Cut the vines to ground level

Loppers, a hand saw, or garden shears will work for small blackberry bushes, while large patches will require power equipment. Cutting works well for managing blackberry bushes, but cutting alone will not eradicate them.

Dig out the stumps

After the vines have all been cut down to ground level the blackberry stump will be exposed. The stump is where the vines are sprouting out of the ground and is the most important part of the plant to remove. Use a pickaxe or shovel to remove the stump. A general rule of thumb is to dig out 1 cubic foot of soil around where the vines enter the ground. The more roots you dig out the less of a chance the blackberry bush will grow back.

Mowing

An alternative to digging out the crowns is to mow the area regularly. If the vines have been cut to ground level and the area is flat enough to cut with a lawnmower this is a good method. Blackberry vines grow very quickly so the area will need to be mowed weekly in order for this method to be effective.

Treatment

When necessary, we employ eco-friendly treatments to eradicate blackberry. This involves cutting the plant down to the stump, then precisely treating the small new leaves that sprout. Following the treatment the root system will die. Our treatment will not kill other plants and has no soil activity or run off.

Ascent Yard Care has permanently removed hundreds of blackberry infestations since our business was founded in 2017.

Covering

Another alternative to digging is to cover the crowns in an opaque tarp or sheet of plastic. It is very important no light can pass through the covering. This will prevent the blackberry bushes from photosynthesizing and the vines will generally die after being covered for one full year.

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