Green Earth wrote in message ...
[...]
I use a 1/2 inch paint brush to achieve the same effect - I'm _still_
trying to get rid of brambles and I use a mixture of SBK and parafin and
use the brush to paint the leaves and stem.

Brambles are a total nightmare, I hope I'll eventually get rid of them...

They really are a nightmare, aren't they? I've had a hell of a lot of
brambles, and try to deal with them by digging up the crowns, which
isn't usually too dificult, but I just haven't got the oomph to do it
every year, so I've never eliminated them completely: there are always
a few I must have missed along the bank, or seeds waiting to germinate
when my back's turned. Once you *have* got the crown out, they won't
shoot from any remaining root, though.

I'm probably stating the obvious, but you are cutting them back, and
waiting for the new shoots to come out before using weedkiller, I
imagine. That's what I do with the ones I can't dig out: cheaper,
easier, safer, and more effective. I also use a water-colour brush to
dab SBK on the freshly-cut surfaces: but this doesn't seem to work
100% of the time. Would your paraffin approach be better for that?

Mike.