Getting rid of blackberry bushes.

[Perplexed]

Thanks for that. I googled "Piranha Tractor Bar" and I'll be getting one of those. The problem will be that some of those bushes have grown over discarded metal pipes, barbed wire, posts, whatever.

That’s old news. Here’s a WW2 Sherman tank with a hedgerow buster welded onto the front - same principle

 

[HFS]

Set up a U-Pickem kind of deal. Let people pay you for the right to get all scratched up.

Yep. Look like they've been in a cat fight.
Ripe blackberries make a great cobbler though. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Mmm Mmm.

 

[HarryBear]

Honeybees love blackberry blooms in the spring.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Thanks for that. I googled "Piranha Tractor Bar" and I'll be getting one of those. The problem will be that some of those bushes have grown over discarded metal pipes, barbed wire, posts, whatever.

There's even a couple of racks for working on cars covered in those bushes. Big racks. As in, you drive the car completely up onto the racks and get underneath.

But once I move the metal, that bar will be great.

The Piranha bar was a great addition to my tractor. You'll love it.

 

[mr ed]

Great cover for bunnies and quail, plus yummy berries. I like blackberry jam better than any other flavor except maybe apple butter.

 

[SoonerP226]

A two front war. Blackberry from the NW and Kudsu from the SE

I'd never seen kudzu 'til I was working in Mississippi a few years ago. I thought the waitaminute vines (briars) around here were bad, but the kudzu in Mississippi was like a freaking carpet. At least the briars will just climb a tree to get to sunlight--the kudzu will literally cover the tree. And all the trees around it. And houses. And parked cars. And slow-moving people...

 

[dennishoddy]

From OSU extension service:

Methods to control blackberry thickets​

• English
• Español

CORVALLIS, Ore.—It can take years to eradicate a large, prickly patch of blackberries, because even after the plants are gone, many of their seeds remain in the soil.
"Blackberries can remain an issue also because of their tremendous and effective dispersal potential," according to Andy Hulting, weed control specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Birds and animals disperse the berries—and therefore seeds—over long distances, allowing blackberries to reinvade an area."
Nevertheless, with good timing and dedication, property owners can reduce a sprawling blackberry thicket to a few manageable stragglers.
Contrary to the notion that the blackberry is as native to Oregon as rain, this hardy relative of the rose was introduced by the famous Luther Burbank. The western European blackberry he introduced in 1885 as "Himalayan giant" has become a giant problem. A single blackberry cane can produce a thicket six yards square in less than two years and has choked out native vegetation from Northern California to British Columbia.
"Several control methods work well as long as anyone going to battle against blackberry vines is armed with the benefits and drawbacks of the most common methods," Hulting said.
Digging up or plowing under can eliminate existing plants but also create an ideal seedbed for the next generation of plants not completely killed by tillage. Planting a perennial such as grass in the area provides competition with new weed seedlings, and the soil surface is no longer disturbed to bring up new seeds. This is the best practice for long-term control.
Goats or mechanical mowing both work by removing the leaves so the plant can't turn sunlight into food. The root eventually starves. Both goats and mowers must be brought back often, however, and both have the same drawback: They also mow down everything else in their path.
Another problem with goats is that they will eat only around the edges of a patch. "A lot of people find inventive ways to get goats to the center of the patch, such as mowing pathways or placing boards that goats can walk on or smashing down canes so the entire patch can be grazed," Hulting said.
Effective herbicides are available and used to control blackberry throughout the year. Each has different use rates and application restrictions depending on the intended use area; always refer to the product label for specific instructions for use on blackberry. Specific herbicide use instructions for blackberry are summarized in the Control of Problem Weeds Chapter of the online version of the Pacific Northwest Weed Management handbook.
Contrary to some popular misinformation, it is usually best not to cut down blackberry plants prior to treatment with herbicides unless the plants are too big to reach with spray equipment, Hulting said. Cutting down the plant reduces the leaf area, and the plant may not take in enough herbicide to kill the large root.
No matter if you've grubbed, chopped or sprayed, after you're rid of your blackberry plants, don't forget to plant hardy alternative vegetation that can crowd or shade out new blackberry seedlings.
"You can't treat a patch of blackberry and then walk away," Hulting said. "The control methods can take several years, at least, to eradicate a large patch. Don't take a break and let the blackberries regain their strength."

