Eradicating brambles

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The Bear

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Anyone had any success with established brambles, how did you do it? Or do I just need to remain on the constant treadmill of digging out what I can when it appears? Advice greatfully received.

Mark
 
I use a mix of glyphosate and ammonium sulphamate. For a few stubborn remains I pin a stem down into a little pots of the same mix.
 
Glysophate. You need to buy the commercial stuff not garden centre diluted mixes. You can still get it from commercial suppliers ( I get 10 litres at a time from a trade supplier) but Amazon do it in 2 litre bottles and it s almost as good: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Agrigem-HE...+killer+concentrate+5l&qid=1597774220&sr=8-11

PS: I use a backpack pressure sprayer and wear my powered woodworking mask / helmet. You do not want to be breathing this stuff. Wear gloves and don't wear shorts....
 
So I think my neighbour has some old formula SBK. He cuts the stems and dabs the cut with the SBK. Or would you apply to the leaves. Same q for glyphosate/ammonium sulphamate?

Mark
 
So I think my neighbour has some old formula SBK. He cuts the stems and dabs the cut with the SBK. Or would you apply to the leaves. Same q for glyphosate/ammonium sulphamate?

Mark
Apply to the leaves for the first attack, then cut stems painting or dipping will take it back to the roots for the stubborn bits or places where you can't dig. my brew will also kill ivy
 
The brambles are (mainly) growing amongst Rhodedendrons. How do I apply to the leaves without spraying those (I want to keep them)?

Bob, where do you get the second ingredient in your mix, AJB has linked to the first.

Mark
 
You might try using one of these new electric heat guns for weed killing. I'm sure even brambles don't like too much heat and they are generally easy to use on small patches, or try a small gas blow touch.

Will need doing several times and not in too dry conditions(as my father discovered many years ago!!)

Phil
 
The best way if you're happy with weedkiller is to chop them down to ground level then leave them for a few weeks to develop a goodly amount of regrowth. Then give them a good squirt of glysophate.
If you're not happy with weedkiller then just keep chopping them back and they'll eventually give up but it may take a couple of years.
If they're well established you'll probably get some regrowth even with digging or weedkiller.
Brian
 
If the thickness allows it, use the tree killer method.
Get a biggish packet of epsom salts. Chop the stalk off horizontally about a foot above ground. Drill a wide hole 1" if you can down at least 6". Pour the dry salts in straight away. Go and have a cuppa, come back and top up the salts.
The salts take all the moisture from the root and expand, rupturing the root stump from the inside.
 
when we got our small farm, one field was a real mess with brambles....1.5 acre...
so bad u couldnt tell where the hedge started or finished.....
prob been like it for at least 10 years.....
my tractor was nearly 100hp and the brambles could slow it down.....
thank goodness for an enclosed cab.....
went thru the field with a tractor and topper.....as it started to look untidy cut it again....
when we left 16years later it was like a lawn.....
wouldnt use chemicals then....
bit difficult when its in other plants tho.....
we found just cutting the growth back when u see it, they finally give up.....
then its the fun job of getting the dried brambles out.....sharp....
 
As Brian suggests, cut them back first as the new growth is softer and easier for the glyphosate to soak in to. If you are going to spray old growth add a surfactant (washing up liquid isn't approved for commercial use) to help break through the leaf surface.
If you prefer not to use chemicals then a 'big mutt' floor scraper well sharpened will help cut them just below the surface. That usually does the trick.
Hth
Tris
 
As above. Glyphosate works fine but if they are particularly woody or established you need to cut them back and spray the new growth.

If you can't spray you can apply with a paintbrush or a mop selectively.
 
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