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Mypex and bramble roots

HollyHiccupHollyHiccup Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hello all,

We have cleared a large area of brambles on our new allotment. We would like advice on what to do with the roots of the brambles before covering an area that we are not cultivating. It will be a play area for our children. We are covering it with Mypex and wood chipping. We will not be using weed killer.


Options
1. Cut brambles to the ground and cover with Mypex
Will they come through? Or cause any problems?

2. Rotavate bramble roots and cover with Mypex
Is this needed? Will it cause any problems?

Thanks in advance! :-)

Holly

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Glyphosating them and thoroughly killing them before cutting them down would save you enormous amounts of trouble I'm sorry to say.

    If you're dead set against it, you will have to remove as much root as humanly possible by hand. Then you can lay your Mypex but you can be sure the bramble will start trying to push back up, so weight it down really well and overlap any joins very throroughly.

    Don't rotavate the roots and leave them in the soil, each section of root can then become a new bramble plant.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Do not rotovate bramble roots or they will multiply, even under membrane (which I presume is what the mypex stuff is?)  Dig them out, membrane, bark.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • HollyHiccupHollyHiccup Posts: 3
    Yes, no weed killer. And yes, Mypex is a weed membrane. I appreciate rotavating would be a definite no if we were planting up the soil. But it will remain covered for play only.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited May 2020
    The roots will grow horizontally under the membrane and reach for the sky when they reach the edges of the covered area, so if you do want to rotovate (eg to level the soil), I really would put the work in to dig out as many roots as you can first.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited May 2020
    Then you have to dig it out, root by root. Brambles will push up and make humps under the membrane even if it doesn’t push through. It’ll be a trip hazard for the children. 

    Of course, in the old days before weedkillers, people would fence an area and turn the household pig in there to root around, turn over the soil and eat the roots.  That will do a brilliant job and completely organic. 

    In the absence of a co-operative Gloucester Old Spot the organic alternative is to dig the area over removing all roots .... wait a couple of months for the bits you’ve missed to regrow and appear (and you will have missed some) and remove them. Then you can put down some membrane and 
    playbark.  

    There’s no short cuts with stuff like brambles I’m afraid. 

    Good luck ... it’ll be worth it. 👍 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • HollyHiccupHollyHiccup Posts: 3
    Thank you everyone for your advice! I really appreciate it. Out the roots shall come! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Good luck 👍 let us know how you get on ... we live a project ... before and after pics especially  📸 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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