Removing Invasive Blackberries So They Won't Come Back

This is the blackberry removal technique we used when I worked doing ecological restoration and invasive species removal last year. You will always need to return multiple times to a site where there were invasives no matter how good a job you think you've done, because it's unlikely that you catch every bit of roots. This technique works to remove Himalayan blackberries and evergreen blackberries. The best place to dispose of invasive species is in your city's green waste bin or at the dump in the yard waste section. If you don't have access to green waste pickup, you can dry out the canes in the sun on a tarp until they're dead, and then put them in the compost. Just make sure that you're not putting living blackberries into your compost heap.
Before you ask, herbicides don't actually tend to work very well on a lot of invasive plants...nevermind the fact that I don't want to use herbicides or pesticides in my garden as a personal choice.
This week I finally tackled this prickly job that I've been putting off for four weeks. I just got sick of looking at this mess out the kitchen window so I put everything else aside to just get it done. In retrospect I should have gotten myself some better leather gloves.
What other invasive species do you think I'll find in our yard before the cleanup is done?
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Hi! I’m Laura. Welcome to my tiny suburban garden in zone 8b. I'm on a mission to transform our neglected suburban lot from plain grass to an urban permaculture paradise.
I offer garden coaching and foodscape design in the Metro Vancouver, BC area
Website: laurastepney.ca/
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[@LauraStepney]

Spoiler alert: I've already found another invasive plant in our yard. Can you guess what it is? (It's one of the ones I listed as examples of other invasives at the end of the video).

[@willamettehops]

Good overview of their lifecycle. The yard looks great!

[@rosalindinyang1075]

Thanks for this information I’m going to do some of this when it cools off and also in the fall

[@francesskulj6194]

Looks so much better! Backyard is completely transformed

[@SeattlePioneer]

I'm going to report on my blackberry removal project. This is on a well travelled sidewalk in Seattle, Wa. It's on either side of the underpass under a bridge is a planting strip of public property, and each year 3/4 of the sidewalk gets overgrown with blackberry. The city then comes are cleans it out to ground level, and it begins growing again immediately from all the roots left in the ground. So I've decided to adopt these two strips of public property and maintain them. I've begun by a blackberry root removal project. My tools that I've found useful are 1. a mattock (the MOST useful tool) 2. A fork that can be driven into the ground to lever up roots. 3. Square and round point shovel. 4. a garden rake 5. A good sized plastic bin in which to put roots and debris. So I've begun by using your methods of digging up root balls and roots. The big roots are often 2" or so and the gnarly root balls bigger. The mattock is the right tool for this job, since it is a GREAT tool for very heavy digging. Next time I'll bring an axe, which would be useful for cutting off some roots growing down to China. The fork is also useful for digging up smaller roots. and levering them out. After digging up all the roots I can find, I use the garden rake to separate out small roots and to regrade the area I've dug up. The square point shovel is good for cleaning dirt off the sidewalk so it is in walkable condition. I'm doing maybe ten feet at a time before I get tired (I am age 73). I did that ten feet Saturday evening and another ten feet Sunday morning. I have another one or two days to do on this side of the underpass, and then the same amount to do on the other end of the underpass. There are blackberry growing out of joints in the cement several feet above ground level. I've cut those off flush with loppers, but they will certainly grow back. This area is about 1/3 mile from my home, so I can drive there easily with all my tools. I figure that after this major treatment, I'll return to dig up blackberries I've missed, and then mow the area until grass takes over. I might sow some flower seed on the ground. There are plenty of other areas inundated with blackberry where I discard the roots I dig up. That's my neighborhood improvement project which I'm doing entirely on my own.

[@LauraStepney]

Wow! You are an amazing human to take on that project! Thanks so much for sharing what's working for you so others can take on their own blackberry battles. Do you think you could recruit any neighbourhood helpers? That's a lot of digging all on your own. In any case good luck on the remainder of your blackberry removal project. You're doing a great thing for Seattle.

[@chadhanna]

I'm working on a bramble/blackberry problem in my garden in England - being next to a railway cutting doesn't help. My preferred tools are leather gloves, a grubbing hoe to remove the top layer and a mattock for the roots. Rather more physical than your approach 🤣 I'm now down to bare soil and go out on bramble patrol each morning to dig out new sprouts where there are still odd bits of root in the ground.

[@jamieluce5808]

Daily bramble patrol is what it takes!

[@user-pu8ce3zu5k]

Doesnt alway work!

[@user-pu8ce3zu5k]

Just say how you got rid of them not all the rest.Keep it simple did you use a weed killer and did it work if not which one Dont need to here all the rest.

