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Large area to clear BRAMBLES & KNOTWEED
PP
Posts: 2
Hi , we as a community have a large area to clear and maintain. At an estimate I would say 150 square metres.
The majority is a large area of bramble bushes but there are also pockets of knotweed around the edges with the largest being a strip approximately 3m x 8m.
It's a community project so funds are limited and we would look to do the majority of the work ourselves if possible.
Could someone please advise on on the best course of action, i.e. when to start, what to tackle first, best methods to use, weedkillers etc..
Also if now isn't the best time of year to start what would be the cons in doing so?
Thankyou
0
Posts
Right now things will be dying back, brambles will be losing their foliage and you'll be able to see what your'e doing. First thing, don't try to tackle the Japanese Knotweed on your own. It requires specialist treatment and killing it isn't easy. Don't try and dig it up yourself, even a small piece left behind will spread the plant, and spring is the best time to try and kill it anyway. For help with it contact your local council, they should be able to offer advice and may have people who can deal with it, although not all do.
Section off the area with the JKW and leave it.
As for the brambled area, get a brush cutter, you can hire them for a day or more at your local tool hire firm.
Cut it all down and burn it, and really that's it then for this year.
Weed killers need to be applied when things are actively growing and that won't happen till next spring now.
If you have plenty of volunteers, then you can start to dig over brambled area, removing as much root as is possible. You won't get it all and what then comes up next spring can be sprayed with roundup brush killer.
Some may advocate covering up the dug area, but personally I'd leave it open to the air all winter for the soil to weather.
thankyou both, we will look to tackle the brambles first, and leave the knotweed until next year.
Eventually we would like the area to be grass. is it just a case of keeping on top of the brambles, pulling up new shoots and the grass will grow back or will it have to be seeded.
Years ago the area was grass but over the last 20 years it has become very overgrown.
if the land belongs to the council then it is the councils responsibility to remove the Knotweed.