Whats the best way to get rid of blackberry bushes?

While herbicides are certainly easier, the most natural and effective way of eliminating weeds is summer fallow: Plow the ground with a rototiller several times a year throughout the season. For especially hardy weeds, it might take two years. Rototill again before anything goes to seed, preferably as soon as anything starts to come up.

Rabbits and goats will eat the tops, but will leave the roots to come back up. You asked for natural methods, which would leave out herbicides. Summer-fallowing eliminates everything.

Of course, as samiam noted, birds will re-seed the blackberries if there are any near enough to you (which need not be all that near). But the seedlings are much easier to kill than shoots from established rootstock.

 

I heard one application of goats for each of 3 years in a row takes care of the himalayan blackberry.

I take 'em out by hand. First year includes some light shovel work to get as many roots as possible. Second year is maybe 10-20% of the first year in effort, some troweling to go after roots. Subsequent years are 1-5% of the effort, and most roots come up ok by hand. Every year there are some to take out, and if I skip a year the setback seems like a couple years prior. But after the second year, it's all just part of the general weeding... usually the first part, since I have a grudge against 'em.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Proco @ Jul 2 2007, 01:29 PM) [snapback]471739[/snapback]</div>

I don't think you've seen blackberry bushes. Bush is kind of an understatement. And those thorns are quite unfriendly. And if you turn your back on it, it will take over your yard. They're neat in the wild, but most people don't want them in their yard.

I had pretty good luck with crossbow. Better than round up and you can target where you spray it. Another time I used a bulldozer, but that was a bigger area.

 

Raspberries, at least, can be trained. I've seen blackberries, uncontrolled, take down evergreens. But I'm against poisoning - a sharp shovel is the best weapon against a yard-sized patch.

 

I know people who grow "domesticated" blackberries and they are an entirely different animal than the wild blackberry that I've got growing every where.

My sister-in-law is a big believer in using layers upon layers upon layers of newspaper on top of out-of-control areas of her garden (and then I think she might top that off with compost covered with pinestraw). The heat and lack of sunshine kills what's underneath and in a couple of years she has enriched soil (newspapers and everything else decomposes).

No doubt the blackberries attempt to escape by running underneath, but perhaps they could be managed.

Some days I feel like mulching over the whole yard like that. Give us both a few years off.

 

Spray roundup tough brush killer full strength on them. That will kill them.

 

I just have to write...the answer is the famous internet post/ poll answer of:

I like pie.

Seriously, someone above posted that there is a specific blackberry herbicide.
With goats, I didn't notice you have aches to clear.

Herbicides seems best.

Have fun gardening.... and making pies.

 

...yes but this thread is older than dirt (2007)