Clearing site of Brambles
 

My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than using a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the root? any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks

Col.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
...
My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than
using a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the
root? any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks
Cutting them down with a bruchcutter and generally tidying the site is
all you need/can do for now. Then wait until you have a good growth of
leaves and young stems on the brambles and other weeds (probably
mid-April) and spray with roundup. A week to 10 days after that you
could dig or rotavate a small area to get some veg in. I suggest a
small area because there's going to be other weeds in there that
haven't shown by mid-April - bindweed for example so you'll need to
spray at least one more time on the rest of the plot to see those off.
You'll be rotating crops annually so if the small area you cultivated
in your first spring was troubled with bindweed or other late showing
perennials it could be sprayed a couple of times in the following
spring, then used for later crops. It looks like a long drawn out
process but it will save a lot of hard work later. You won't need to
repeat any of it so long as you keep on top of the weeding.

--
Rod

My real address is rodthegardeneratmyisp

Clearing site of Brambles
 

Colin Jacobs wrote:
My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than using a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the root? any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks

Col.

Colin, before I post, I have to say I am not an expert bgardener by any
means, but this is what worked for me when we bought a farmhouse in
France with the same problem. We cut the lot down to the bare earth.
When the very new and tender growth appeared, we sprayed it with a very
nasty killer for brambles, available at garden centres. I have the odd
one or two brambles appearing now and agin and I take off the growth
down to a few leaves at the base, put some glyochowhatsit into a
sandwich bag, put the growth of bramble in, put a little of the glycho
in, use the twist tie and just leave, it will take it to the root and
hopefully kill it. There is stuff available to get rid of brambles in
my local Notcutts, if you want, I can go and take a look at the label
and let you have further information.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message

My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than
using a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the
root? any
suitable weed killers?

The best product to use is blackberry/tree killer which has an active
ingredient of Triclopyr at 50g/L.

The best time to do it is when they are actively growing ie spring,
but I've cleared off the dead stuff in winter and then sprayed in
spring (or painted on neat solution using an old paint brush). I can
imagine that the plot looks fairly impenitrable but dead crud is
fairly easily cleaned off with a good set of long handled parrot beak
branch loppers cutting it into short manageable bits. If you do this
you'll be amazed at how small a pile of dead stuff you have in
comparison to the huge bushes that you started with.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

I am not experienced but does he need to know the halflife or the
breakdown rate of the herbicide you recommended?

There is probably a low risk of him ingesting the chemicals through the
vegetables he plans grow there; one reason being that only the strong
ones would survive the weed killer in the soil.

In other countries, like France, the soil is very polluted as they used
plenty of chemicals to have the best looking, best growing, etc. plants
and now, especially in the vine growing areas, tap water is not
potable. Good luck!

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
...
My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than using
a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the root? any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks

Col.


I think you have got the message from other posts. Rod's method is probably
the easiest and most effective.
If the brambles are only a few years old then it's pretty easy to get a fork
under the root crown and drag it out. Very satisfying and you have the bonus
of turning the soil.
As an allotment holder you will need to get used to hard work:-)

Clearing site of Brambles
 

GH wrote:
I am not experienced but does he need to know the halflife or the
breakdown rate of the herbicide you recommended?

Well Tridopyr is ether and the soil association accept it's use to a
certain extent. I don't know too much about the stuff, I'm a totally
organic gardener, but if there's one thing someone would propose, then
triclopyr is the safest as it degrades the fast. However I would not
use Roundup.

For my brambles, I cut low then i dig .... and dig.... and dig till I
get all root out.

There is probably a low risk of him ingesting the chemicals through the
vegetables he plans grow there; one reason being that only the strong
ones would survive the weed killer in the soil.

This stuff is selective - some organic growers uses it for

In other countries, like France, the soil is very polluted as they used
plenty of chemicals to have the best looking, best growing, etc. plants
and now, especially in the vine growing areas, tap water is not
potable.

Mmmmm.... a bit of a large generalisation here I think ;o)

Good luck!

Definitely if the OP decides to go for the digging method indeed!!

Clearing site of Brambles
 

Oh, I know that ! I have been an allotment holder for 23 years and have just
taken this one on due to moving house.
I relish a challenge but getting it out an easy way is a much better
challenge too.
Thanks for all the advice
Brush cutter, spray, then digging them out seems the best method.
Col.
"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" wrote in message
...

"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
...
My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than
using
a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the root?
any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks

Col.


I think you have got the message from other posts. Rod's method is
probably
the easiest and most effective.
If the brambles are only a few years old then it's pretty easy to get a
fork
under the root crown and drag it out. Very satisfying and you have the
bonus
of turning the soil.
As an allotment holder you will need to get used to hard work:-)

Clearing site of Brambles
 

Colin Jacobs wrote:
Oh, I know that ! I have been an allotment holder for 23 years and have just
taken this one on due to moving house.
I relish a challenge but getting it out an easy way is a much better
challenge too.
Thanks for all the advice
Brush cutter, spray, then digging them out seems the best method.
[...]

I don't think I've ever sprayed brambles*, and I've dealt with some
very nasty infestations. Cut them off near the base, and the crowns are
shallow-rooted and will generally come out pretty easily, especially if
the soil's in the excellent condition you may well find after they've
been undisturbed for fifty years. On loosish soil, a strong rake is a
good tool for the job, as you don't have top bend: whack it in, twist
slightly, and haul out. Roots left behind won't regrow: only bits of
crown can do that. There will be seedlings, of course; but spraying the
parent plants won't help you with that.

*Though I have spot-treated ones which have matured among desirable
plants: chop off, allow shoots to appear, treat. I've even used a
water-colour brush to put SBK on cut ends, but I don't think people
should generally be handling that kind of thing.

