[alipally]

I have tried to clear the brambles at the back of our allotment without success - they seem to come back even healthier than ever, whatever I try.  I am now thinking of trying sodium chlorate.  Has anyone tried this on brambles, I know it kills the ground for six months but I am at the end of my tether, some of the stalks are about 2" thick.

Also, is this a stupid idea - if I kill the brambles in this way and then make deep raised beds full of good topsoil, could I use them before the advised six months is up and how deep would they have to be?  Could I use some sort of membrane to separate the new beds from the bad ground, could be another good use for all the carpet hanging around the allotment!

Any advise would be much appreciated.

[WG.]

The answer to your question is a definite maybe!  Deeper roots might get down to the Sodium Chlorate.

I've used a cardboard mulch with some success.  Eight or more layers of thick cardboard held down with containers in which I grow stuff - raised beds would work too provided they were deep enough.   You could even grow courgette / marrow / pumpkin directly into large heaps of soil / manure on top of the card.

Takes a LOT of cardboard incidentally but it does all rot away leaving you with only the sticky tape & a very healthy worm population.

[richyrich7]

Get something called growing success stump and weedkiller, kills everything usually first time kills the soil for about 12 weeks then breaks down into fertilzer. Have you tried digging them out ? not easy but can be done.
Like WG says light exclusion will also kill them eventually.

[WG.]

Get something called growing success stump and weedkiller, kills everything usually first time kills the soil for about 12 weeks then breaks down into fertilzer

That sounds like it might be amcide ??

Are you trying this organically, alipally?  Helps if you put this into your Profile or signature

[wellingtons]

... brambles don't do well in water logged soil ... can you somehow create a boggy area there, because if you can they will die out.

And if you can bring in a flock of sheep they'll keep them at bay!

[richyrich7]

Get something called growing success stump and weedkiller, kills everything usually first time kills the soil for about 12 weeks then breaks down into fertilzer

That sounds like it might be amcide ??

Are you trying this organically, alipally?  Helps if you put this into your Profile or signature

Yes think it might be WG, but mines under the "growing success" label from B&Q

One thing about cardboard, I was thinking this while planting out my onion seedlings today, does it contain more toxins from its manufacture and glues like formaldehyde etc than a biodegradable weedkiller, any ideas ?

[WG.]

Wouldn't have thought so by the way the worms tuck into it.   Mostly the boxes are held together with staples and/or sticky tape.

[richyrich7]

Thought so just an idle thought    I know carpets not a brill idea unless it's wool.