As a Victoria homeowner, you take pride in maintaining your property, ensuring its value, and protecting your family's safety. But there's a threat lurking right in your backyard that could be silently sabotaging all your efforts. This threat is none other than the Himalayan blackberry vine, a ruthless invader whose damage extends far beyond its thorny exterior and sweet berries.

1. Structural Havoc:

You may not see it right away, but the seemingly harmless blackberry vines can cause significant structural damage to your home. Their robust roots can penetrate through cracks in your home's foundations or paved walkways, turning small, harmless cracks into larger, costly problems. The vines themselves can wrap around and within structures, gradually wearing away at the integrity of your fences, outdoor furniture, and potentially even your home's exterior walls.

2. A Proliferation of Pests:

Imagine settling down for dinner only to spot a rat scurrying across your kitchen floor or hearing the unsettling sound of insects within your walls. Himalayan blackberry thickets are the perfect home for a variety of pests, including rodents and insects. Once these pests establish themselves in the blackberry brambles, your home may be their next target.

3. The Fire Risk:

Perhaps the most frightening aspect of Himalayan blackberry vines is their potential to accelerate and intensify fires. The dense, dry thickets can catch fire quickly and burn intensely, posing a serious fire hazard, especially during the hot, dry summer months. The vines' proximity to your house could mean the difference between a manageable outdoor fire and a disastrous home fire.

4. Legal Liability:

What if you were held legally responsible for damage caused by something growing on your property? In some regions, if the Himalayan blackberry vines spread from your property onto another, you may be held liable for the cost of removal and any damage the vines may have caused. It's a potentially expensive and stressful situation that no homeowner wants to deal with.

5. Plunging Property Values:

Himalayan blackberry vines can significantly decrease your property's value. Potential buyers are likely to be deterred by the sight of an overgrown, difficult-to-manage garden. The potential costs of vine removal, structural repairs, and ongoing maintenance could lead buyers to offer significantly lower prices or pass on your property altogether.

With their stealthy structural damage, attraction of pests, fire risks, legal liabilities, and negative impact on property values, Himalayan blackberry vines are a homeowner's worst nightmare. The sweet taste of their berries is a dangerous lure that masks the bitter truth of their destructive capabilities.

Don't let your home fall prey to these aggressive invaders. Act now, before the thorny tendrils of Himalayan blackberries tighten their grip on your property. Removing these vines may require considerable effort, but the cost of inaction is undeniably higher. Safeguard your home, your investment, and your peace of mind by bidding farewell to Himalayan blackberry vines today. The stakes are high, but remember, your home is worth the fight.

Why are blackberry bushes invasive?

• Blackberries form large patches that can cover several acres of land if left unmanaged
• Blackberries produce 7,000-13,000 seeds per square meter
• Blackberries send out long vines that take root and create new plants. Mature plants can spread 10’ per year.
• Blackberries spread underground through a rapidly expanding root system that constantly sprouts new plants
• Blackberries have extremely vigorous and resilient growth

Why is it crucial to remove blackberries?

• Blackberry infestations will get worse over time
• Rodents nest in blackberry bushes
• Blackberries can harm natural waterways
• Blackberry bushes are a fire hazard due to the build up of dead leaf and stem material
• Heavy blackberry infestations lower property value
• Blackberries choke out native vegetation
• Blackberry roots can destroy septic fields
• Blackberries can spread to neighbouring property

Permanently removing blackberry bushes

We remove all the above ground vines and blackberry material with powered cutters, the cut material is cleaned up and hauled away. We then grind out the blackberry stumps and root material using a stump grinder.

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.

Grinding out the root material and treatment are both effective options for eliminating blackberry bushes.

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

Blackberry bush removal cost

Contact us for a free in-person quote and Jake will provide an exact work order and quote.

Won’t the blackberries just grow back?

In the worst infestations, up to 2 follow up visits may be necessary to completely eradicate re-growth. Most blackberry patches we service are completely and permanently removed in one visit.

Expert Help:

Contact us for a free quote, we care intensely about the success of each project.

Want to try removing blackberry bushes yourself? Follow these tips:

Cut the vines to ground level

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

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 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.

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 an effective alternative. 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.

Expert Help:

Contact us for a free quote, we care intensely about the success of each project.

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