[VegGirl7]

Not sure where to put this - chatting on plot, frugal living or in here, please move if another is more appropriate 

I'm lucky to have a huge fruit cage (about 3mX7m) at the plot which has loads of blackberries, blackcurrants a couple of rasps (summer and autumn), a gooseberry and a jostaberry. 

I only took the plot on late last year and couldn't really tell what was in there so, bar removing the fruited blackberry stems/canes, I decided to leave it alone to see what this year brought

Well, it's like a jungle in there at the moment    as you can see in the first picture, I get covered in scratches every time I go in to pick anything and the blackberries are taking over so the plan was to keep all the blackberries to the right of the picture and remove all the rest...

that was until yesterday when we went for a walk through a great bit of waste ground  just up the road where we usually forage for apples - There are hardly any apples in there this year    but I'd forgotten how many blackberries there were - we picked 3lbs without even trying and there's so many more still to ripen     yesterday's harvest in the 2nd picture

I'm now seriously considering removing ALL the blackberries from the fruit cage to make way for more raspberries, jostaberries and redcurrants - am I mad?   

Does anyone have a tip on how to get the blackberries removed from there - they are popping up all aver the place so the roots are in amongst everything and I don't want to harm the well established blackcurrants (or anything else) by digging them up to remove roots, is there something I can do to kill the blackberries but nothing else?  If I keep chopping all blackberry growth will they eventually die?  I prefer not to use chemicals if possible but if there is something that will help it will be considered   

sorry for the long post and thanks for reading if you've got this far!

[Goosegirl]

Brambles are nortoriously difficult to get rid of as they root along the stem and also seed. I would dig up as much as you can, then cut down all those that are near or probably in your other fruit bushes. This will give you a chance to see what the extent of growth is. You may have to dig up some bushes and raspberry canes, but it will give you a chance to replenish the soil with manure, etc. As currants and raspberry canes seem to be shallow-rooted, you won't have to dig too deep, but you may need some extra muscles to lift the bushes out before re-planting. It's the harder but better option and if you do it in autumn, they should settle well before winter.

[Kirpi]

Looks like you have an autumn/winter project!

[simonwatson]

If you've ever had marestail to deal with, just use the same approach. Pull out the main plants and as much root as you can. When you see new shoots, get them out quickly and try and pull some root with them. The roots will eventually tire and die.

[VegGirl7]

thanks for the replies!

Will start removing any new growth I can get to straight away which should at least make it a little less hazardous in the short term and easier to harvest the rest of this year's fruit, then remove as much as i can over autumn/winter   

Thanks again!     

[yorkiegal]

It's a fantastic year for blackberries too isn't it? I've been picking them everyday when walking my dog and have a freezer full of them all ready to make into jam.

Just need to find a big enough pan in the charity shops now and some jam jars lol.

[VegGirl7]

it really is yorkiegal - I've used all mine so far this year to make wine and there are so many more still to ripen for pies, jam and liqueur making 

[Madame Cholet]

We have a few round here not really ripe yet but looking promising

[Mrs Bee]

Yeah, a really good year for blackberries. Not quite used last years yet.

Must buy some brandy for the blackberry brandy. Cures coughs, colds and anything else that ails you.

As for the blackberry bushes in your fruit cage as Goosegirl and Simon say better to get rid of them. You will need to be vigilant once it is done as they will have laid down seeds too.
But if you keep at it you will get there in the end.

Our plot was covered completely in 6 foot high brambles and once I had cut them back to ground level OH used a mattock to get the roots out. That was three years ago and we are still digging out bramble seedlings.

Do be careful when cutting them down! I had so many scratches in  so many delicate places that I found myself praying that the thorns weren't embedded like splinters. I didn't fancy having to explain to the doctor how I got the thorns there

[Growster...]

Blackberries are evil when it comes to the following season after you've tried to get the main root out. The new shoots have thorns like razor blades, and they always grow in the peas, the beans and the carrots etc, never near the spuds, because that bit of soil is being moved around so much.

As said here by others, just keep hammering them, and they'll get fed up and eventually stop...

...well in a few year's time hopefully...

[Yorkie]

It's a fantastic year for blackberries too isn't it? I've been picking them everyday when walking my dog and have a freezer full of them all ready to make into jam.

Just need to find a big enough pan in the charity shops now and some jam jars lol.

Not in the charity shops but a decent enough deal compared to the amounts you can pay.  I've got this one from Barnitts in York: http://www.barnitts.co.uk/products/details/3997.html

[boldondig]

Veg Girl 7 - I had the same problem - I got my allotment last year - the fruit cage part was overrun with Brambles / Blackberries - however I had blackberries growing on my fence line and the birds don't eat them - So I decided to remove all the black berries from the fruit cage- however - as the black current / raspberry bushes looked old  - and with the advice of my experienced neighbour - I dug the lot out and planted new - it meant I have had little fruit this year - but next year should be good ( I hope ). On reflection I should have moved the location as the raspberries are more or less in the same place and have not grown as well as I would have expected. Anyway - the bramble roots went down into the sub soil soil which is clay and although I really tried to get them all out - some were snapped off into the hard clay - It was hard digging.- This year  I have been digging out the new bramble shoots as deep as I can as they appear- there have been quite a few - but manageable - my theory is that if I keep cutting off the tops they will eventually give up and die. Like with a lot of stuff at the allotemnt - hard work and perserverance is the key - hope that helps 

[VegGirl7]

Must buy some brandy for the blackberry brandy. Cures coughs, colds and anything else that ails you.

ooh, that sounds good – and medicinal too 

Do be careful when cutting them down! I had so many scratches in  so many delicate places that I found myself praying that the thorns weren't embedded like splinters. I didn't fancy having to explain to the doctor how I got the thorns there

haha   

Just need to find a big enough pan in the charity shops now and some jam jars lol.

do you have a TK Maxx near you, yorkiegal?   I’ve been stocking up on kilner jars which are very reasonably priced compared to other places you can buy them and they usually have a great selection of pans too – we were in there yesterday and there were a couple of huge pans in the reduced section that would be great for jam making (one £10 and the other £12)  OH had to stop me from buying one as we really don’t need another!   

the bramble roots went down into the sub soil soil which is clay and although I really tried to get them all out - some were snapped off into the hard clay - It was hard digging

I have a feeling mine will be like this too - sounds just like my soil...



Thanks - At least I know what's in store and I will get there in the end... eventually