tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post8735232076758151836..comments2024-03-19T10:33:43.894+00:00Comments on Rachel the Gardener: Bramble removal: How To Do ItRachel the Gardenerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-58819019740083260132022-02-06T11:27:02.517+00:002022-02-06T11:27:02.517+00:00Excellent news, Unknown! Please email me, the addr...Excellent news, Unknown! Please email me, the address is at the top of the page, with evidence. <br /><br />I want to see photos of the brambles going in to your compost heap, with a date, and photos of the eventual compost, again, dated. So, how long did it take.<br /><br />I want to know how you processed the brambles: did you de-thorn them, did you crush them, did you push them through a shredder, did you spray them with anything: did you add any chemicals (Garotta etc)to the heap, did you intervene with the composting in any way, ie turning, stirring etc.<br /><br />Then, when you came to use the compost, what was it like - what was the texture, was it thorny? Did it seem to have anything at all in the way of nutrients?<br /><br />I can't wait to hear all about it!<br />Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-32869258689856421922022-02-06T11:11:39.208+00:002022-02-06T11:11:39.208+00:00composting brambles does work. I've been doing...composting brambles does work. I've been doing it for the last couple of years. Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08143382886057655374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-82641500572351411652021-11-14T20:19:57.586+00:002021-11-14T20:19:57.586+00:00Hi Simon,
Apologies for the delay in responding! ...Hi Simon,<br /><br />Apologies for the delay in responding! I've been busy....<br /><br />Thorn-proof gloves: that comes in the same category as waterproof boots, and flying pigs. As in, "ain't no such animal"....<br /><br />Like you, Simon, I used to have a pair of gloves which were pretty much thorn-proof, but they don't make them any more, so I'm afraid that I don't have a good answer to that query.<br /><br />You could try your local DIY store, and look for the sort of gauntlet gloves that scaffolders, builders etc wear? They might be a bit tougher than gardening gloves, and will probably be cheaper.<br /><br />Oh, I should tell you that I have recently discovered that my chainsaw gloves are EXCELLENT for handling prickly material....but they are certainly not cheap!!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-58458570495064394722021-11-06T18:05:03.659+00:002021-11-06T18:05:03.659+00:00My bramble-related query is about gloves or gauntl...My bramble-related query is about gloves or gauntlets. I used to buy a leather-palmed glove from a manufacturer with a very appropriate name for this topic. It was really good but has been discontinued and the newer one is useless for briar-related activities. As they are relatively expensive it would be good to have a recommendation or two to save buying something that's not up to the job. I live on a smallholding so frequently work with brambles, blackthorn and hawthorn. SimonAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09374105548854338733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-90994324264908713712021-06-29T09:20:42.465+01:002021-06-29T09:20:42.465+01:00Thank you for prompt reply Rachel, we will do this...Thank you for prompt reply Rachel, we will do this.<br />Nina Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12932762300169409778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-40073762739133538842021-06-29T06:53:37.311+01:002021-06-29T06:53:37.311+01:00Hi Nina,
The trick when working around shallow-ro...Hi Nina,<br /><br />The trick when working around shallow-rooted trees such as Birch, is to read the bit about "you only need to get out the crown of the plant, you don't need to dig out the entire root system."<br /><br />Tackle each bramble plant, one by one, just as described in the article: cut off the top growth so that you can get to the roots: scrape back the soil just an inch or so, right at the base: then cut it off, as low as you can. Don't even try to dig out the roots: it will damage the Birch, and you really don't need to get them out, as long as you can cut below that growing point.<br /><br />Good luck!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-48030719839216658002021-06-28T18:17:04.734+01:002021-06-28T18:17:04.734+01:00Thanks for best article online re bramble removal....Thanks for best article online re bramble removal.<br />We have bought a garden full of brambles growing among the shallow roots of a silver birch. How do we dig out the brambles without damaging the roots and killing the tree?<br />Thanks Nina Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12932762300169409778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-45303765705076368892021-04-20T21:44:44.378+01:002021-04-20T21:44:44.378+01:00Hi Mike,
