Updated/Fact-Chacked on February 16, 2022 by John
Killing Brambles
There are three possible methods that you can use to kill brambles, and they are:
1. Weed Killers
The first method involves cutting back and treating with weed killers. All you need is a good set of trimmers and a strong weed killer.
SourceStart by cutting all the shoots until they’re a couple of centimetres from the ground, then when you’re about 15 centimetres from the root, apply a handful of weed killers (triclopyr or glyphosate) to cut the plant’s ends. You may need to repeat the process, and you’ll definitely have to keep an eye out for any new growths.
You might want to use natural weed killers that you make at home. You can prepare them by combining a couple of litres of vinegar with salt and some liquid soap.
2. Digging Up
You might not prefer using chemical weed killers and find natural ones to be ineffective. In this case, you can opt for cutting the entire plant and digging its roots up. However, you might miss some roots if the plant’s growth underground is extensive.
SourceStill, despite the inability to remove all growth, especially with plenty of brambles, you can still remove the majority of the plant and regularly remove any new growths.
3. Controlling Brambles
The biggest problem with brambles is that once they appear, they become very hard to control as they can spread quicker than the plague. Plus, a single shoot can grow to reach eight feet, take root, and send other shoots out. So, even if you want the bushes for their fruits, you’ll still have to monitor their growth; otherwise, they can stray to places you don’t want.
SourceTo do so, you can cut the shoots after every harvest. I’d recommend removing without worrying about growth as they’ll grow back by the next harvest. If a shoot has already spread, you’ll need to put more effort and dig to find its roots. After that, you have to remove the roots and stump. You could also invest in a brush cutter for brambles to keep on top of any that have spread.
Final Thoughts
Every blackberry bush garden is unique, so the technique you use has to do with what your garden is like. I’d recommend starting with natural weed killers and then moving to chemical ones if the former doesn’t work.
However, digging would be the best route if your brambles are going through flower beds, near a lawn, or through shrubs. Otherwise, using weed killers might inflict damage upon the other plants.
Mary shares a passion for gardening with her husband John, though she is more focused on growing veg on their allotment at St. Margaret’s Allotments, Durham. Mary also works in the lawn care industry and manages the lawns for the Durham University campus.