BRIAR BRAMBLES...How To Get Rid of Them in a Flowerbed...

Hi, Guys,
What do you all use on the briar bramble vines that have those tiny little sharp, rose thorns on "em and stick you even through heavy gloves? They're just a tangled mess of thorny vines, sorta reddish in color with green leaves. Mine grow in a bed that has two Sagos, a crepe myrtle tree and two little boxwood puffs. There's lots of empty space in the bed for the brambles to grow. Can I smother them out with something else, or will I end up with them growing through anything I plant on the ground to fill it in?

If I spray them, I'm afraid I'll hurt my Sagos and the Crepe Myrtle tree.

HELP!!!

Thanks!

Linda

We have those vines (I think it's the same) here too. Have to dig down to find the bulb like root and hack it out with an ax.

I just cut them down just below the surface, the roots are very large and hard to pull out especially if you have other plants in the area.
I have heard the making a small hole at the base of the plant and filling it with molasses will do the trick, and molasses won't hurt your other plants. Be sure you use agricultural grade molasses not the grocery store kind.
I hope it helps.
Josephine.

Frostweed,
Would Dry molasses work? I have a whole bag of dry.

Sorry but no, you need the liquid kind, you can get it a feed stores or organic nurseries..

Ok. Thanks!

Smilax & I do not live in peace but I have learned to keep them cut below the surface as Frostweed mentioned.

And if you want to see what probably lives under the soil, a friend with a dozer dug this and many more of these from deep in the soil. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/179421/

Good luck... hope you two come to terms. Kristi

Smilax is goin nuts here too, seems like it is worse than usual

I found this surfing the web. I like this idea as it seems really easy without killing plants around it. http://wilsonbrosnursery.com/How-To/Growing-Instructions/How-To-Grow-Azaleas/How-To-Eliminate-Invasive-Vines.aspx