Wild blackberry patches?

Question

We have wild blackberry patches growing all over the back yard, we have sprayed them with round up, put weed killer down, but nothing is keeping them away! They are growing all around my childrens play equipment! Any ideas???

Answer 1

Although Roundup is a very good herbicide, it isn't strong enough to kill hard-to-kill brush species. There are several products found at the hardware store that contains the active ingredient called; "TRICLOPYR" (found in products such as "Brush-B-Gone" or "Brush Killer" at your local hardware store) that is specifically made to destroy Poison Oak, Poison Ivy and bushes such as blackberries. It does an excellent job!

You simply mix it with water and spray the entire bush as thoroughly as possible. Try to find a "Spreader-Sticker" that can be mixed with the "Triclopyr" so that it provides better coverage and allows it to adere better....resulting in better kill of your blackberries. If you're unable to find any "spreader-sticker", simply put a few drops of dishsoap in with the triclopyr + water AFTER you've mixed the two together. The dishsoap will breakdown the waxy surface found on the stems and leaves and allow the mixture to enter into the plant. You may need to continue to spray the young emerging seedlings with this spray throughout the season.

Hope this information helps you get rid of the blackberries.

-Certified Professional Crop Consultant with over 30 years of experience and a Degree in Plant Science

Answer 2

I would have thought that round up should have killed them off, but maybe you need some repeat sprayings. Bear in mind also that roundup only works when plants are actively growing: if you are in the northern hemisphere where it's early Spring right now you are just entering the period when roundup works best. It will work even better in late spring and summer.

Alternatively, just keep cutting down the shoots with secateurs/scissors/pruners. Eventually the roots of the plant will starve (as would happen with any perennial or shrub that you keep cutting back) and the plant will die. This may take some time though. You also need to ensure that you don't let any of the plants flower and fruit otherwise you'll end up with balckberry plants seeding themselves all over your garden too.

Answer 3

If you can, move them to another area to continue to grow...why?.....several reasons:

They are not only delicious, but berries are very high in antioxidants and several studies are comming out verifying their anti-cancerous properties.

They serve as food for all the beautiful birds that I'm sure you're kids love to look at.

This would be much better than killing them outright. You could also offer them up on your local freecycle.org group, I'm sure someone would be willing to come dig them all up for you, and they must be dug...they spread out via the root system. Alternatively you could let them alone, add a kids garden to the area, and move the play equipment to another part of the yard.

Answer 4

Roundup only kills green things, and brambles like blackberries and raspberries are woody. You'll have to dig it up by the roots. Maybe you could rent a little backhoe for a day and then just git-er-done!

Please quit dumping poison in your childrens' play area

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Answer 5

Use a brush killer when the leaves are emerging and growing.

Answer 6

wait until you can collect the berrys and make a pie or some jelly mmmmm.then use a tiller .when they come back then try your round up on the new folage.