Fighting Blackberry and winning?

[NONHOG]

I have been pulling up Blackberry plants in my back woods. Going well.
Ground is soft and damp.
Not sure you ever really win with BB's. Cool thing is I made a path to the Huckleberries! Also going to try transplanting one of the HB's in the yard closer to the house. Might not be everybody's cup of tea but I'm excited!

[dan42]

Roundup.

[NONHOG]

So far the times I've used Round up the BB's seem to laugh it off.
There is BB killer, not sure what the difference is?
I have heard the trick to poison is the application. Cut a vine in the morning and soak the fresh cut. Suppose to soak it in that way?
I'll have to try a test patch and see how it works.

[ETsC10]

For the most effective control, delay your major spraying until mid-summer through fall and winter.
I knock it to the ground until that time, fertilize and then spray when it's got lush growth starting again.
The more robust the growth, the more effective the control.

In spring and other active growth times, the plants energy (sugars) move mostly from the plants
rhizomes (storage) up to the above ground plant for growth. Later in the year, that is reversed in order
to store food for the next season. When you spray, you want the herbicide to travel to the root system.

Stick with glyphosate (Roundup) which is quite safe for your soil. A lot of brush killers will contaminate your soil
to the point where nothing at all will grow plus being a run-off hazard near bodies of water..

BTW--you can save money if you buy the house brands of glyphosate.

[oldiron]

Gasoline and a flame thrower. Nothing like the smell of scorched earth in the morning.
Is that a forest fire I see on South Hill.

[cory d]

machetes dont work. they just grow back. learned that loooooong ago. or a chunk flies off and sticks you in the arm

[NONHOG]

ET that is about what they told me at Mclendons I have in the past cut into pieces and they would sprout in the ground making matters worse. Learned that lesson.
Just pulling them out by the root ball. I figure they may still have a little root left that will likely start up a new plant. But it sure is fun pulling out a 20-30 foot long BB plant.
I have yet to come close to any sort of control but have a good start.
Not a bad workout but a bit risky for the lower back.

OldIron, fire is fun no matter what you use it for!
coryd, funny how I consider every move I make while holding a torny whip.
So much "learning the hard way" when it come to these evil plants.

If they grew where they got full sun I'd keep (some of) them. Love the berries. They are not as good when growing in shade.

[Richardwa]

Round-up doesn't work well on woody plants like blackberry. I use a product called cross-bow, it works good but is expensive

[boatpuller]

Ditto on the Crossbow..........I have a brother who is a forester in charge of stuff like that.
.He swears that fall is the best time to spray Blackberries. They suck it down deepe in the root system.

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by boatpuller

Ditto on the Crossbow..........I have a brother who is a forester in charge of stuff like that.
.He swears that fall is the best time to spray Blackberries. They suck it down deepe in the root system.

I used crossbow for blackberry vines also and it is much better than round-up ...thats when I lived in the blackberry capitol of the world..where you and Non Hog lives ,,

[ETsC10]

Crossbow can be very scary stuff.

The Crossbow (2,4-D = AGENT ORANGE), is quite effective but Nonhog has a nice little preserve that he would like to
work with plus has a running stream through it. Crossbow is probably a bad choice in his case...

Note that it is quite quite toxic and would probably wipe out a lot of his wildlife, fish down stream,
insects plus native plants. A high potential price to pay for killing blackberry bushes.

Here's the MSDS on it.

Originally Posted by NONHOG

So far the times I've used Round up the BB's seem to laugh it off.
There is BB killer, not sure what the difference is?
I have heard the trick to poison is the application.
Cut a vine in the morning and soak the fresh cut.
Suppose to soak it in that way?
I'll have to try a test patch and see how it works.

This does work very well.
I used to carry a jug of Roundup and, after cutting a thick BB cane,
used a sponge/rag, soaked the top of the cut cane.
It helps if you add a few drops of dish soap so it sticks better
but the roudup is enough usually..

This also saves you a bunch of Roundup vs spraying!

If you have false bamboo (Japanese Knotweed), this works just as well...
Squirt it down the cut off cane with a turkey baster or spray bottle
set on stream.

