Briar patch clearing help.

[rdbrumfield]

One thing about blacberries, they don't like to be messed with much. If you mow them and keep them down grasses will come back in. You mostly see blackberries in neglected fields like you described.

I like to spray them in the fall when the berries are red, they seem to really soak up the chemical. 24D or any derivative of that will knock them down.

 

[dangerdoc]

Don't know if this post belongs here or in "attachments," but here is the deal:

I have just bought a 66 ac hilly farm that's been neglected. There are large patches of briars that I want to clear to get the fields ready for hay. There are cattle on it now. I used a 7' rotary cutter (borrowed) to knock down a lot of the patches. I'm wondering if they won't just grow back? A local farmer told me to make sure the soil is not acidic and I've sent off samples for analysis.

Any good ideas on clearing briars and keeping them out?

Thanks,
Duane

Can you burn off the fields? Grasses benefit from burning off fields, it gives them an advantage against woody plants.

It's also much easier on the equipment to get rid of the over growth by burning then keep the field mown.

 

[IslandTractor]

I've cleared about 2-3 acres of land covered with briar and other unwanted brush. The key to keeping the briar out is to mow at least once per year. Mowing more often will help some but you need to balance that against the needs of whatever you are trying to have replace the briar. Briar will grow back for a while but if it cannot grow steadily (uncut) for more than a year it will eventually die back and be replaced by grass.

IMO there is no need for chemicals or burning unless you are trying to completely resolve the problem in one season.

 

[dangerdoc]

I've cleared about 2-3 acres of land covered with briar and other unwanted brush. The key to keeping the briar out is to mow at least once per year. Mowing more often will help some but you need to balance that against the needs of whatever you are trying to have replace the briar. Briar will grow back for a while but if it cannot grow steadily (uncut) for more than a year it will eventually die back and be replaced by grass.

IMO there is no need for chemicals or burning unless you are trying to completely resolve the problem in one season.

You are missing a key element, burning fields off is a primal need and a good excuse to socialize with neighbors.

 

[IslandTractor]

You are missing a key element, burning fields off is a primal need and a good excuse to socialize with neighbors.

Yes, but I wasn't saying not to burn the fields, I just said it was not necessary for control of briar.

 

[Altex]

If you just mow/brush hog the briar, don't those thorny stems still stick around? I Brushed hogged a section last year along the fence line. This Winter I walked through this area with my dogs. Bad idea! Dried up pieces of stems still have sharp thorns!

I should have just burned it out in the first place. I can deal with them if smaller sprouts start to grow. But, it's those thick older thorns that need to go, instead of hanging out way after they're dead.

 

[Altex]

Oh, and I'm talking a the Rose Bush type, Big Thorns. Not Blackberries.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yes, the briar stalks will be sticking up for a year or two until they rot. If that is an issue then you can come back and cut the area close to the ground once you've done the main bush hogging. I used a flail mower which would leave the stalks you are talking about after one pass but if I lowered the flail and went over the area again I could cut them flush. I've posted some photos of various stages. The very last photo shows how closely you can cut with a flail. I would not generally bother to do this but if I were going to walk the dogs or play in an area it doesn't take that much longer to go back over slowly with the flail at a very low (almost tilling) setting.

 

[dwhite]

Thanks for the advice. I can't burn beacuse of woods (hard and soft) all around. My briars are blackberry and multiflora rose. I'd love to have a flail mower. Looks like it would save punctures. I went to buy CrossBow. $64 a gallon!!! And that only makes 32 gallons of spray! I'll try concentrated glyphosate.

 

[IslandTractor]

The flail I have costs about $1700 delivered (maybe a bit more due to price increases). It is faster and more complete than RoundUp. For me it was a no brainer as I was going up a size or two in tractor so I just bought the flail from funds recouped by selling both a bush hog and a finish mower. Unless you need a finish mower to maintain a golf course like cut for a lawn you can cover all other mowing tasks with the flail.