--
Mike.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
...
Oh, I know that ! I have been an allotment holder for 23 years and
have just
taken this one on due to moving house.
I relish a challenge but getting it out an easy way is a much better
challenge too.
Thanks for all the advice
Brush cutter, spray, then digging them out seems the best method.

Be very wary of digging them out until you are very, very sure that
the whole plant and the root system is dead.

I've tried it at various times assuming that taking the 'crown' out
would do for the beasts. They're a bit like triffids in their
persistence - unless the plant is as dead as a dodo from poison,
they'll reshoot from left over roots. I've only found tree and
blackberry killer to be successful.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

Colin Jacobs wrote:
My new Allotment plot it coved in c50 years of Brambles, other than using a
brush-cutter blade to cut them down how does on get to kill the root? any
suitable weed killers?
Thanks

Col.

They're not that difficult to dig out, although it is time consuming.
But maybe worth considering rather than automatically going for a
chemical option?

Clearing site of Brambles
 

Farm1 wrote:
"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
...
Oh, I know that ! I have been an allotment holder for 23 years and
have just
taken this one on due to moving house.
I relish a challenge but getting it out an easy way is a much better
challenge too.
Thanks for all the advice
Brush cutter, spray, then digging them out seems the best method.

Be very wary of digging them out until you are very, very sure that
the whole plant and the root system is dead.

I've tried it at various times assuming that taking the 'crown' out
would do for the beasts. They're a bit like triffids in their
persistence - unless the plant is as dead as a dodo from poison,
they'll reshoot from left over roots. I've only found tree and
blackberry killer to be successful.

Isn't it strange, and fascinating, how gardeners' experience differs in
so many ways? I've always found them an easy (in terms of regrowth, not
of work) perennial weed to get rid of. Even the seedlings which follow
clearance, by whatever method, surrender readily. The worst bit for me
was getting my ears slashed by thorns when cutting down the top growth
with secateurs so I could get at the base. The barber once extracted a
couple of embedded points from my scalp when cutting my hair: I hadn't
realised they were there!

--
Mike.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"GH" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am not experienced but does he need to know the halflife or the
breakdown rate of the herbicide you recommended?

There is probably a low risk of him ingesting the chemicals through
the
vegetables he plans grow there; one reason being that only the
strong
ones would survive the weed killer in the soil.
The safety data is all out there on line if he wants it. Glyphosate is
one of the safest herbicides we've ever had and having read the
available info I have no qualms about using it in accordance with the
instructions prior to planting or sowing edible crops. My preference
is just to use it for the initial clean up of a plot and then use
mechanical methods thereafter (hoeing, handweeding etc)
--
Rod

My real address is rodthegardeneratmyisp

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
Farm1 wrote:
"Colin Jacobs" wrote in message
Oh, I know that ! I have been an allotment holder for 23 years
and
have just
taken this one on due to moving house.
I relish a challenge but getting it out an easy way is a much
better
challenge too.
Thanks for all the advice
Brush cutter, spray, then digging them out seems the best
method.

Be very wary of digging them out until you are very, very sure
that
the whole plant and the root system is dead.

I've tried it at various times assuming that taking the 'crown'
out
would do for the beasts. They're a bit like triffids in their
persistence - unless the plant is as dead as a dodo from poison,
they'll reshoot from left over roots. I've only found tree and
blackberry killer to be successful.

Isn't it strange, and fascinating, how gardeners' experience differs
in
so many ways?

I was thinking exactly the same thing when I read your post :-))

I've always found them an easy (in terms of regrowth, not
of work) perennial weed to get rid of. Even the seedlings which
follow
clearance, by whatever method, surrender readily.

I thought about our (somewhat) differing advice and suspect it may be
because of the differences in locale. Brambles were brought to this
country by British immigrants and (like the rabbit imports) the
sodding stuff then took off like a rocket. I've seen them swallow
whole old abandoned buildings.

We recently drove through a pine forest of thousand of 10s of
thousands of acres (which is currenlty burning from bushfires) and all
below the pines was full of blackberries. They thrive in temperate
Oz. My own current infestation I'm working on is about 30ft square
which is better than it was but still a long way to go.

The worst bit for me
was getting my ears slashed by thorns when cutting down the top
growth
with secateurs so I could get at the base.

I found that too initially which is why I moved over to the long
handled branch loppers. No further problems as I just cut them into
about 3 ft lengths and wearing leather riggers gloves, I drop onto an
old opened out feed bag which I gather up by diagonal corners and then
drop them into a trailer to go to the tip where it's just a matter of
raking them out of the trailer.

The barber once extracted a
couple of embedded points from my scalp when cutting my hair: I
hadn't
realised they were there!

Well at least you suffered no pain from them if you didn't know they
were there. You were lucky not to get a nasty infection from them.

Clearing site of Brambles
 

"Rod" wrote in message
...
"GH" wrote in message
ups.com...
I am not experienced but does he need to know the halflife or the
breakdown rate of the herbicide you recommended?

There is probably a low risk of him ingesting the chemicals through
the
vegetables he plans grow there; one reason being that only the
strong
ones would survive the weed killer in the soil.
The safety data is all out there on line if he wants it. Glyphosate is
one of the safest herbicides we've ever had and having read the
available info I have no qualms about using it in accordance with the
instructions prior to planting or sowing edible crops. My preference
is just to use it for the initial clean up of a plot and then use
mechanical methods thereafter (hoeing, handweeding etc)
--
Rod

My real address is rodthegardeneratmyisp

I agree its safe to use, but as it's also expensive and you have to dig out
the dead stumps after, you might as well just dig them out, I would mince
the top growth first with a strimmer with slasher blade on then get to work.
they surrender quite easily once the ground is wet.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea