[det28]

We're being over-run. Between the blackberry thickets, the non-poison sumac and the locust bushes, we are just trying to see daylight. And it seems that the harder we try to control them, the thicker everything gets.
Any suggestions on how to get rid of these things?

Thanks for your help.
det28

 

[Cyngbaeld]

What have you done so far? Mowing frequently should help with some of it. Maybe a goat?

 

[Terri]

I have 3 rows of blackberries in my yard. I keep them under control with the lawn mower. Otherwise, they would spread.

 

[Gayle in KY]

det28, I can't offer any help, but I certainly can sympathize! Every year, about this time, we notice that Mother Nature is winning the battle for our yard. She has half of our 65 acres, but she wants it ALL!!!

 

[countrygrrrl]

Mowing definitely helps. I mow all the time. But it has made an enormous difference.

If you're dealing with the invasive sumac, you have to pull out and/or cut the roots. I had (have) a horrible time with sumac and found that a combination of pulling roots and squirting with Roundup formulas did the trick. In some areas. I still have several more areas to go.

I also have some invasive bushes --- really bad ones. Roundup squashes them, as well.

I get dry roundup at a local feedstore and, for the invasives, mix it MUCH more strongly. I also use it on multiflora, with success. :yeeha: It has sucessfully cleared two entire hillsides of my invasive bushes and tons of sumac.

Mowing and keeping after it, though, is the most important thing to do. I don't even let the sumac, multiflora or bushes get going in the areas I've cleared and am hoping to get another area cleared of them by next year. :yeeha:

You have my sympathies. I never knew how awful invasives were til i got this place. :no:

 

[det28]

Well, we've tried several different things so far with the blackberries. As far as mowing them are concerned, we've tried that with some of the smaller ones. They came back with a vengence. We tried burning them, with the same results. We pushed up one batch of them with a front end loader, and it seemed to renew the bed. We sprayed some of them this past week to see if that helps. The weeds seemed to be looking puny, but the blackberries are still smiling so far. And we're not talking about little rows of blackberries. When we bought the land, the former owners had not attempted to control the berries bushes and they cover approximately twelve acres of the twenty acres that are cleared. One patch is almost the size of a football field, and the vines are approximately fifteen feet tall, so mowing is pretty much out of the question. We can only spray around the edges and do a little at a time. On top of all that, I talked to a representative from the wildlife commission and she told me that some of the sign that I was describing was evidence of several bear on the property. On a bright note, I have been able to can up a cabinet full of jam.

The sumac and locust were already in place also, and they are large. I was told that the thorns on the locust can cause infections if jabbed with one. I haven't figured out how to cut them or pull them up if I can't get near them.

Questions, questions...

Thanks for the input.
det28

 

[countrygrrrl]

I'm not dealing with blackberry. (says a short silent prayer in honor of this)

But I am dealing with The Evil Multiflora, which I imagine could likely be like dealing with blackberry. I have repeatedly found what I think is The Mother of All Multiflora, only to find bigger ones a day or so later.

:no: Huge. 20' wide and much taller than me.

I started lopping them (what I could reach) and double-triple batching the dry Round Up stuff on them --- a friend of mine works at some nature preserve, and that's what they do there to the invasives --- they don't mix regular strength, they REALLY WHOP them with double-triple and more strength Round Up.

And you may have to resort to something like Brush-B-Gone.

It's definitely a process for the things like that.

As for the sumac, some of mine were huge and they send out shoots everywhere because of their root system. That is, if you're dealing with the same kind of sumac I'm dealing with. It took me about a year to figure out, unless you zap their root system, you've accomplished nothing.

I sawed down the big ones and put -- I think --- Brush B Gone on the stumps --- then i started pulling out the root system, although there was (and is) no way to get all of it --- way too extensive. However, that was enough to stem the tide. Now I mow and shoot them with Round Up.

I still have a lot more of it to tackle.

Those invasives are awful. :no:

 

[countrygrrrl]

BTW, invest in long handled loppers. It's the only way to deal with the stuff with stickers. I just start lopping them from the outside. :yeeha:

I also use the bottles from Mean Green Super Strength Killer for spotting zapping with triple strength Round Up. I have a hand held sprayer for when i have a huge thing (one of the monster multiflora, usually --- or my giant poison ivy vines :no: or ... :no: ) to spray.