Thorn bushes

[David Page]

Has anyone used the shrub/brush grabbers or something like that to get rid of thorn bushes. Ours are a foot to two feet high and spread out from the center sort of like in clumps. I don't know what they are but they are growing in our 8 acre woodlot. Any thoughts would be appreciated. We have to wait till spring now. Thanks

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

They are fine, just a pain to hook up.
I take it you don't have a loader?

 

[TripleR]

We use a tree/post puller for hours, but I doubt you want to go that route, I'd consider a pirana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ-ZSsaJvDE

or ratchet rake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F-RSXtW60s

 

[David Page]

These look very good but Wolfman guessed right no loader! On the other hand I'm just glad to have a tractor.

 

[TripleR]

Yikes, then I'd go with a brush grubber. When we had no front loader, for many years, we just used heavy gloves and coat to wrap a chain around the base and pull them out by the roots. Yep, it pretty much sucked to be the ground man.

 

[spacemanspiff]

Yikes, then I'd go with a brush grubber. When we had no front loader, for many years, we just used heavy gloves and coat to wrap a chain around the base and pull them out by the roots. Yep, it pretty much sucked to be the ground man.

Even worse when you do both jobs.


If it were me, I would mow them down and use roundup to kill what sprouts out.

 

[skeets]

4 roger on the chop cut spray,, I did 5 acres that way.. And I have the scars to prove it,, but they aint come back

 

[TripleR]

Even worse when you do both jobs.


If it were me, I would mow them down and use roundup to kill what sprouts out.

No doubt, done that too.

We've done the herbicide too, but it leaves a stub, had some luck with box scraper.

 

[scdeerslayer]

If not that many I would cut and treat the stump with Tordon RTU. If it's a lot I would try to mow them then immediately spray the area with a boom sprayer (or whatever kind of sprayer you have available) with a mix of roundup and brush killer. Unless you spray the entire plant to kill it you need to treat the freshly cut stump to kill the roots. If you try to pull them up they will likely just multiply. That kind of depends on the species but it seems all undesirable plants come back with a vengeance unless you use chemical warfare on them, and plants with thorns are the worst.

 

[D2Cat]

Sounds like some kind of wild rose. Since they are a foot or two tall I would use a straight shaft weed eater with a circular blade with with chain saw teeth to cut them off right a ground level.

Then as scdeerslayer suggested spray them. I would get tordon (full strength), you need a chemical license, but you can find a farmer to buy a quart from. Put that in a spray bottle if you just have a few or a backpack sprayer if you have a bunch. Won't take long for two people to wipe them out.

When you spray them right after you cut them they are DONE. Do this with two people. One cutting, one spraying. Then you don't miss any and have the same project next year.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Forester-Ch...106384?hash=item237794f610:g:r~gAAOSwj85YNqjG

 

[BAP]

Sounds like you have Multifloral Rose which is nasty and will take over if you don't kill it. Wait till it leaves out in the spring and then hit with a weed killer.