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by ETsC10

Crossbow can be very scary stuff.

The Crossbow = agent orange), is quite effective but Nonhog has a nice little preserve that he would like to
work with plus has a running stream through it. Crossbow is probably a bad choice in his case...

Note that it is quite quite toxic and would probably wipe out a lot of his wildlife, fish down stream,
insects plus native plants. A high potential price to pay for killing blackberry bushes.

Can you imagine answering to the county as to why all the grass is dead in the storm drain next door.(DOH!) My weak little creek is more of a ditch that runs only 2-3 weeks a year. In fact its not labeled as a wetland its a "wildlife sanctuary" according to the county. Funny thing is its a Salmon run but they can't get up the hill anymore. So the county opens and closes valves as they see fit. Up the hill as far as I am its funny how if the Puyallup river is at flood stage my back yard gets a nice little creek. (valve closed)

[ETsC10]

Bet your woods are ultra cool during the salmon run!
I sure can understand why you love it...beautifu!

[dan42]

Your can heat up the roundup by adding ammonium sulfate in the tank first, it conditions the water and makes the roundup more potent.

[ETsC10]

Originally Posted by dan42

Your can heat up the roundup by adding ammonium sulfate in the tank first, it conditions the water and makes the roundup more potent.

Wow Dan, I didn't know that...thanks for the great tip!

Not a prob for NONHOG but for others in more alkaline
or salty areas, great information.

What would the easiest source for ammonium sulfate be
for those folks? High nitrogen liquid fertilizer?

I googled it and found a write-up from Oregon State
University HERE plus it also provides the whys & hows
of how glyphosate (Roundup) works.

Great read for us gardeners who want to use a safe,
effective product (Roundup) to it's best advantage.

BTW--I'm into plants!...I am a retired Master Gardener,
and can never get enough learning so keep posting guys!
I'm lovin' it!!!!!

[NONHOG]

Thanks for the info everybody! Pulled more tonight before the sky's opened on me and I retreated inside.
I have my work cut out for me.

[dan42]

Ellen, it comes as 21-0-0 in 50 lb bags at farm supply stores, it's a great fast greenup for your lawn as well. We typically put in around 17 pounds per 100 gal water, and put it in first. Some formulations of glyphosates have it built in but the cheaper ones don't. That with a gallon and a half to 2 gallons of Roundup/glyphosate (at least 40% active) should do a pretty good job.

[davischevy]

My dad cleared a 10 acre pasture that had grown up in blackberries. He would get his tractor loader bucket started at the edge and roll them out, roots and all. He would have a ball as big a travel trailer and push it to the hollow and burn it.

I'm actually training my blackberries, in a six foot wide "hedge" around the back of my place to diminish the four wheeler traffic across here.

[ETsC10]

Originally Posted by NONHOG

coryd, funny how I consider every move I make while holding a torny whip.
So much "learning the hard way" when it come to these evil plants.

Try using a light pc of plywood to stand on while you work...and stand way back with a rake to get the buggers out of the way!

Originally Posted by NONHOG

If they grew where they got full sun I'd keep (some of) them. Love the berries. They are not as good when growing in shade.

You can train blackberries pretty much the same as raspberries and there are even thornless varieties! Win-win--yummy!

[bouncytruck]

We have a huckleberry we dug up from my parents property on the oregon coast. It has enough berries each year for my wife to make at least one pie.

[imjeff]

You can inject or soak fresh cut ends before you pull them. Let it soak in for a day. If you inject roundup in the fresh cut ness it won't kill anything around it. I've also heard of people painting undiluted RU on the leaves.

[NONHOG]

Great tips here. Thanks!

Spent another hour or so got a new pile. That makes 3. Yard waste bin wont keep up. Looks like a dump trip in my future.
Amazing (to me at least) how big the roots get on the little sucker start.
I'm possibly 25% done?
Keeping me from all my other projects but I'm actually having fun at it.

[ETsC10]

Originally Posted by oldiron

gasoline and a flame thrower. Nothing like the smell of scorched earthworms in the morning.
Is that a forest fire i see on south hill.

peeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!