Garden retailers advice

Hi,

How to naturally weed brambles?

The first, and also the most common, technique is to cut brambles by hand. At least with a well-sharpened pruner prepared for cutting solid lianas, not to mention gardening gloves. Pulling out the roots from their stumps can be beneficial and prevent the regrowth of brambles later, especially if you do it in your hedges. It is also the most effective technique in hedging although it is very physical.

You can also use a root extractor. The earlier and more regularly you do this, the less fruit plants will develop. You can turn the soil over first so that the roots, which are usually well developed, can come out more easily. Natural weeding is therefore an effective first method which overcomes these stubborn plants, "real dogs".

Here are some natural tips for cutting the grass under the brambles in your garden:

Salt
Cut out a plastic bottle 3/4.
Pour ½ liter of very hot water and 30 grams of salt.
Cut a bramble and position it in the bottle, stem up.
Leave as is for at least 6 months: the brambles will not want to settle in the area.

Nettle infusion
Prepare an infusion based on nettles and spray on your brambles. Nettle is renowned for its weed-killing actions and is widely used in gardening. In liquid manure, its odor is very unpleasant but it remains just as effective.

Unsalted cooking water for potatoes
The very hot cooking water of potatoes is also proven to overcome invaders thanks to its starch content, weedkiller in its hours. You can also use the cooking water from your pasta.

White vinegar
Prepare a dilution with 1/3 water and 1/3 white vinegar and then spray on the heights of your brambles. Indeed, white vinegar is a contact weedkiller, which means that it does not act on the roots. Be careful to dose your preparation correctly because white vinegar tends to acidify the soil.

Mulching
Mulching will block brambles and weeds. Once you have done the manual lifting of the plants, install your mulch on the ground. The advantage is twofold: your brambles will be stopped and your soil, left to cool and in ambient humidity.

Angelica manure
Angelica is a herbaceous plant that grows especially in fine weather. Used in herbal medicine, it is also proven as a natural weedkiller. To prepare angelica manure:

Take 1 kg of angelica leaves to cut.
Leave to macerate in 10 liters of water for 7 to 10 days.
Filter well before use.
Spray the bramble feet with the preparation, ideally in spring.
Once dry, the brambles will come off easily.

Baking soda
Baking soda is effective against fruit plants. It can be placed directly on the feet of brambles. If you want to use it for your hedges or flower beds, it is better to mix it with white vinegar and water, as follows: 1 kg of baking soda, 200 ml of white vinegar and 5 liters of water. Everything will wilt, dry out and be easy to tear off

Bleach, a bad idea
A dreadful fungicide, bleach can cause a lot of damage. And for good reason, highly corrosive, it is likely to destroy living organisms during its passage. Infiltrating deep into the soil, it can also attack your other plants. Using bleach is therefore risky and must be done in isolated places such as terraces and walkways.

Why not keep brambles in your garden?
- Invasive, pungent and annoying, brambles are also fruit plants that give birth to delicious wild berries, blackberries. During forest walks, it is not uncommon to take a break to taste it;
- Beyond that, brambles serve as a nest for many animals seeking shelter such as butterflies or ladybirds which are also good predators against red spiders and aphids, common parasites in our gardens;
- Honey plant, it attracts bumblebees and bees during the spring;
- Natural barrier, bramble creates a fence as effective as barbed wire if not more in the fields;
- Finally, thanks to the brambles, we cook tarts and jams made from blackberries to be enjoyed between gourmets.

For all things DIY (tools and materials), I buy in Germany. It's an easy saving (all costs included) between 20% and 30%

Bramble61 wrote:

Good afternoon,
currently live in the Netherlands and I have heard that prices for garden equipment and plants and seeds is very expensive in France. Is there really such a price difference are there good and reasonably priced market gardens which you can  recommend to me or would it be better to buy in the Netherlands or Belgium on route to Nievre?

If seeds and plants really are that expensive in France, you can always mailorder your seeds from The Netherlands. I always order from Vreeken Dordrecht from my hometown, but I know they send to all countries inside the EU.

Wow, what a great feedback, thanks very much indeed, I'm looking forward to getting started in a few weeks!

Thank you Ramses, great help!