Which weedkillers work for briars?

May Contain Small Parts

Brushwood-killer or Glyphosate?

In my experience brushwood-killer has worked very well, but have others tried glyphosate and had any success?

my3cents

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

Brushwood-killer or Glyphosate?

In my experience brushwood-killer has worked very well, but have others tried glyphosate and had any success?

I've killed most weeds completely with glyphosate with the exception of Mares Tail. The problem with brambles is that you often only spray a small part of a much larger plant and in my experience that only knocks the plant back a bit. When you can get good coverage of most of the leaves then you get a really good kill.

Hocus Focus

I have seen products called Grazon and SBK mentioned on this forum previously in connection with brushwood eradication..

my3cents

Hocus Focus wrote: »

I have seen products called Grazon and SBK mentioned on this forum previously in connection with brushwood eradication..

Good if you want to keep the surrounding grass and very effective but at much higher cost than glyphosate.

Graces7

I am clearing seriously overgrown bramble thickets with secateurs. Off down to the ground after chopping the top,then as soon as they break ground again . Very satisfying and therapeutic

_Brian

Brushwood is a good product but I don’t think it’s selective, it kills grass around briars too. Be aware of that when using.

Grazon90 that people are referring to is a professional use product, used by farmers etc to control such stubborn weeds. We use it and it’s great as you can control tough weeds without damaging grassland in hedges.

Glyphosate won’t permanently kill briars, I found it kills off top growth but the plant lives on. You’d be as well cut it as it will grow back anyway.

my3cents

_Brian wrote: »

Brushwood is a good product but I don’t think it’s selective, it kills grass around briars too. Be aware of that when using.

Grazon90 that people are referring to is a professional use product, used by farmers etc to control such stubborn weeds. We use it and it’s great as you can control tough weeds without damaging grassland in hedges.

Glyphosate won’t permanently kill briars, I found it kills off top growth but the plant lives on. You’d be as well cut it as it will grow back anyway.

There's nothing in SBK that kills grass afaik although over the years I've been using it they have changed the formulation at least 3 times and it has none of the chemicals it had in it 40 years ago when the infamous 2,4,5-T (used in agent orange in Vietnam) was part of the formulation.

May Contain Small Parts

Thanks for the advice on glyphosate not killing off briars.

I was wondering because I've a patch with a few things growing - some of which I know I need glyphosate for, but also some briars. I was really wondering if I could get away with only spraying one, but it looks like I'll need both.

May Contain Small Parts

Graces7 wrote: »

I am clearing seriously overgrown bramble thickets with secateurs. Off down to the ground after chopping the top,then as soon as they break ground again . Very satisfying and therapeutic

I agree with you totally!

...for the first year. When they grow back it sends a shiver down your spine.

May Contain Small Parts

my3cents wrote: »

Good if you want to keep the surrounding grass..

I'd happily have the patch bombed if it weren't so near the house.

It's an area that's been in a bad way for a long time and I'm trying to kill off some nuisances like briars and gunnera before doing something with it.

_Brian

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

I agree with you totally!

...for the first year. When they grow back it sends a shiver down your spine.

There is some merit in cutting and letting them regrow before spraying, no matter what chemicals you use they would be better absorbed into the fresh fleshy growth compared to old woody stems.

my3cents

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

Thanks for the advice on glyphosate not killing off briars.

I was wondering because I've a patch with a few things growing - some of which I know I need glyphosate for, but also some briars. I was really wondering if I could get away with only spraying one, but it looks like I'll need both.

Cut them down and paint the stumps with a 50:50 glyphosate mix.

recedite

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

Thanks for the advice on glyphosate not killing off briars.

I was wondering because I've a patch with a few things growing - some of which I know I need glyphosate for, but also some briars. I was really wondering if I could get away with only spraying one, but it looks like I'll need both.

Definitely a case for the cut and then spray the regrowth technique. You would only have to wait a few weeks and the regrowth will be in small tight clumps, so a 2 litre hand sprayer is ideal to use for "spot" use. Glyphosate will kill briars, but if you spray it on tough old leaves in late summer/autumn the leaves might fall without transferring the gly systemically to the roots. This is why it says in the instructions not to use on "senescent" plants.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

I agree with you totally!

...for the first year. When they grow back it sends a shiver down your spine.

Cutting them back without applying a killer to the stumps or regrowth is just a recipe for disaster.

my3cents

Colette Putrid Chickpea wrote: »

Cutting them back without applying a killer to the stumps or regrowth is just a recipe for disaster.

Depends where they are, three years of brush cutting twice a year will totally decimate them on verges and woodland edges but obviously you can't get into a flower bed with a brush cutter.