How to get rid of Blackberry Vines?

[Don C]

If it were MY yard, I'd put up string some wires to train the cains and make clear to them that I intend to grow a crop. That would kill them off in no time.

[davester]

Tactical nuclear warhead. Nothing else is truly effective.

[mrlynn]

You don't want to get rid of them. You want pies, jam, cobbler . . . Just wear long clothes for picking, and carry a pot to put the berries in.

/Mr Lynn

[NewtonMP2100]

if you had raspberry Vines (Red Vines).....or Twizzlers....then you would have forum members running to help you get rid of them.........

[mrbigstuff]

did anyone else think that this was about a phone called a Vine?

[bazookaman]

mrbigstuff wrote:
did anyone else think that this was about a phone called a Vine?

Close. I thought it was about the Vine App on a Blackberry.

[steve...]

I like the goat idea but I'm not sure if it's a permanent solution. I'll ask around and see if there's anyone that provides that service here.

I've read that the best way to get rid of the vines (without chemicals) is to dig up the root crown, the knotty section which is just under the surface where they grow from. It's also the most labor-intensive. I think I'll give that a try and if it doesn't work or is too difficult, I'll try Roundup and constant mowing to kill them off.

I had a small section on my own property that I cleared by digging up not only the crowns, but as much of the roots as possible. My latest research tells me you only need to remove the crowns. I still get a few tiny sprouts but they're easy to eliminate. It was hard work and I may have to hire someone to help.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'll post again when my project is done.

[bazookaman]

Why half-ass it...

[Maddog]

You can kill the blackberries with a herbicide called Crossbow. This is also the only thing I have had luck with killing poison oak and thistles with. However, even when they die back, you still have a big job with clearing all the ugly dead canes. Blackberries are masters of finding hidden water supplies and spreading.

[steve...]

Maddog wrote:
You can kill the blackberries with a herbicide called Crossbow. This is also the only thing I have had luck with killing poison oak and thistles with. However, even when they die back, you still have a big job with clearing all the ugly dead canes. Blackberries are masters of finding hidden water supplies and spreading.

I've seen other recommendations for this product. A concentrate gallon jug on Amazon is about $68 shipped but it makes 32 gallons. I think I will give it a try.