On 13/7/05 22:46, in article , "H
Ryder" wrote:

Sorry to keep asking questions but have another one. The garden is bordered
by a natural hedgerow, mainly hawthorn but beginning to be taken over by
brambles. How should I prune it/cut it so as to minimise the brambles? If I
just cut with a hedgetrimmer will I end up with just bramble eventually or
will the hawthorn survive (I have small children so want to avoid the great
trailing whippy bits of bramble.) TIA
Hayley


You could treat the brambles as you do the Convolvulus. Being very careful
not to touch the wanted plants, brush, spray or shove into a bag filled with
spray (then tightly bound at the neck) the bramble whippy bits and leave
alone. You may have to do this again next year but whatever you do, don't
let the whippy bits touch the ground, because they will root and bring more
plants for next year. (My husband mixes the weedkiller with a bit of
wallpaper paste which makes the mixture thick enough to adhere to leaves and
not drift or drop onto other more desirable plants!)
When waging war on Convolvulus this year I wore rubber gloves and sprayed
the tiniest touch of weed killer onto the fingers and rubbed it onto the
leaves of the weed. This does indeed work and minimises spray drift.
Unhappily, while wearing those glove, I very briefly and slightly touched
another plant to move it out of the way of me clambering through the flower
bed. I hope it will survive.......... The lesson is - be incredibly,
more-than-you-can-imagine careful with sprays.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)