getting rid of blackberry plants

[p2bd]

we moved in our house about 9 months ago, and the end of our garden was covered in blackberry plants. at the time we were more worried about un packing and settling in, before we knew it it was summer, and they were shriving. so i thought we'll make use of the blackberries while they are
there and cut them down come autumn. well autumn is here now, and they had grown to about 7-8 foot high, no joke. so ive cut them all down and just have all the major part of the root left in the ground, some are 3 times the size of my fist. i've been trying to dig them up, but im leaving all the root stems in the ground, will these just die off? any advise on an easier or better way of gettin these all up? because there are a fair few in the ground and it aint easy,lol.

also amongst all these were them like viney sorts of plants, that just grow on everything and are really annoying, i dont know what they are, incase you havnt noticed im not verry good with gardening, yet. but ive just been ripping these up, while they grow back next year? if so how can i stop that?

final thing, i want to turn this area of my garden into a growing plot, just for some simple fruit and veg, would this ground be okay to use next year?

im a complete and utter newbie at this, so be gentle,lol

[Seahorse]

If you want to cure the problem all in one go, you need to get the whole root out. They'll resprout from even quite small amounts (I know this, as I have the same issue at my allotment!). However, you can just keep pulling up the new growth if you have time to keep a regular eye on them.

Sounds like you might also have bindweed, which is another tricky thing to get rid of! Weedkillers like Round-Up should work eventually but if you prefer to be chemical free, you just have to keep at it and try and get every last bit out.

Pic of bindweed here:

http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/biocont...geBindweed.jpg

The good news though is that you ground should be fine for growing next year

Good luck with it, it'll be well worth all the back breaking stuff when you're tucking into a home grown dinner

[thyme]

Hi most of my allotment was covered in blackberry plants when I took it over (February 2008) and I am still working my way through trying to clear it.

The good news about blackberries is that they keep out the light so the ground beneath them does not seem as 'weedy' as other areas and the soil in the patch that has just been cleared is reasonably good almost like it has a layer of leaf mulch on it. The bad news is they spread like mad and the tips will root into the ground given half a chance and when you just cut them back the new growth is stronger than the bits you trimmed off. They are hard work to dig up but once the root is completely out the area is clear, but where I have left bits of root in the soil a new bramble pops up,however the new growth is easy to pull out. When tackling a bramble patch you need to arm yourself with thick puncture proof gloves and protect your arms and legs as in the tug of war that you will no doubt end up with you do not want to end up a casualty. I use a garden fork to lever out the roots, but small brambles can be pullled out by tugging on them. I love and hate them the blackberry jam/compote I made was lovely for breakfast. I've grown things okay in the cleared areas so do n't worry about that.

[p2bd]

thank you both for your replys

yeah that picture looks exactly like what we have in our garden. at the moment im trying to avoid using chemicals, but it will depend on what goes first, all the weeds or my patience, haha.i am definatly looking forward to having home grown food though.

i have many 'war wounds' so to speak, where ive got hot and rolled my sleeves up without thinking, then got a cut from a thorn. but i usually have my old jeans, jumper and coat, boots and thick gloves on. it will be a shame to not get blackberries next year, my younger brother ate them as fast as i could pick them, and i have several pets and they got to eat one or two as an occasional treat so they went down well, but it just takes over your garden, like you said

[Two_Sheds]

My new allotment was covered in brambles = glyphosate hasn't killed them off (one spraying every month for 5 months). Even when the leaves die, you still have to dig out the old roots if you want to plant anything else.

It's really, really hard work.

Don't leave any scrap of root in the ground, or it will grow back. Same with bindweed.

Good luck.

[missycass]

I ripped my finger on a blackberry coming through from the next door garden when I was cutting my mums hedge. Nasty things the ones with the thorns. I am lucky enough to have a cultivated THORNLESS blackberry in my garden which I brought with me from my previous house. So easy to pick them and they are huge. Go nicely with the apples.
Anway, good luck with digging them up. As the others have said, if you leave a scrap of root they come back, as I found out with the bindweed in my new garden!