blackberry bushes?

Question

We have just moved and in the garden are quite a few blackberry bushes which are fruiting. Family members are picking the fruit but I don't want to keep the bushes. How do I get rid of the roots once the bushes have stopped producing the fruit?

My mum has picked some today and she is making jelly.

Answer 1

As everyone has said: with difficulty.
Start by cutting them back and disposing of the waste either by burning (though your neighbours won't love you if they've washing out!) or by taking to the local waste facility. Or by cutting them up and putting in the wheelie bin. They're even more vicious once they've dried out and you put a hand to them by accident!
Then dig up the roots and dispose of them similarly. DO NOT COMPOST!
If you use a chemical, eg Roundup or similar glycosphate weedkiller you will need several applications to finally get rid. Blackberries are notorious for coming back and back and back. I'm assuming these are wild blackberries which have more indelicate habits.
With regard to the wildlife etc which I agree you should be encouraging into the garden, there are plenty of shelters and plants available to help with this and you can supplement with birdfood. so don't feel guilty unless you want to end up with a garden full of the bloody things.
I agree though that the jelly is great and so are blackberry and apple pies...

Answer 2

G'day mate. Rubus Fruiticosa is the Latin name for blackberry. I assume you have the same blackberry we have in Australia. R. fruiticosa is also a declared noxious weed in Australia.

A few years ago I worked as the assistant to a government Vermin and Noxious Weeds inspector. Admittedly our work was based on farmland. The preferred herbicide of the day was (trade name) BRUSHOFF.

After the bushes had died the plant mass could be reduced by fire, or in your case I suggest crushing or physical removal. Watch for regrowth as one re treatment may be required. It was very important to wait until the canes had died and dried out completely before removal or burning. Also keep an eye out for seedlings.

In Australia you would need to be registered / trained, to be able to purchase this chemical. Roundup would probably also work, but you would need to keep at it with the respraying.

Good luck with your project, especially if your mum is using the berries for jelly - yum.

Answer 3

Keep the bushes! What a waste to get rid of them. Make a feature around them or something. Fruit trees are great to have.

Answer 4

Just pull them up or dig them out of the ground. They are notoriously hard to get rid of however. Why not keep them and enjoy the fruit? We make pies and jelly with ours.

Answer 5

You can use a systemic product like "Brush-B-Gone" to kill the roots. It may take more than one application. First I would cut them back as much as possible, then spray. When you dig the roots out be sure to start about a foot away from the stem. If you miss a few roots, the Brush-B-gone would most likely have killed them.

Answer 6

I am sorry but you will have to dig out all the roots, blackberry's tend to re root once they touch the ground so you will have to dig four to five feet round the plant sorry for the measurement but us old uns never change

Answer 7

Are you replacing the bushes with something else? I think your family members are quite happy keeping the bushes. Why remove it?

Answer 8

Chemicals such as Roundup or Pathclear may help, but you'll probably end up having to dig out the roots.

Answer 9

cut them down to about 4 -6 inches tall to reduce the number of throns, and then dig them out. I an certian that you can find a gardener that would either take them off your hands or even buy them.

Answer 10

You will never be able to stop them coming back, even if you dig up and burn the roots - unless you fancy killing all the wild birds