Topic: Evil bramble threatens sanity

[onionhead]

Hey all!

Just acquired an allotment plot that is choked with couch grass and bramble. Gaargh! The blood... the tears... the loss of the use of my legs after Day 1... What have I let myself in for?!? Er, anyway, I've been steadily hacking away over the last couple of days and it looks as though I'm making a very slight difference.

The previous occupant  ::) (bless his half-arsedness) has left great random mounds of rather tasty-looking topsoil all over the plot which I'd like to get my greedy hands on. The problem is they're completely smothered with leafy ground-hugging young bramble offspring from the nearby great bramble mother, and I want to get shot of.

I'm totally organic so no chemical warfare, but given the tenacity of the bramble what would be the best way to go? There's so much of the stuff that I don't know if hand-weeding is really an option, plus I'm lazy. Would some weed suppressing sheeting work or is bramble too cunning for that? My secateurs and I can cope with the giant looming stuff but it's the carpet of creeping nastiness that's the problem... and it's multiplying fast. Any bramble advice would be much appreciated.

         

[SMP1704]

Hi Onionhead

Welcome from another newbie!  I took over my plot in January and had blackberries growing the width of the plot.  As my neighbour told me that they tasted good, I decided to keep them........but then spent the next 3 weekends pruning them back.  Leather gloves and mechanics overalls did the trick.

The problem was then the baby brambles that were in random places all over the rest of the plot.  My approach to them has been to cut back to a couple of inches and then use the fork to lift the roots, which proved quite easy - given on clay soil. 

So my thinking is that if your brambles are rooted in juicy top soil, it should be quite easy to persuade the roots to shift.  If you work on one mound at a time, it might seem more achievable.

The membrane might work, but it would put a big area out of action for quite a while.

HTH

Sharon

[onionhead]

Cheers for that Sharon. I haven't checked how deep the roots are so maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Oh well, I think I'll just have to get stuck in and clear a little patch at a time. Unless I can hypnotize the chap in the adjacent plot to clear it for me... mwhahaha!

[agapanthus]

Hi Onionhead...what about hiring a brushcutter if you have so
much to get rid of? It might save you a bit of time..and once you have all the nasty bramble out of the way it should be a bit easier to get to the roots. I agree with Sharon...putting cover over will put quite an area out of action and at this time of the year all we want to do is plant...besides  I think that the dreaded bramble would eventually win ;D

[cowellen]

Hi Onionhead,

I have had my plot for about 2 weeks - 1st week i done nothing (except read about how to clear it - in the wiki ;))

I was advised to take a bit at a time - here is my first bed  ;D (still some of them horrid brambles and couch still in there  :))



i guess its gonna be potatoes all round  ::)

best of luck to ya Onionhead   ;)

[onionhead]

Thanks for the advice dudes. A problem shared, eh!

Nice pic Cowellen. That's attractive brown stuff. I've yet to see the fabled brown stuff on my plot. Popping down there tomorrow come rain or shine so I might try hitting the ground repeatly with the business end of my rake until I find some. Or get escorted off the premises by the field secretary. Whichever happens first...

[Robert_Brenchley]

Cover your soil piles with black plastic and leave them for a season. Then spread them. It worked with the ones I inherited.

[fluffygrue]

Hack back the bits you want to be beds.

As for the rest.. think of all the blackberries you'll be harvesting!

Melanie

[sandallwood]

hi Onion head, don't let those brambles brown you off! have had my plot for three weeks and ive got a lot of
brambles to clear, since ive been attacked and wounded by them ( also my mum and hubbie are wounded)
i attack them with great vigour, im doing an hour here and there, wish you lots of luck.

sandallwood. ;D

[bupster]

Persistence. I had 16 sq m of brambles and nothing but my mother's old secateurs. I just keep cutting them back, hoiking them out, a little bit at a time. Just discovered tulips and an entire apple tree!