[jjlittle]

on my plot i have some brambles (perhaps logan berrys?) but i dont really want to keep them they have been trained up a trellis type thing i dont want to use any chemicals if possible as i want to bring the whole plot into production buy march/april time. the ground around them isnt very compacted but i dont know how much space i will have either side to get a good footing would digging them out be a good option? or would i have to dig down to hades to get rid of them. heres some pictures to give you a better idea.

[Yorkie]

Most bramble roots are relatively shallow rooted but you might find them still popping back up.  You'll need a sturdy fork or a mattock would be even better.

[jjlittle]

i thought about a mattock but didnt want to start chopping the roots up into tiny pieces so they regrew even more perhaps ill try lifting it out with a fork and just keep digging the soil over to find all the root pieces . what nutrients do brambles take from the soil so i can replace it if possible.

[sunshineband]

They look really healthy and would give you fruit this year, and could make a ver productive feature

You must have a reason for wanting to get rid of them. I just wondered why?

[DD.]

Was going to ask the same question. It looks as though it's had TLC in the past.

[jjlittle]

well its that im not a fan of logan berrys if they are but also i have fields and fields of brambles next to my house which i can pick and i can use that space to train cucumbers squashes beans etc each year. its only a half plot so my space is limited. also down one end of the allotment site is covered in brambes and along the fence lines too.

[Babstreefern]

When I first took over a plot, it was stuffed with brambles - my hubby is over 6' in height, and he would have been lost in it had he been thrown in.  Anyway, the only thing we could do was start at the front and chopped it down with shears down to ground level, or as near to the ground as you could get.  We then, again starting at the front, started to dig the roots out.  I found using a spade better - an old one is best that has got really sharp.  And then (god forbid), we went back to the start again and started systematically digging the ground over and pulling any roots out as you went.  Remember, even if you leave in a little piece, it will grow.  But its worth it in the end

[solway cropper]

Amen to what Babs just said. Brambles do have a habit of coming back if you leave bits behind. To get rid of mine I waited until the soil was very dry last spring then cut them to ground level and forked over the soil, removing roots as I went. The dry soil meant any clumps could easily be broken to reveal roots lurking behind.

[jjlittle]

hmm that was my general idea of how to get rid of them... would covering them in black plasic weaken the plant at all to aid with killing the roots off a bit?

[compostqueen]

I went down the black woven sheet mulch route in an area of my plot where they were the worst. It works very well but you have to be patient.  I found that once they'd given up the ghost, after being starved of light for a while, they came out easily with no effort and were easily pulled out by hand.  I cleared my plot a bit at a time so I was able to leave them be and get on with other areas

If space is limited for you and you want rid of them then you'll have to dig them out. You could glyphos them when they come into leaf, leave them for 3 weeks or so, hit them again with another dose. That will make them capitulate and easier to remove

If you don't want to use chemical then it's hard graft

[jjlittle]

i think ill just dig them out by hand im young and fit(ish) lol ill just see how it goes.

[Growster...]

Same problem with big old brambles on the 'Patch' here JJ.

Last year, I dug out as much as I could see and had to wait until this year to get the remaining shooting bits out, which happened yesterday actually...

Not much you can do about the small pieces, except that over the years, they'll get fed up and die away if you're digging regularly.

[bigben]

 I inherited a plot with shoulder high brambles for most of it. I found a chillington hoe from amazon (Silverline GT52 Digging Hoe) to be a Godsend. It really copes well with popping out tough brambles. It is still worth then using a fork to see if any little bits of root are left behind but the chilli hoe does the hard work.

[stompy]

My old man had the same problem on his plot.

He dug them out (roughly) and then used SBK on a brush on any that showed after that.

Within the year his plot was completely clear and he no longer needs to use any Chemicals.

[jjlittle]

i think ill just use a fork i cant really afford extra things im on a rather tight budget but oh well its not as if its the whole plot