[@JustMeB729]

Thank you for sharing your information. It was very helpful to know. Good luck with your backyard 🌹🌻🪻🪱

[@carolynrose753]

Brushkiller xt in autumn works well if you want to go the spray route

[@lyndajordan6479]

Thank you for this information, blackberries in my garden have taken over every corner, and they have also spread through a large conifer tree, ruining it, and spread through a large hydrangea bush. This is going to be a massive job, but being elderly with arthritis, I don't think I will be able to deal with this myself although a few weeks ago I managed to cut half the hydrangea bush away, but then the weather turned cold and became wet for a few weeks, though nice but cold today, here in South Wales, UK . I hope you've managed to get you plants in the ground. Much 💖 .

[@LauraStepney]

That blackberry patch sounds like quite the challenge. I hope you have some family or friends who could help you dig them out. Good luck :)

[@lyndajordan6479]

@The Tiny Suburban Garden, Thank you for your kind comment. I try and attempt it, but I may move to something smaller and more manageable. I've been here 30+ years now, and can't do what I used to.

[@eugenetswong]

Thanks for this. I'm trying to learn to forage for nutrition and to save money in Surrey and Delta. Invasive species seems to be the logical target. I appreciate you mentioning southwestern BC. This makes me more comfortable in identifying. I'll check out your other videos for info on more invasive species, and city policies on them using herbicides and pesticides, so that we can know if parks are safe for foraging for invasive species.

[@LauraStepney]

Glad you found it helpful! Unfortunately I don't know for sure which cities spray but I haven't ever heard of spraying for blackberries. Usually they just cut them back with a hedger once a year. The only thing I'd suggest is avoiding berries low to the ground (you don't want to eat dog pee).

[@eugenetswong]

@@LauraStepney thanks for the advice on avoiding the low berries. I thought that pee could be washed off with detergent. No?

[@LauraStepney]

@@eugenetswong If you're planning to take them home and rinse them I guess you could do that. Blackberries turn to mush pretty easily if they're ripe and you wash them too aggressively. Personally I just leave the low ones alone for the birds to enjoy as well as the high ones I can't reach. There are usually enough that you're not really missing out.

[@eugenetswong]

@@LauraStepney Yeah. Good point. Thanks for the reminder.

[@eugenetswong]

@@LauraStepney Hi. I just did some brief searching for pesticides in Surrey and both Langley parks, and it seems that none of the 3 places allow usage, except when trying to get rid of serious problems. I'm on hold on the phone right now, waiting to find out who are the correct people to call for up to date info. I think that it would make an interesting video topic for those, who want to forage. Maybe it's too off topic.

[@johnmulvey5121]

Very useful and beautifully explained thanks!

[@mikemanau]

Thank you for this video! I have random blackberry bushes (in Australia) that are delicious in summer, but really invasive and literally painful. This was very informative. 😃

[@heartbroken3350]

I have a problem there is a wall so i can not get to the roots 😢i wanted to try glyphosate to kill the roots ? Any suggestions

[@PNW24]

It doesn’t look too bad mine are crazy! I can’t get on top of them. I cut them down and they grow right back. Have to get down to the root that’s the only way to get rid of them. ✌🏻

[@NaT-Cho662]

Im rather new to the Northwest and i am learning the hard way about black berries and moss in my yard. Any cost effective ways or methods i can practice through out the year? I have tried all kinds of products thus far and I mainly shop at lowes. Any advice is greatly appreciated!! Thank you all in advance for any advice and your time.

[@jamieluce5808]

Mine are growing under shrubs. Can’t get to roots. Overgrown shrubs with ivy at base.

[@frankiepost2749]

My neighbor planted these 20 years ago, behind our wall, they now have come under and grown everywhere. I never knew what this plant was. I've finally done what you have, and my back is killing me.

[@LauraStepney]

Oh no! Hopefully the hard work pays off and they don't come back as strong next year. Good luck!

[@allanwood3562]

You should see what blackberry infestation is like in my part of Australia. Massive widespread growth with thickets going an easy 20' high. Constant battle with them at my place.

[@LauraStepney]

Oof that's brutal! We battled blackberries like that at my job in the local parks. So glad not to have anything near as bad on our property.

[@SeattlePioneer]

Excellent video! The only improvement would have been to use a mattock instead of a shovel. A mattock is a digging tool with the power of a pickaxe to dig up roots, so I find it the best for digging up blackberries. But that's a minor issue. You illustrated how to use a much more common tool (shovel) to deal with this issue.

[@LauraStepney]

Thanks! Totally would have been easier with a mattock you're right :)

[@salfrombport]

I got the same problem with multi flora rose growing in my yard. It grows just like that and it's a invasive plant

[@LauraStepney]

Oof that's a tough one. I don't know anything about multi floral rose since it's not in my region but I did see a video from Flock Finger Lakes about removing it on their land. I believe they dug it out and then burnt it.

[@lynnbishop9493]

Like an evil strawberry lol

[@LauraStepney]

😂

[@infamousstyle]

What should i do with all the clippings?

[@francesskulj6194]

Sully says "how dare you think I'm going to HELP you? I'm the supervisor here, YOU do the work yourself"

[@LauraStepney]

Exactly what was going through his head 😂 He did dig a small hole but quickly gave up.