Yes, that's pretty much the method ...Hi Mike, <br /><br />Yes, that's pretty much the method of choice, although personally I have a pick-mattock rather than a pickaxe - each to their own!<br /><br />The point of the article was to reassure people that if it is not possible to physically dig them out, as you describe, then brambles can still be quashed, by ensuring that the "crown" part is removed.<br /><br />There are many situations where there simply isn't the room to swing a pickaxe: and the article also gives hope for where people have large areas of brambles, and don't have the energy to pickaxe the whole thing!<br /><br />But you get out there and slaughter them with your pickaxe!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-20695326026576463652021-04-17T19:19:30.374+01:002021-04-17T19:19:30.374+01:00Rachel. Found your helpful advice when searching o...Rachel. Found your helpful advice when searching on bramble removal. I have a 4ft "bed" of them around much of my grass which spring from a Cornish hedge - which they obviously love. I was searching to see if bits of roots left behind could grow again like some pesky weeds. It seems not. But some of the well established bramble roots can leave roots of up to two feet long and up the half an inch thick. These can make turning the ground over for subsequent preparation very difficult. I've found that the old fashioned road menders type pick axe is an excellent tool for attacking the roots. Swing it in deep an inch or two away from the root ball and use the long handle a lever will usually bring the the whole root ball and many of the horizontal roots up clear of the sil. Then a good yank on the handle of the pick will pull it all out often with some of the principle straggling roots as well. What do you think of this method ?Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01506524380659494468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-84211882085961879762021-01-11T08:21:24.822+00:002021-01-11T08:21:24.822+00:00*laughs hysterically* I have no idea if this would...*laughs hysterically* I have no idea if this would actually work - I can't see any reason why it wouldn't - but the idea of everyone getting out there with their old oven gloves on, is hilarious!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-20223996859775209902021-01-10T18:27:58.658+00:002021-01-10T18:27:58.658+00:00For grabbing hold of the darn things without rippi...For grabbing hold of the darn things without ripping your hands to bits I would recommend using some cheap oven mittens. Just buy cheap ones that you can throw away at the end of the job. Gives good padding to keep the thorns awayAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08913678517018323836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-70624408632108624472020-12-20T15:45:23.180+00:002020-12-20T15:45:23.180+00:00Hi Simon, you're most welcome, I'm happy t...Hi Simon, you're most welcome, I'm happy to have been of help.<br /><br />It sounds as though you have a fantastic project on your hands, so good luck with it!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-55034568157147861432020-12-17T19:25:54.708+00:002020-12-17T19:25:54.708+00:00Thanks, Rachel. I found your post reassuring. I in...Thanks, Rachel. I found your post reassuring. I inherited a meadow from my Dad, and it has got really overgrown with this spiteful plant. My first, battery-powered Spear & Jackson brushcutter was great, but has now died after clearing 300m2 of the spiky b@stards, so I got myself a petrol- powered Stihl. What a machine! It was expensive (£400), but makes my war on the bramble into a blitzkrieg. I can destroy around 50m2 of the vicious plant in a session. It has turned out to be an investment, and to anyone who has to attack the bramble menace at scale, I recommend getting a tool such as this rather than a toy. I finally feel like an adult! (Don't forget the PPE and limit the time you use it, though.)<br /><br />I am a bit of an eco-fiend and was also reassured by your advice on what to after the initial violence. Burning is the only option, really - in my case this is removing some nutrients from the soil and in a meadow, this is a good thing. And as for the weedkiller... I was hoping to avoid it, but I can't see myself digging roots up over 0.5km2. I was grateful for your advice on which to use and on using it effectively, and this is the approach I will take in the Spring.<br /><br />I have been at this on a part-time basis for 4 months, but I'm opening up areas on old woodland (a strip at the edge) that nobody has visited for decades, and returning large areas to meadow again. It's extremely satisfying.<br /><br />So, thanks for this page - I found it funny and useful. And, OMG, I have just noticed that there is bramble -> meadow article, too! Thanks so much!<br /><br />SimonSimonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16374195554259263471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-60990954018689334912020-11-07T08:54:34.780+00:002020-11-07T08:54:34.780+00:00Hi June, that's such a good question that I ha...Hi June, that's such a good question that I have written a new post all about it - here it is!<br /><br />https://rachel-the-gardener.blogspot.com/2020/11/bramble-seedling-or-raspberry-seedling.htmlRachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-43447602024792078662020-11-05T16:31:25.277+00:002020-11-05T16:31:25.277+00:00Hi Rachael, I’m really sorry to keep the subject o...Hi Rachael, I’m really sorry to keep the subject of the dreaded bramble going but like just about everyone else in the country, we’ve had dreadful problems which we have mainly sorted but just when you think you’ve cracked it, it raises its ugly head, or bottom, again!! We keep finding new shoots which I dig out as and when but I now have shoots of what look like brambles but could also be offshoots of raspberry? They look so similar, how do you tell the difference? I’ve searched the internet for a solution but just keep getting links to the difference between blackberry and black raspberry fruit?? I’d be very grateful for any help you could throw my way. Kind Regards, June xJune Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01199904837461995223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-17766443298189020362020-07-22T17:17:36.475+01:002020-07-22T17:17:36.475+01:00Hi Aamir,
