Hi,

We are building on 2 acres, and have quite a few blackberries, although they are not large bushes I need them gone. There is one area in particular that I want to get rid of them from - so I can begin preparing the soil to plant some fruit trees. What is the best thing to use that will kill the bb but not harm the soil so I can start planting?

I won't just be whacking in the fruit trees, once the bb are cleared I will start turning over the soil, and then begin mixing in some compost from our current house compost pile..

Thanks

Get some goats!

Blackberries are tough to get rid of. Digging them out is usually an impossibility. The only thing we've used with success is woody weed killer (not the usual Roundup, Zero etc) - ask at your local garden centre. It's pretty nasty stuff, but you should only need to use it once.

There is some stuff call Blackberry and Tree killer, and given it's name....I reckon it could be quite a good bet. I've used it to get rid of a Japanese Pepper Tree that was sending up suckers all over our back yard. Basically you use it mixed with turps (or metho....read the instructions at any rate), and make a fresh cut in a branch and then paint it on to the cut straight away. It might take a few attempts, but we've not had any more Jap Pepper suckers in the last 5 years.

Yes, it's the woody herbicide you want, Garlon or Grazon are what we have used, they are not nasty, they attack cell growth in the plant. For spraying, the blackberries must be healthy and have had rain within the last month, and not have been slashed in the previous 12 months, or they won't die.

A method we have not used but which is extensively published is to cut off the plants at 30cm above the ground, get rid of the canes so you have access, then cut off at the ground and immediately apply the Grazon on the cut stump WITHIN SECONDS, before the cut starts to heal and sap stops flowing.

When you get it right they always die...

Ed

Brush-off by dupoint will do the trick and its not even registered as a posion, non toxic to humans bird fish etc. Stays active in the soil for a few weeks so your re-planting will have to wait the specified period, but it is completely bio degradable. Only target the blackberries and be extra carefully with any of the herbicides mentioned in this thread, they will kill or damage other trees that come into contact will the herbicide. That includes nearby tree's roots as woody weed killers are active in the soil as well. These herbicides can also move through the soil if there is a big downfall into non target plants.

Pretty sure there is a whole thread done a while back to help Ed with his berries

Yes, you got them Fu... thanks

Thanks for that, I have searched for other threads, but didn't get a hit????

Thanks Ed