Tips on removing brambles?

[Debbie]

I'm about to go out into my fields with my shovel and long pruning shears to begin the tedious task of cutting back the blackberry brambles in my main field. My Mom is forever telling me to get goats, but the last thing I want/need/can handle is yet another animal. The blackberries cover too much acreage so I do not want to poison (plus the worst bit is by my creek and I do NOT want anything remotely poisonous near that!)

Any clever tips/tricks for cutting or dealing with blackberry brambles? And before anyone says they are yummy, yes, they are, but they have taken over at least 3 acres this summer alone, so I don't need them destroying that much of my land

[yanny]

We made a delicious blackberry and white chocolate cheesecake from the rather prolific blackberries in our field! However our whole field is nowhere near 3 acres...
If you don't want to poison, I'm guessing spraying is out of the question too. With my quite limited knowledge id go round with a big pair of pliers and cut them all down. Although I know that would take many, many hours, even days!
Cuba my arab x saddlebred LOVES thorny prickly plants. I wonder if one of your horses/ponies would? I'm sure Cal wouldn't turn them down if he was having a greedy day maybe you should just turn the ponies out in the blackberry field and let nature take its course?

[mikea]

I'm afraid it's down to hard graft. First strim down to about 1 foot above ground. Then using a mattock - you need to dig up the roots - get as much as you can, as they'll easily re-root next spring. (You,ll have to go round in Spring and pull any new shoots). I once did an old allotment, using this method, but it was really hard work. I don't envy you in your task

[Debbie]

The horses are turned out 24/7 on the field, so they aren't keeping the blackberries in check.

I was afraid of that, but thank you very much for reaffirming it will be down to hard work to reclaim the land I've begun the very long process, but I didn't think of using a mattock to get the roots. That's a very good idea

I've taken my own advice and begun stacking the bramble piles in preparation for composting with my oyster mushrooms. With the luck, the elk won't realize and will leave it alone until the mushrooms do their work in breaking it all down.

[nedales]

We DO have goats and they are magnificent about keeping the brambles down but ultimately it is all about digging them out. One other thought (especially in a rainy climate) is burning them out?

[harveydales]

I agree, hard work is the only way. I sympathise as we have a bramble problem and a blackthorn one, but not on a huge scale.

[dalesnfellfan]

Yes we also have blackthorns now encroaching into the field this year, so I must tackle them soon.

[colmworthdales]

Poor you. It is a pretty nasty job but worth persevering as they are definitely one of the Survivor Plants - along with convolvulus/bindweed and twitch grass. My patch has them all! My method is to attack one clump at a time. Cut the briars back in about 3ft long sections so they do not wrap round you and everything else. Pile them up and burn them after a few days, or leave to compost in situ. The main problem is the way they root from the tip at the end of summer, so need to cut all the briars off above ground level to prevent leap-frogging occurring the next spring. It is a long process but after a few sessions you can definitely see the difference and often by then the roots can be dug out easily or at least cut off well below ground level which normally works. It is one of those jobs I quite enjoy on a cold winter's afternoon when the wind is too strong to do proper gardening, but if you can get down low near brambles you keep warm and feel you have achieved something. I know that I am strange!!

I know people who have woodland overgrown with brambles swear by Clearing with Pigs. If you know anyone with a few hardy porkers or sows, and are prepared to fence off an area securely, the pigs will have a wonderful time - and they love the roots so after a few months there is not a trace of bramble left. Unfortunately, the grass needs a while to regrow after their grubbing!

[Debbie]

Since the worst offenders are next to a creek, I can't burn and I don't want to put pigs near it. It's got trout and salmon and other delicate environmental concerns, so it'll have to be hard graft. I don't mind using goats to nibble it all back but if the roots are the issue, I'll have to keep at it to kill them off.

Eldon's made a good start in one of the fields by using our lawn tractor, so we'll just have to keep it up