You're most welcome! In answer to y...Hi Aamir,<br /><br />You're most welcome! In answer to your questions, grass from seed is cheaper, grass from turf is much, much quicker: in both cases, preparation is the important part. Any brambles which dare to come through your new grass will be beheaded by the mower, and eventually they will give up.<br /><br />As for the slate chipping area, yes, compressed hardcore is an excellent sub-layer, and the brambles should not be able to grow back through it, because the act of laying the hardcore means that you will have scraped off the top couple of inches, and that means you will have removed all the growing points of any bramble roots that were in that area.<br /><br />Good luck with it!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-1695269829114083962020-07-13T13:39:03.684+01:002020-07-13T13:39:03.684+01:00Hi Rachel, really love this blog and it is very us...Hi Rachel, really love this blog and it is very useful. I have had my own dealing with bramble. This has been a big area in my garden, they have been like monsters, really high, long and thick like tree branches. <br /><br />Last year I trimmed them down with a petrol blade trimmer, then used "Garden Glyphosate Commercial Strength Weed killer" which i found on amazon. Best £30 i have ever spend. They did not come back this year like before, only in small quantities. <br /><br />I want to make the garden look nice now, having some additional grass area and also slate chippings. <br /><br />Will the brambles come through my new grass area? is it best to use grass seeds in the new are or to buy lawn rolls?<br /><br />in the slate chipping area, i was told to put down some hardcore gravel, compress this down then put the slate chipping onto. is this a good idea and also will the brambles come through?<br /><br />any other suggest are welcomed. Aamirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01098931079528397712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-63205280837932560202020-06-01T15:12:51.662+01:002020-06-01T15:12:51.662+01:00Many thanks,Rachel; I'll read this afternoon ....Many thanks,Rachel; I'll read this afternoon ....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07057781807921320747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-71731795660679115992020-05-31T10:27:01.105+01:002020-05-31T10:27:01.105+01:00Hi Martin, that was such a good question that I...Hi Martin, that was such a good question that I've given it an article all to itself!<br /><br />http://rachel-the-gardener.blogspot.com/2020/05/bramble-removal-turning-brambles-into.htmlRachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-8483395096371645092020-05-30T10:25:43.835+01:002020-05-30T10:25:43.835+01:00Hi, Rachel ... Martin here again.
Having now got e...Hi, Rachel ... Martin here again.<br />Having now got everything down to ground level it's obvious that the bramble & nettle infestation has impoverished the (light/sandy) soil to the extent that there's a lot of moss (now dry) cover over a large area and little evidence of grass. Do we just wait for the rain to see what appears? It's hard to know what to do next to try and get anything like a meadow. Any suggestions would be most gratefully received!<br />Regards,<br />Martin Locke Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07057781807921320747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-31690232517901447962020-04-19T14:31:15.732+01:002020-04-19T14:31:15.732+01:00You're welcome... scything isn't complicat...You're welcome... scything isn't complicated, it's nothing, compared to getting a strimmer to start!<br /><br />Scything is very easy: it's light, it's gentle exercise, there's very little strength involved, you go at your own pace, and if the greenery is a bit rough afterwards, well, who cares?! But it is vital to get a modern scythe, not an ancient monstrosity.<br /><br />If I were you, I'd look for someone local who would let you have a go: check every local nature reserve group, canal-clearning group, and any organisations that promote woodland activities. Often you'll find that some of the members will be scythers, and will be delighted to show you how it works.<br /><br />I shall look forward to hearing of your success!<br />Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-62368254509061818042020-04-19T10:59:32.134+01:002020-04-19T10:59:32.134+01:00Thank you so much, Rachel; that's all very hel...Thank you so much, Rachel; that's all very helpful. Having just skimmed quickly through the pages/sites via your links I had no idea how complicated scything is! I was considering buying a wheeled strimmer but am now going off the idea on noise, expense and exercise grounds. I well remember in my youth seeing farmers and gardeners using scythes; they made it look so easy .... Will let you know how we get on.