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killing bramble roots n nettles
ahylands929
Posts: 38
help ,ive rented 1 acre for my ponies ,but it 1/4 full of bramble n nettle.they were all cut down last yr around august September ,so now I'm pulling all roots up ,well trying ,10 yrs of growth 
help any one got sulotions ?
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so a 1/4 acre of brambles and nettles?
you don't mention finances. Might be worth hiring a guy with a digger.
Digging is by far the best solution. There will be weak growth from the roots left behind. Easy to deal with.
Nettles are very satisfactory to pull up. They like really fertile soil so they may be on an old muck-heap. Suitable weedkiller will deal with re-growth or what you fail to remove.
Exclude the horses from any weed-killer areas.
If you have the time and energy then yes, digging and pulling up are the best methods. Both brambles and nettles are quite easy to pull up if the soil is moist but yo may leave bits behind that will regrow so you need to be vigilant till it's all gone.
If you are time poor, buy yourself a back pack sprayer that can hold 10 to 15 litres of solution and treat new growth with a glyphosate based weedkiller following the instructions for dilution rates. It works on green foliage and is indiscriminate so keep it off plants you need to keep - hedges, good grass - and spray on a still, sunny day when plants are growing. It needs 6 hours of dry weather to be absorbed down to the roots and then takes 2 weeks to work. You may need a second application for really well established roots.
Keep animals away from the sprayed area for the two weeks or more and till it's taken effect.
im still at it
digging n pulling roots out ,but when I get down to 18 in loads of stones n bricks ,I cannot pull up some little roots they very strong but only 3mm wide but under ground about 12 in ,so will these keep growing ? I'm thinking its the bramble root ? ive brought some roundup tree root killer ,but do not want to use it aboth ground ,but can I put it on the little roots 12 in under ground ? will that help kill these things ? p[lz 
also speaking to someone that lives infront of field they say its been like it since they moved in lol 1987
,so em bit more than 8 or 10 yrs ,I'm wanting to put grass seed down asap when do u think it be best to put seed in ? ? plz thank u for all your help so far
Grass will not compete with bramble and nettle without your intervention, you can't just throw the seeds out there and hope for the best. Grass will become dominant once the roots of the perennial weeds have been cleared (removed) and regular mowing (or grazing) happens.
If it were me, I'd spend a day's money on labour from a local gardener and get them to remove the top layer with a digger and burn the brambles then I'd hire a rotavator and a roller (or borrow them from someone) and go over the land. You can then sow your grass seed. I'd then mow a couple of times until it's established a proper sward then you can let your horses loose on it.
That's what I'd do. Not saying it's right!
The weed-killer must be applied to green growth. It won't do anything to roots. I am talking of normal Glyphosate. Do not apply to anything before the weather warms up. Anything you spray must be growing well.
ok thank you ,ive pulled a lot out now ,right down to 12 /18 in that's where I would like to seed can I put seed down now plz ??
You can (as long as you haven't put any weedkiller down) but it won't germinate until the weather is reliably above about 6C day and night. Grass seed needs to be on the surface (it rots if you bury it) And it will just sit there until the weather is warm enough but in the meantime birds will eat it so you'll probably lose a fair proportion. I'd wait a month, if I were you unless you're living down the pointy end of Cornwall or on some lovely balmy island, or the south of France.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Generally speaking, April and September are the best times to sow grass as the temperatures and moisture levels tend to be optimal. There will be slight variations according to where you are. If you sow too soon, you'll just be feeding the birds.
While you wait, you can carry on clearing visible weeds and then, when the bits left start into growth again ins March, you can spray the green shoots with glyphosate which will be transported back to teh roots and kill the whole plant. A bit of patience now will pay dividends in the end.