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Invasive Species, Weeds

 

[1big44]

Large patches on rural acreage.

I'm looking at weed burners.

At this point, I'll hafta spend ~$100 on a weed burner/propane tank or ~$35,000 on a backhoe.

Timing is very important. Spray them after blooming and a decent rain. Remedy will work fine if timing is right. Other stuff is very expensive and restricted. Do not burn or mow. The new growth is double tough.
At least that’s my experience.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

From OSU extension service:

Methods to control blackberry thickets​

• English
• Español

CORVALLIS, Ore.—It can take years to eradicate a large, prickly patch of blackberries, because even after the plants are gone, many of their seeds remain in the soil.
"Blackberries can remain an issue also because of their tremendous and effective dispersal potential," according to Andy Hulting, weed control specialist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. "Birds and animals disperse the berries—and therefore seeds—over long distances, allowing blackberries to reinvade an area."
Nevertheless, with good timing and dedication, property owners can reduce a sprawling blackberry thicket to a few manageable stragglers.
Contrary to the notion that the blackberry is as native to Oregon as rain, this hardy relative of the rose was introduced by the famous Luther Burbank. The western European blackberry he introduced in 1885 as "Himalayan giant" has become a giant problem. A single blackberry cane can produce a thicket six yards square in less than two years and has choked out native vegetation from Northern California to British Columbia.
"Several control methods work well as long as anyone going to battle against blackberry vines is armed with the benefits and drawbacks of the most common methods," Hulting said.
Digging up or plowing under can eliminate existing plants but also create an ideal seedbed for the next generation of plants not completely killed by tillage. Planting a perennial such as grass in the area provides competition with new weed seedlings, and the soil surface is no longer disturbed to bring up new seeds. This is the best practice for long-term control.
Goats or mechanical mowing both work by removing the leaves so the plant can't turn sunlight into food. The root eventually starves. Both goats and mowers must be brought back often, however, and both have the same drawback: They also mow down everything else in their path.
Another problem with goats is that they will eat only around the edges of a patch. "A lot of people find inventive ways to get goats to the center of the patch, such as mowing pathways or placing boards that goats can walk on or smashing down canes so the entire patch can be grazed," Hulting said.
Effective herbicides are available and used to control blackberry throughout the year. Each has different use rates and application restrictions depending on the intended use area; always refer to the product label for specific instructions for use on blackberry. Specific herbicide use instructions for blackberry are summarized in the Control of Problem Weeds Chapter of the online version of the Pacific Northwest Weed Management handbook.
Contrary to some popular misinformation, it is usually best not to cut down blackberry plants prior to treatment with herbicides unless the plants are too big to reach with spray equipment, Hulting said. Cutting down the plant reduces the leaf area, and the plant may not take in enough herbicide to kill the large root.
No matter if you've grubbed, chopped or sprayed, after you're rid of your blackberry plants, don't forget to plant hardy alternative vegetation that can crowd or shade out new blackberry seedlings.
"You can't treat a patch of blackberry and then walk away," Hulting said. "The control methods can take several years, at least, to eradicate a large patch. Don't take a break and let the blackberries regain their strength."

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Invasive Species, Weeds

The other OSU

Go Ducks!

 

[rawhide]

Thanks for that. I googled "Piranha Tractor Bar" and I'll be getting one of those. The problem will be that some of those bushes have grown over discarded metal pipes, barbed wire, posts, whatever.

There's even a couple of racks for working on cars covered in those bushes. Big racks. As in, you drive the car completely up onto the racks and get underneath.

But once I move the metal, that bar will be great.

I have a Piranha bar on my bucket. Haven't used it on the blackberries yet but have taken out small trees with the roots.