How do I get rid of brambles

[Mousefoot]

Growing through things I want to keep?

I used to have a beautiful, if not entirely manicured, garden but I've had a really tough few years and it's become neglected.

I'm finally starting to get back on top of it, but there are brambles growing through all the hedges and shrubs. I cut them down as low as I can reach, and everything looks good for a while, but of course they quickly grow back.

What do I need to do?

I think they have to be dug out, I’m waiting for the blackberries to finish ripening before I attack mine but they are everywhere and tangled in everything 😩

I don't know how I can dig them out though, I can't get to the roots.

You need to dig them out, and may need to take out other bits of the hedge to do so. Cut them back first. The other option is just to go on cutting them to the ground several times a year.

They keep coming back even when you do dig them out. I wouldn’t mind a slightly brambly hedge but they’ve taken over my whole garden.

Follow them down to the ground. Then dig down enough to get to a sort of join/ nub part. If you cut below that it massively weakens them. Do it repeatedly theough growing season. I also used to use the roundup gel which had a great applicator and didnt get on surrounding things. They dont sell it anymore sadly. New option is to buy the concentrated liquid and use a paint brush to apply to stumps u have remaining.

Are they on runners, like mint?

I don’t want to have to use weedkiller if I can avoid it. I wish they would stay in one patch, the butterflies love the blossom and I like the fruit. Why do they have to take over the whole garden?

Are they on runners, like mint?
The whole darned stem can act as a runner, if it bends back to the ground it'll root. Living barbed wire.
If I had a hedge infested with it I think I'd see glyphosate as the only realistic solution.

Oh man. But thanks.

Oh I feel for you OP. I have the same problem but I also have bindweed. Gardens either side and behind are overrun too so I have no hope. Following for the advice

I have this problem too. They are very difficult to dig up and I don't like using chemicals either. I'm finding it very hard to get on top of it.

You don’t need to dig them out, they can’t grow back from roots, what you do need to do, however, is to cut them below the growing point where all the shoots come from, so cutting about an inch below soil surface.

But if you can’t get to that, either carry on as you are, or let them grow, and when they’re in vigorous growth, apply a systemic weedkiller. But they’re tough, and you’ll have to have several goes at it. Getting rid of the growing points is easier

I removed several armfuls of bindweed yesterday very satisfying! Shame to lose the flowers though

Bindweed isn't so bad, at least you can just pull it out when you see it rather than having to don protective clothing first.

Yes, I've got bindweed too and thought that was the bane of my life previously, but it has nothing on the brambles.

Thanks for this. We're just buying a new house and took out 3 massive bags of brambles from the garden and it looks no different at all although I can at least close the greenhouse door and have removed the brambles from inside it! 🤣 I think it's going to take years to get rid of them all!

Wait til they are dormant so prob January or thereabouts and pull them up by the roots wearing thick gloves. Or get a strong perso. To do it for you.

If you are willing to use weedkiller (try SBK), I've had some success with persistent brambles in the middle of other stuff with this method. Cut the brambles down to 1/2 leaves above the ground or cut them to the ground and let them develop a couple of new leaves.

Gather up some little plastic sandwich bags and elastic bands or string together with your SBK or glyphosate. Coat the inside of the bag with the weedkiller and then tie it on the plant. Leave it like that until you can't stand the sight of little plastic bags in your garden. This method stops the weedkiller coming into contact with other plants, keeps it contact with the bramble for longer and means it doesn't matter if it rains.

If you're like me, the following year you'll be wondering why there are sandwich bags in your garden.

Dig dig dig. Cut everything back first, although that’s a bit obvious.