[@mattsharman5289]

In addition to the steel sheet under the fence, could you put a ground cover of like a cardboard or something to help shade them out in the meantime? Looks good can't wait for the next one!

[@LauraStepney]

Ya that's a good idea, hopefully gravel removal is imminent but I'll cover them just in case.

[@MikeInStartup]

I love Sully's toes!

[@goesfarfliesnear1447]

Thank you for this! Your helper has lovely toes, by the way😁

[@lemonadegrave]

Thanks so much for this

[@dalebabbitt6185]

This is my next project. What gloves do you recommend to keep from getting stabbed to death? Thank You!!!

[@LauraStepney]

I have thick leather work gloves that work really well. The kind you get from the hardware store.

[@dalebabbitt6185]

@@LauraStepney Thank you. These thorns look pretty aggressive. I found the Yardworks gloves that you used in in your video. You didn't seem to be having any problems with the thorns.

[@NorthThird]

I live just south of you across the border and I'm currently tackling a half acre of these nasty invasive plants.

[@LauraStepney]

Eek, good luck!

[@dogrudiyosun]

alternative berries for birds..ofcourse, ill try.

[@nopriors]

DNA.. It's present in every living thing. It tells everything to survive at any cost.

[@trekpac2]

You removed the crowns of the blackberries but without also digging out the main lateral roots, it will regrow next spring. A fire axe is great for taking out the crowns but a pitch fork is a better tool for loosening up lateral roots and retracing them back in order to remove them all.

[@LauraStepney]

That's true, it's important to get it all out. I got out as many roots as I could access, not just the crowns, and they're not regrowing this year 👍

[@Chunglevision]

Nahhh they are evil. Bamboo and I are enemenies, but blackberry will forever be my true nemesis

[@LauraStepney]

I'm so glad I don't have bamboo...I don't envy you that!

[@KrystalsKorner25]

I've now watched this 3 or 4 times and a thought crossed my mind. Once the roots are below the earth level, would covering the ground with cardboard boxes keep the brambles under control for a longer period?

[@LauraStepney]

No not in my experience...the shoots coming up from remaining roots are tough enough to punch through cardboard or landscape fabric. If you put something truly solid on top like plywood it might work to smother but I haven't tried that.

[@KrystalsKorner25]

@LauraStepney OK, thank you for the reply. Ah well, can't get out of the hard work. 😁

[@SeattlePioneer]

[@DALLASKLAHR26]

I like your dog

[@KFLukBigA]

Does you dog chew on them my dog keeps chewing them even though they are spiky

[@LauraStepney]

No my dog doesn't chew the blackberries but he does eat my kale plants. Your dog is intense.

[@thomashouser5877]

The music is very loud and your voice low. Blows out my eardrums.

[@LauraStepney]

Thanks for your feedback. This was a very early video and I was new at editing. Newer videos have better volume balance :)

[@Wishquotes786]

Nice

[@LauraStepney]

Thanks :)

[@darja25]

Gosh I have them in my old orchard growing over fence, 3m high and 15m long. 🙀Any advice would be much appreciated. Is there any way to kill them without using horrid glyphosate

[@LauraStepney]

Unfortunately the digging method is what I've found works best, I know it's super labour intensive. Cut the canes down almost to the ground then dig out the root. The nonprofit I worked for would also sometimes just flush cut if we didn't want to cause as much disturbance, but you'd have to repeat the cutting for years before the plants actually die. Another thing to look into is whether there's a native plant in your area that could out-compete the blackberries.

[@LauraStepney]

Or...use goats! I don't have experience with this but you can find lots of videos on the subject.

[@darja25]

Thank you! I will def try with organic methods even if it means years of digging. Every effort pays out in the end. 😅 Cheers

[@itsjustweard2328]

I had hope for you until I saw the neighbours backyard. Are they prepared to remove theirs the same time as you remove yours. Otherwise you're wasting your time

[@LauraStepney]

Well it's been over a year and other than keeping the neighbour's canes clipped at the fence line I don't have any coming up in our yard :)

[@itsjustweard2328]

@@LauraStepney O that's great . you're onto it.👍

[@danascully7358]

You remove Kudzu the same way.

[@truckertom3323]

Himalayan blackberries, get a Himalayan Buffalo, chew chew chew, poo poo poo, Truck loads of free manure, comb comb comb, bags of fur to make lovely winter coat! The Billy Connolly humour in me is coming out now, aye, there you go see, get a nice comfy chair and just sit and watch the Buffalo do it's thing.....😁

[@LauraStepney]

I love that! Make a problem into a resource 😉 Goats also love to eat blackberries so thats another zero effort solution but not as fun as a Buffalo 🤣

[@SoundsOfSushi]

They are a nightmare to remove.

[@LauraStepney]

For sure! 😬

[@michael1234755]

murderer

[@LauraStepney]

🤣