Mike wrote:

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...

I'm about to take over about a third of an acre of what's meant to be
wooded paddock, but is largely overrun at ground level by brambles. The
previous owner has managed to return some of it to grass, but has

really

only, er, scratched the surface of the problem.


(ii) use of glyphosate at between 10 and 100 times recommended strength
sprayed on to newly sprouting stuff.


I really wouldn't suggest this if there's a watercourse anywhere nearby.
Also if you are in a rural area, all fields are being aerial surveyed

every

year from now on for the CAP replacement scheme so if you were unlucky

the

'scene of devastation' would be caught on camera.



Actually its not as devastating as you think. With a hand sprayer it
really is only the actual bush and what drips off underneath, and I am
pretty sure that glyphosate is relatively harmless almost as soon as it
hits the soil.


DEFRA lists it as a controlled substance. In view of the concentrations I
had images of you spraying the whole field in a back to ground zero approach
but I suppose applied carefully it's fine.


Good lord no!

The stuff acts by getting into teh plant. Brambles are big tough plants
with leathery leaves. They don't absorbe well. Hence high concentrations
on a few bits are better than an overall mist.

Ive actually done the rubber gloves/paintbrush/fulls strength painted
on/ bit on selected leaves. This is the only way to go when the buggers
are mixed up with wanted hedges etc. And beware of drips.

If its just a question of clearing an area of scrub - well a digger
equipped with a small bucket to hoick out the roots, plus a blade to
scrape the loose stuff off first, is an enjoyable days work.

Once the big lumps are removed, and the topsoil spread around, grass
comes very quickly.

Then its ride on mower in perpetuity...