The Attack Of The Bramble Ball.

I had no idea what the word wild meant until I attacked the Bramble bush in my garden with every bit of strength I had in me!

I'll post some pictures in my next article, so please keep reading!

The mass of brambles at the bottom of my garden is extensive, tall, long, and highly thorny.

It looks like a forest down there!

The only thing is...it's meant to be my garden!

Anyway, let's get to the action.

The brambles are growing in a corner of my garden that ends at an awkward angle.

The angle is triangular-shaped, making it a struggle to get into it. I have net fencing on one side of the garden that also grows plenty of rampant wild bushes and climbers, making it an even more awkward space to work in, and I have a nettle problem

The nettles might not be a problem for some, but they spread wild through my garden and can become a danger to my grandchildren.

Today, I started by using my brush cutter to cut down some of the overgrown brambles and nettles at the front of the area I was tidying.

I cleared the nettles using a garden rake, which made removing them easier, I then tossed them into my wheelbarrow for clearance, as I can't mulch anything in my garden without a mulcher.

Once I was safe, I cut the bramble stems down to about four feet; then I used my garden fork to dig a trench around the stems, which loosened the roots.

Using a garden fork can make the job easier because you have to dig about six feet into the garden to access the roots, and you must also dig out the root ball, which is like a ball on the end of the bramble, which has shoots attached to it.

These root balls can be varied in size. I have dug a few golf ball-sized ones out of my garden!

Warning!

They can take a while to get out.

When you have loosened the shoots around the ball, you may need to use a pick-axe to loosen the bottom shoots so you can get the root ball out.

This can be tiring and takes a lot of strength.

I advise using a root-breaker to assist in loosening the roots at the bottom because those roots are tough!

Once I had freed the rootball, I put it in my wheelbarrow and cleared the excess shoots using my trustworthy root slayer.

I worked in the garden for over two hours, clearing it, though I did clear most of the front brambles and other crawly and prickly things that enjoy taking over my garden!

Someone asked me why I won't use a brushwood killer.

Allow me to explain.

I have used this before, and it does not work. It kills the bramble once, but they grow back. I get a lot of wildlife in my garden, and they don't like it because it can be dangerous for them and leave them unwell. This stuff also killed my grass, despite the package saying it doesn't. I don't want to upset the wildlife or my garden, so I am experimenting with a natural approach to de-alienating my garden.

The only downside to my fun was it started raining when I had to go inside, though I am looking forward to getting back out tomorrow. In my next gardening story, I will post some pictures and show you exactly what the rootball looks like.

Until then, I am going to sit in my room and sulk all night. Although I am new to gardening in this way, I am enjoying it!

See you soon, for another SlayerMission in my garden!