Don't know what to do?

leinad · « **on:** May 31, 2008, 15:30 »

I’ve been back to my new plot to tackle the bramble roots.
We had a lot of rain and the ground is very soft, perfect I thought for digging them out. Well I tried and tried but just got nowhere!
I’m so frustrated because I was really looking forward to making some progress this weekend. The soil is a mass of roots, from what I don’t know, they can’t all be bramble roots. It’s so bad that I can’t even leaver the fork half way out of the ground; it just gets stuck in the roots.
I do want to continue but if it continues like this I not sure ill be able to.
Rotovating will spread the roots out even more but may be my only way to get through the roots.
I’ve covered half the plot with tarpaulin so I can just deal with one half first.
I’ve booked a couple of days off this week so I can give it one last attempt and get stuck in.

I need advice.....anyone please?

dugless · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2008, 16:07 »

Apart from hireing a m/c digger I would try to dig a trench across with a sharp spade going as deep as the roots. put the soil to one side in a heap then widen the first one taking out the roots and put the soil back in the first one then widen the last one putting the soil back in the second one and so on, finnaly remove the roots from the heap and use it to fill the final trench. dont do it in one go, a six foot section at a time is best..
I hope that helps

richyrich7 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2008, 16:16 »

You'd need a big rotovator

you can hire one for about £60 a day around here.
Lots of people on here recommend a matock or Azada ( unsure of spelling ) they chop through the roots well apparently.

woodburner · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2008, 18:32 »

Are you anywhere near Chelmsford? I could give you a demonstration/get you started digging. Dugless has the right strategy for digging, unless you can find a good diagram it's a bit confusing to describe.

SkipRat · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2008, 21:04 »

I had some blummin big brambles on my plot when i took it on last year and managed to get them all out with an azada and a mattock, dont try to take them all out in one go, I took just one or two out a day and they soon disapeared. I still get brambles popping up here and there but as long as they dont see a sunday, they will eventually become so weak they will die off, well thats the plan....

yodapete · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2008, 21:46 »

Had a similar problem with my new plot last year. Hopeless to try using a fork so I used the spade to work across the plot, cutting through the roots and lifting a square of soil/roots at a time. It's good soil so I was able to shake the roots free( mainly couch grass and bindweed). Once the first pass across the plot was done it became easier to cut and lift squares of soil( like cutting peat) because the soil immediately in front was now root free.
Hope this helps
Yoda

leinad · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2008, 22:42 »

I guess I'll just keep trying, im back there on Wed/Thur so see how it goes. Once I get a good start I know I will want to keep on.

Thanks to everyones advice.