nettle and brambles killers

[niki]

any good tips on weedkillers plz..not plantin in alotment till next year thanks

[Creemteez]

Many Grapes aren't big fans of weedkillers used in huge quantity so I don't think you'll get much response on that front! However, if you aren't planting till next year, your best bet would be to slash as much as possible down to ground level, then cover cleared ground with thick black plastic sheeting or carboard and leave it for as long as possible. This will kill of many annual weeds completely, but you will probably still have to dig out the roots of things like bramble, couch grass and mares tail. They don't get the name "pernicious" for nothing! Good luck.

[teakdesk]

A few years ago at work, after an inspection from the fire brigade, I had to get rid of brambles that were growing at the back of an outbuilding to provide a fire-break to the field.

For three years I applied all manner of weed-killers that claimed to kill brambles but they just grew back.

Finally I had put so much on and repeated so regularly that the plants finally died.

BUT....

... five years later there is nothing, zilch, nil, nowt growing in that area, not even the couch grass that is rampant all over the field up to the edge of the treated area.



In my experience, if you do use weedkiller then only use a little to weaken the brambles and then cut, strim (use a hedge-trimmer) and dig, dig, dig to remove the roots.

Either that or don't expect much to grow afterwards.

Sorry, but hard work is the only way.

[marathon]

i would say round up but i don't think one treatment would do it more like several.

I just keep cutting them down to ground level. This has been over three years. They become weak and seem to give up. Although they are still on the fringes of my plot they don't cause me any problems now.

[Two_Sheds]

My lotty was covered in perennial nettle, couch grass and bramble (6 foot high - see my album).

I used Roundup (glyphosate) on stubborn areas that I really couldn't dig out ... and guess what, it's all growing back again. It doesn't work. It kills topgrowth but not the roots.

On the other hand, I had covered another stubborn section with layers of newspaper/cardboard (held down with earth). I started to dig it over yesterday, and it's brilliant ... really dark, moist loamy soil, with hardly any weeds at all. Those that remain, are weak and easily removed with a fork.

[sweetiepea]

I found round up effective on NEW brambles only (upto about 20cm). Sometimes you'll see them popping up seemingly out of nowhere, but often they are growing from a deep existing root that has lots of other shhots else where. Roundup seems to kill off the new growth but doesn't kill the whole root. With established plants there's nothing for it but slash, and dig up the roots.

[shirlthegirl43]

I have found the best way to finish them off is to cut down and dig out. They come back but are smaller each time and you can get them out easier when they re-grow. The original root bunches will be big and knobbly and hard to get out. Worthwhile though.

[PAULW]

I would have thought that seeing you are not growing anything this year it would be a good chance to dig the plot removing any noxious weeds and brambles you will then get a feel for the soil, is there a patch of gravel/clay/wet spot/dry spot after all you've got to dig it sometime.