help! how do i remove these blackberry roots?
When my husband and I bought our little house last year, we had no idea what we had inherited. With last spring came an eruption of blackberry — thick, thorny vines that completely grew over our rock stairs and everything else. It’s a pesky, tenacious sucker to get rid of, which is why the Himalayan blackberry is considered an invasive plant here in the Pacific Northwest. I’m currently in the process of hacking away the stuff, armed with double gloves, thick clothes, and pruning shears, but I’m having difficulty removing some of the deep, old root systems — some growing out of rocks. It looks as if persistence and elbow grease are the best methods, though I’ve looked into goat rental, vinegar sprays, and the nifty Mr. Honeysuckle. But I’d like to get some raised beds in this area by late spring, and I am desperate. Does anyone know of any other foolproof, non-chemical tips and tricks to get rid of these nasty old roots? — Megan B.
Fire! There’s a tool… I think it’s called a weed dragon…
You are going to be moving the rocks to create the raised beds, right? It is hard to tell from the photo, but when removing an invasive, I have found it only works to dig deep. I sympathize–English ivy is my nemesis, and I’m allergic to its sap.
we have a similar problem with wild grape vines. only thing i have found that works is boiling water. you will need to repeat several times before spring — i think blackberries have long tap roots. if there is anything planted close by though, you will probably loose it too.
We have the same problem, I do recommend welding gloves for handling them (get them at Home Depot), they are so think you can grab the suckers and won’t get pricked.
We have plowed them with the tractor, but that isn’t always possible…i will try the boiling water, great idea.
Unfortunately- the rocks are staying- they are a retaining wall and terraced structure for the yard. But once I get down to all the roots I’ll try boiling water. It’s pretty much the only thing growing in the area I’m clearing, so I’m happy to kill whatever I can!
That makes it hard to dig then–hope the boiling water works. At least it is well situated for that, good luck!
Meggie my dear try washing you rocks with Clotox outdoor bleach in it’s concentrated form. Then when you are ready use some fresh planting soil cause the bleach will strip ALL the nutients. I had to do this for some plants my b-tard ex housemate thought would be funny to grow. Not even foxtails grew here for a season.
The only reliable method is digging them out I’m afraid. And you need to make sure you get ALL of the roots because they grow again from fragments left – in Australia they do anyway :-( Good luck!
Yes, the most reliable method is digging out the tap root, which goes pretty deep. Also, Himalayan blackberry can propagate from the leaves on the end of the vine, so be sure you get rid of all your clippings. We’ve battled them for three years, and they still pop up in the most unexpected places. Just keep at it.
[...] 1) The right gloves make hard jobs easier. Megan B. has a thorny problem with blackberry roots. Hannah says: “I do recommend welding gloves for handling them (get them at Home Depot), they are so think you can grab the suckers and won’t get pricked.” As for removing the roots, there are a few new suggestions, such as using boiling water — click here to learn more. [...]
I have designed and made a tool for lifting the crown and roots of Blackberry , it works on a fulcrum but the design is the actual tool so if anyone wants to buy one.