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07057781807921320747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-72481645106530797322020-04-18T17:10:21.217+01:002020-04-18T17:10:21.217+01:00Hi there, yes, I'm very much still here! And s...Hi there, yes, I'm very much still here! And still fighting brambles...<br /><br />Yes, I would use a mattock, or a grubbing axe, or a pick mattock, or even just a pickaxe, whatever you have. It's going to be hard, hot work, but oh! so satisfying, as you rip those crowns right out of the ground.<br /><br />As you'll know from reading the articles and comments, using weedkiller is very much the last resort, and if you possibly can dig them out, that will give the best results. When you later go to plant your trees, you'll find that trying to dig planting holes through dead bramble roots is nearly as hard work as digging out the wretched things! So in a way, you might as well dig them out.<br /><br />Your point about nettles then invading is a good one, though: yes, they will, so I suppose if you were not planning to plant trees this year, you “could” choose to spray with something like SBK, the one with triclopyr, or Pathclear: this will kill your brambles and will poison the soil for several months, which sound horrible, but will at least keep the nettles down. If you take this route, you would need to wait until those pink little crowns have sprouted a first set of re-growing leaves.<br /><br />If you went for glyphosate, it wouldn't poison the soil, much better: but it would not stop nettles and other weeds invading.<br /><br />A better answer, though, ,would be to buy yourself a modern Austrian scythe:<br /><br />https://rachel-the-gardener.blogspot.com/2013/07/tousled-meadows-and-badgered-wheat.html<br /><br />... and just go over it once a month, chop down everything - grass, nettles, weeds, the lot - and leave it there to rot down, thus enriching the soil for your future trees. <br /><br />Or, if you want to have wildflower meadows between the trees - which sounds lovely! - then scythe it all down once a month for the first year, but rake off all the cuttings. This is to impoverish the soil. Pile them all in a neat heap at one end, to rot down for compost. <br /><br />Then, next year, let the grass grow but make sure you walk round it once a month or so to weed out any new brambles (there will be more....), nettles and other undesirables. You might be surprised to see that wildflowers might appear!<br /><br />And once you have established a wildflower meadow, the scythe is the perfect implement for chopping down the long, flower-filled meadow grass...Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-65661268554582940392020-04-16T21:51:03.493+01:002020-04-16T21:51:03.493+01:00Hi, Rachel ... I hope you're still there (here...Hi, Rachel ... I hope you're still there (here?)! Having ploughed through the above posts and your replies I'm much encouraged to deal with a bramble-infested plot (a third of an acre) we've just acquired adjacent to our garden. We have done phase one, which has exposed a few hundred crowns with the little pink buds of new growth just about appearing. I gather a mattock is a good tool to get to start phase two but would using glyphosate be a better option? it would certainly be less back-breaking. Our other concern is that the nettles will quickly smother the ground where the grass that used to be there has been suppressed by bramble, moss & nettles. We have no designs on the plot other than to plant a few trees and maybe have a wild flower area, a two-to-three-year project. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07057781807921320747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1736928270390224037.post-39289111494166215632019-07-24T06:51:04.257+01:002019-07-24T06:51:04.257+01:00HI Gemma,
The only "right time" to tack...HI Gemma,<br /><br />The only "right time" to tackle brambles is when you have time to do it! They won't get any better over time, so the sooner the better: if you've only just moved in, I'd suggest putting aside one afternoon to cut them down to the ground, as described in the post: rake them out of the woodland and burn them if you can.<br /><br />Then, in about a month's time, go round the woodland again and carefully spray the re-growth: if you take care to "spritz" just the new leaves, and do it on a still day, using the minimum of chemicals, it won't harm the trees at all, as you will be pointing the spray downward directly on the small new regrowth, not waving it around all over the place.<br /><br />As the article says, digging them up is the best way, but if that's too big a job - and if you've just moved in, you'll have a ton of work to do indoors! - then slash and spray is the way to go.<br /><br />Bear in mind that you will have to go round every year to catch the new growth, as they will have been dropping blackberries - ie seed packages - all over the land, so there WILL be new ones each year. If you go round each year in late spring, the new baby plants are easy to dig out, and you can also repeat the careful minimal spritzing on any large ones that dare to grow back.<br /><br />As for solarisation, it's unlikely to work in a woodland as you won't get the necessary length of full sunlight - it's a minimum of 6hrs per day, and is generally only recommended when the temps regularly get into the mid to high 30s.<br /><br />Hope this helps!Rachel the Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025126472323801610noreply@blogger.com