Rototilling? I learned it's essential to mow first.

[ponytug]

@California I, too mow before rototilling.

I love blackberries, but they are a really invasive weed.

In the FWIW category, I largely eliminated our previously perennial poison hemlock by waiting for a drizzly wet day in winter and then used a million BTU propane torch to steam the plants to death. I have no idea if it would work on blackberries, but it is essential that the plants are green and wet, otherwise you just burn them, which doesn't seem to get the roots. I've used dark colored tarps with a scattering of old aluminum soda cans to create a "sterilizer". Get the soil damp first, and then spread the cans and tarp, weighing down the edges. It gets mighty warm underneath.

All the best,

Peter

 

[California]

Just for fun I went back down this evening and made some photos.

This photo illustrates why I had to back the rototiller in to reach each apple tree. (Usually the rotary mower). I wish now we had located that new deer fence where I could drive the little tractor behind this rows of trees. We had located the fence for the best headland - turn around space - for larger equipment in the enclosed orchard. Not recognizing how this would orphan the outer row. Blackberries took over immediately.

Tilled, Blackberries gone! But later discovered wrapped around the tiller.

Oh that's why my mower, and this time the rototiller, makes such a racket when I get down here.

More apple trees cleared. Well sort of. This will be sufficient for harvest.
They were inaccessible (Blackberry thorns!) before this tilling.
Next time I'll use the rotary mower. It doesn't load up like the rototiller.

Believe it or not that jungle by the telephone pole was mowed flat last year, completely gone, by the property manager for the parcel next to me down the easement. For his wealthy client who visits only a few times per year. This year we haven't seen that 'neighbor' yet. Everything grew right back to what it was.

I have no responsibility to maintain this easement along the front 16 ft of my parcel. I simply can't prevent whatever the folks beyond want to do, to not be landlocked. The neighbors down at the end are great so I do some of the maintenance for their benefit.

 

[careyo63]

Elec. circular saw blade I have attached to a weed eater, Super easy to use. All the small growth I cut at the soil. Easier for me to remove and discard it to burn piles then cut it down to width of the FEL. bucket etc.. My BH. is a Brush cutter. Brutal!! not setup to cut pastures. Vines and Limbs! You see and know ran over it but that's about it. Set up like a stump jumper!. I've use it for Yrs. and know it's old. International Tag is still pinned on it. I use it for counter balance no P.Steering. When I had it on the Yanmar I had to be real careful when lifted. Front wheels would come of the ground. I actually measure the Width and just over 4'. I would get roots around the tiller from the garden. Esp when I first started using it. Wrap around the tine shaft I found the best way was hand held clippers. And pull it out in rope lengths!

 

[2manyrocks]

Will keep coming back until the roots are removed.

 

[bmaverick]

He needs goats.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Ixna on the flail mower. It is horrible in thick tangled vines. I have an area that was overcome with wysteria from who know were. I tried cutting close to it to keep it at bay. The vines got in and became like iron cabled stopping the flail in its tracks.

One of my retirement projects will be to methodically go around and cut the stems a few inches above ground and roundup it. It's not an area I plan to grow eating stuffs. I have thought about torching it but its imbedded in the wood line and I'm afraid it would get out of hand quickly. But I think about it maybe with a south wind that may help... ??

 

[careyo63]

How thick it gets here! On one of the weed eaters I use multiple types of blades. 3 different. 3 Blade triangle Lawn mower type works but I use a saw blade for the thick growth.. I've cleared areas like this several times. That's the nasty neighbor house if you look hard. I leave this patch on purpose.