title: How to Get Rid of Blackberries for Good
Wild blackberries are notorious for their aggressive growth and their uncanny ability to take over a yard before you even realize what’s happening. If you’re looking to clear these thorny invaders out of your garden, I’m not going to sugarcoat it: it takes some elbow grease and a lot of patience. But don’t worry! With the right strategy, you can reclaim your yard and win the war against the brambles.
Removing Cultivated Varieties
If you’re dealing with domestic blackberry varieties you planted yourself, the job is usually pretty straightforward. Most of the time, you can dig out the main root ball with a spade or use a brush cutter to clear the area. Any new shoots or runners that pop up in the grass usually get taken care of by your regular lawn mowing. Just keep an eye out for any stray suckers and pull them as soon as you see them.
Blackberries on the Balcony
Growing blackberries on a balcony or patio usually means they’re in pots or planters, which makes getting rid of them a breeze since the roots are contained. However, if you’ve trained them up a trellis against a wall, you might run into a little trouble. Those tiny hairs on the vines love to cling to rough stucco or siding. When you’re pulling the vines down, just be careful to scrape away as much of the plant debris as possible so it doesn’t leave a mess.
Tackling Wild Varieties in the Garden
This is where the real challenge begins. Wild blackberries are a different beast entirely. They don’t just grow; they spread and multiply through an extensive underground network of runners. Before you know it, a single plant can turn into a dense, thorny thicket.
Even heavy-duty herbicides often struggle to kill the entire root system in one go. Your best bet is to cut back all the vines and immediately pull any new growth that emerges. You’ll likely have to repeat this process several times over a few seasons, but eventually, the roots will starve, and the plant will give up the ghost.
Other Ways to Kill Off Brambles
Beyond the “dig and pull” method, there are a few other ways to show those blackberries who’s boss:
- Use a targeted brush killer or herbicide from your local garden center.
- Cover the cut-back area with a heavy-duty pond liner or landscape fabric. This smothers the roots and starves them of light, though it can take a couple of years to be 100% effective.
- Use “strategic shading” to weaken the plants.
Starving Wild Blackberries of Sunlight
While wild blackberries are tougher than garden varieties and can handle a bit of shade, they still need sunlight to really thrive and spread. You can use this to your advantage! By planting dense shrubs or fast-growing trees in front of the patch, you can block out their light source. Over time, the lack of sun will naturally weaken the blackberries until they die off.
Don’t Put Them in the Compost!
Here’s a pro tip: Never toss blackberry canes or roots into your compost pile. These plants are survivors, and they can easily sprout new roots and take over your compost bin, eventually spreading back into your garden when you spread the mulch. Instead, bag them up and put them out with your regular trash or take them to a professional green waste facility.
