filmed him .... he's still in hospital !!!

As the area is on private land and there are danger signs posted the water authority aren't too bothered unless there is criminal damage, however to us fisherman, sailors and canoeists it spoils the sport we have paid a premium to enjoy. Not to mention the tourists, ramblers and bird watchers who pass by.

One suggestion was to plant some gorse along the cliff edge this has been ok'd by the land owner.

I took a few cuttings earlier on this year from some gorse plants I found while visiting friends which just died so I'm after any advice available. If someone has any seeds they can get to me I would also be grateful and would obviously cover any costs etc.

I've found small plants in the 12" range on ebay but these are way out of our price range for the number of plants required

In other words help !!!!! (please)

[Digeroo]

Maybe your soil is wrong for gorse, after all if it grew well near you there would be plenty of seeds around.  What about stiinging nettles? or brambles?  Escallonia?  or classical music. 

[glow777]

Maybe your soil is wrong for gorse, after all if it grew well near you there would be plenty of seeds around.  What about stiinging nettles? or brambles?  Escallonia?  or classical music. 

thanks for the reply
the cuttings died in compost at my lottie well before they got any where near the site. After reading up on the soil type I'd imagine the soil is ok for gorse. Classical music would keep me away!

[Old bird]

We have had a death here in Minehead from tombstoning.  A local lad and all.

It seems incredible that they do these things but when you are young and stupid (we probably have all been here to some degree!!!) you believe you are invincible.

It is a shame that they are making your life difficult tho Digeroo.  We have way too much gorse up here - they burn the stuff every spring to make way for new growth for the exmoor ponies to eat - but having said that I would not say they are a massive deterrent I manage to push past the plants even tho they are prickly!

What about a small notice "Beware of adders"!  Would make me think twice if someone had bothered to put that sign up!  Even tho there are hundreds where I do walk - I never see them!

Old Bird

[glow777]

but having said that I would not say they are a massive deterrent I manage to push past the plants even tho they are prickly!

ahhh but most of these people are stripped off for swimming including barefoot - I was also thinking of putting them right on the edge rather than before the cliff to physically stop them having somewhere to stand. After reading up on seed propagation burning gorse will actualy encourage the gorse plants - seeds apparantly need boiling before use!

What I need is about 500 seeds to play with!

[glow777]

video of the are (and problem). Set in the peak park, naturally beautiful, loads of wildlife and unfortunately d***heads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUA5aQj239E&feature=related

the water they are jumping into now is possibly 7' deep in the video about 30'

[Old bird]

Oh!

I see what you mean! Glow  (sorry I call you Digeroo earlier!)

I am sure that I can collect you some seeds if you think that can help.  and yes I am sure that if you are wearing pretty much nothing and barefoot  I wouldn't walk through gorse!!!

I will go up the hill and look at what the seeds are looking like and let you know - probably tomorrow now.  Can't say that I have ever taken any notice of the seeds before!  Once I tried to make gorse flower wine and had to  collect a bucketful of flowers and that was a very painful procedure!

Old Bird

[Bugloss2009]

video of the are (and problem). Set in the peak park, naturally beautiful, loads of wildlife and unfortunately d***heads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUA5aQj239E&feature=related

the water they are jumping into now is possibly 7' deep in the video about 30'

me n the boyz jumpin off the goyt

can't you just look at it as improving the gene pool?

[glow777]

in a funny way once one gets killed, they might stop! However they'll probably build a shrine and memorial jumps

PS thanks Old Bird

[Old bird]

Not forgetting the mounds of cut flowers, teddies and pictures plastered over the jumping site!  Cynical?   moi?!!!

[Kepouros]

If your potentially suicidal vandals are determined enough a well placed fire will quickly see off your gorse.

Just a suggestion, but surely a good thick bramble patch would be just as effective, and very much easier to grow from seed (can`t keep them down in my garden).  The beauty of a bramble for this purpose is that the more it is abused the more vigorously it grows, and if you burning if off simply encourages it.

[Old bird]

PM me your address.  I picked quite a few seed heads this morning ouch!!!

I will pop them in the post tonite!

Ann

[Digeroo]

We have similar problems with youngsters jumping off bridges and swimming in the river and burning off things with bbqs and of course there is the litter. 

I suppose in town they are used to someone cleaning up, but who do they think goes along the river and clears up the mess.

I do think that you might be swapping one pest for another though.

[Robert_Brenchley]

You could try scattering both gorse seed and blackberries. If one didn't grow the other surely would.

[glow777]

Received
Thanks Ann

I will let you know how I get on

[Unwashed]

I like gorse.  It covers the banks of the A34 as it goes round Newbury and looks fantastic in the spring.

There's some propagation advice here.  It germinates easily enough - seedlings pop up on my allotment.  It says it doesn't like root disturbance though so you need to get the new plants established when they're small.