Brambles

Symptoms

Spreading thickets of thorny, woody growth, which compete with cultivated plants for light, water and nutrients.

Find it on: freshly-cultivated ground, established borders, undisturbed ground, old walls, cracks in paving

Time to act: spring, summer, autumn, winter

Problem categories

Overview

These quick-growing plants are able to spread rapidly to create dense, thorny thickets of stems, which are able to root at the tips. The plants produce blackberry fruits, which contain seeds that can grow into new plants. The tough roots are able to grow again when the stems are cut down.

Solution

Spreading thickets of thorny, woody growth, which compete with cultivated plants for light, water and nutrients.

Organic

Cut back stems and dig out roots thoroughly. Pull out seedlings and young plants before they become established and spread.

Chemical

Cut back stems of established plants, and treat the regrowth in spring and summer with brushwood killer. Treat the foliage of seedlings and young plants with a systemic herbicide, which will kill the roots as well as the top growth.

Discuss this problem

Talkback: Brambles

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lizzyslot 24/11/2011 at 15:27

In my garden rockery in the gaps between the plants there always grows a lot of moss. I usually remove it by scraping it off but this also is removing the topsoil.
do you have any suggestions how else I can get rid of it.?
thank you.

paterdale 24/11/2011 at 15:27

hello there my name is shane coley i live in st albans and have no garden or growing area but i m a keen gardener and am thinking of growing some veg indoors as a experimet to see what would happon im thinking of growing potatoes in big pots and would like to know if this is possible

yours syncerly shane thank you for your time in reading this email hope to hear from u soon

Elaine28 24/11/2011 at 15:28

Hi there,

For the first time I have grown a 'Canna Indica' As the weather is now cooler I have moved it into my small green house. What I would like to know is should I cut it down and wrap it in fleece, or should I wait until the leaves die back? I also have two banana plants and the same question applies to them.I look forward to your replies.

Thank you

Elaine.

nicola73 24/11/2011 at 15:29

Is there any other way to kill off, the roots are coming from under neighbours house and have pets and small child

petervanh 06/03/2012 at 14:33

I gave up fighting them. Instead, I allowed them to grow against the wall next to the main entrance of the house. They have beautiful white flowers attracting lots of bees and other insects, and tasty berries - birds do enjoy them as do visitors (especially kids) when waiting at the door. Finally these berries taste way better than the berries from thornless brambles. A real luxury, all for free...

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