Bramble Canes Grow 2 Metres Long and Root Wherever They Touch Ground
Cut them back and suckers emerge from 45cm down. Brambles are fighting you on two fronts – above ground with those arching stems, below ground with deep suckering roots. You need to attack both simultaneously.
Brambles are one of the most common tough weeds in UK gardens, fighting you on two fronts. Above ground, their arching stems grow up to 2.5 metres long and root wherever they touch the soil – a single plant can colonise a surprising amount of ground in one season. Below ground, their roots send up suckers from as deep as 45cm, often appearing metres away from the parent plant.
This is why brambles feel so impossible to control. Cut them back and you stimulate more suckering from the roots. Dig them out and any root fragment you miss will regenerate into a new plant. You’re not fighting one battle – you’re fighting two.
Here’s how to win both.
How Brambles Spread
Understanding how brambles colonise new ground explains why they’re so persistent – and why some control methods actually make things worse.
Tip layering is the main method. Those long, arching canes bend over and wherever the tip touches soil, it roots and forms a new plant. By late summer, a single bramble can have rooted several new plants around itself, each capable of sending out its own arching stems the following year.
Root suckers are the hidden problem. Bramble roots can produce new shoots from depths of up to 45cm. These suckers can emerge well away from the visible plant, popping up in lawns, borders, or anywhere the underground roots have spread. Cutting the above-ground growth often stimulates more suckering – the plant responds to losing its top growth by sending up replacements from the roots.
Seed dispersal adds another dimension. Birds eat the blackberries and deposit seeds throughout your garden – and your neighbours’ gardens. This is why brambles appear in unexpected places, often in the middle of hedges or shrubs where they’re difficult to spot until well established.
How to Kill Brambles
The key is dealing with both the above-ground growth AND the root system. Tackle just one and the other will bring the plant back.
Digging Out
Physical removal works if you’re thorough. Cut all the stems back to about 30cm from the ground first – this makes the area manageable and gives you something to grip when pulling. Then dig out the root system, following each root and removing as much as possible.
The challenge is that brambles regenerate from root fragments. Any piece of root left in the ground can produce new growth. For this reason, hand weeding brambles requires real commitment to getting every last bit. Check the area regularly over the following months and remove any new shoots immediately – this exhausts any remaining root pieces.
Using Weedkiller
A systemic weedkiller containing glyphosate is effective because it travels through the plant to reach the roots. This deals with the underground problem that cutting alone can’t solve.
Timing matters. The best results come from treating in late summer and early autumn, when the plant is naturally moving sugars down to its roots for winter. The weedkiller follows these same pathways, reaching deep into the root system. Earlier in the season, when energy is flowing upward to fuel new growth, less herbicide reaches the roots.
For established brambles, cut the stems back first and allow regrowth to appear – fresh, actively growing leaves absorb the weedkiller more effectively than old, tough foliage. Once there’s a good amount of new leaf growth, spray thoroughly. Expect to need a second application the following year to kill the brambles permanently. For particularly stubborn or extensive patches, you may need the strongest weedkiller available.
Smothering
For those avoiding chemicals, smothering can work but requires patience. Cut everything back to ground level, then cover the area with heavy-duty weed membrane or old carpet, weighted down securely. The covering must be complete – brambles will find any gap.
Leave in place for at least two growing seasons. Even then, some root pieces may survive, so monitor the area and remove any new growth promptly. A thick layer of mulch after removing the covering helps suppress any remaining seeds in the soil.
Similar Woody Weeds
Brambles share their stubborn nature with other woody invaders. Ivy, raspberry bushes, and Russian vine also combine vigorous above-ground growth with persistent root systems, requiring similar combined approaches for control. If you’re tackling a neglected overgrown garden, brambles are often the first challenge to address.
Should You Remove Brambles Completely?
Before declaring war, consider whether you want the brambles gone entirely. They’re valuable for wildlife – the flowers provide nectar for bees and butterflies from May to September, and the blackberries feed birds and mammals through autumn. Dense bramble thickets offer excellent nesting habitat for birds.
If you have space, keeping brambles in a wilder corner of the garden can benefit wildlife while you control them elsewhere. The key is preventing spread by regularly cutting back any stems that arch toward areas you want to keep clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do brambles keep coming back after I cut them?
Cutting stimulates the roots to produce more suckers. Bramble roots can send up new shoots from as deep as 45cm, so removing the top growth often triggers a flush of new growth from below. You need to tackle the root system as well as the visible stems.
Can I dig out brambles?
Yes, but you need to remove all the roots. Brambles regenerate from root fragments, so any pieces left in the soil will produce new plants. Dig thoroughly, follow each root, and check the area regularly over the following months to remove any regrowth.
When is the best time to spray brambles?
Late summer to early autumn gives the best results. At this time of year, the plant is naturally moving sugars down to its roots for winter, and systemic weedkillers follow these same pathways. This means more herbicide reaches the deep root system.
Will cutting brambles back kill them?
No. Cutting alone won’t kill brambles – it often makes them worse by stimulating root suckering. You need to either dig out the entire root system or use a systemic weedkiller that travels down to kill the roots.
Should I remove brambles completely?
Consider keeping some if you have space. Brambles are valuable for wildlife, providing nectar for pollinators and fruit for birds. A contained bramble patch in a wilder area of the garden supports biodiversity while you control spread elsewhere.
Cutting stimulates more growth. Digging misses the deep roots. A systemic weedkiller follows the plant’s own pathways down to the roots you can’t reach.
i have a garden project which was covered in bramble bushs up to 5 feet tall i have cut all down ,they are now coming through ,i want to turf the whole are about 40 ft x 36 ft.
i i use triplocyr all over that area,after getting as many roots as possible out,how long will i have to wait before laying a lawn down.
also for that area how much would i needof the triplocyr?.
many thanks ashley
Try SBK brushwood, it won’t kill grass but will kill the brambles
Hi, does anyone have any suggestions for removing brambles growing within an established Hawthorn hedge? Digging them out would be virtually impossible so a weed killer would work best, but avoiding getting the weed killer on the hawthorn would be difficult.
Sounds like a tough job, you can apply weed killer accurately to the bramble foliage using a fine brush but if you have a lot of Brambles then it is likely going to be a very time consuming task
I have cleared brambles and nettles from the ditch at the bottom of the garden. Although I managed to pull up some roots the tougher ones are left. I dont plan to replant in the ditch. Which chemical is the best to use. We do now farmers if the best are only available to them.
Great job Sarah, if you have bare soil weeds will grow, sadly there is nothing that will stop nature permanently, my advice is to put down a weed barrier then cover the area in bark or stones. Alternatively you can “mulch” cover the area in cardboard and put some stones or bark down on top, make it at least 3-5 inches deep and it will stop almost anything growing there even brambles. Hope this helps.
I bought place which back garden was over grown with brambles wrapped around other plants 3 years got someone dig out stump blackberry bush been growing all direction which is nightmare. Last year from April until end October been putting weed killer strong one glyphosate tough spray and gel wearing thick rubber gloves making sure weed killer not on my hands looked at stems today gradually died top half gone white lower down brown dead but further down still alive green . So will be cutting off dead further down continue putting weed killer on bramble all through until end October and check by next April rest bramble be dead hopefully get some one dig out roots . Want to re plant put bush by end next summer more plants in its place lost another bush while trying to get rid bramble . Where roots of bramble come through where old greenhouse was may decide to get someone to put bit artificial grass laid over it i’m on low budget think concrete or paving stones would cost lot more plus get someone in to do it.
I have brambles between two fences back to back. If I sprayed between them would it kill plants either side of the fences too?
If you spray a plant it will die
By using tricolour will it effect other plants around brambles
Yes it can
I have waste land belonging to seven valley railway behind my fence. The brambles and nettles have brought my fence down twice and affects whatever I plant. Can I make the railway clear the area? I am 63 years old and am overwhelmed by this persistent problem!
You can try but probably best taking care of the problem on your own