The Meadow Makers' Network Forum

Hey people! anyone have any cunning ways to control blackthorn without using any herbicides? we have a lot of suckers creeping in and whilst I would love to let the area scrub up it's just not practical where it is.

I don't have a cunning way of controlling blackthorn, but cutting once a year with either a flail mower or strimmer with blade attachment, keeps it under control in the areas I don't want to revert to woodland.

If there are any Blackthorn plants in the area, they will inevitably continue to produce copious suckers, so you need to target the parent plants. For this reason we have edited out all the Blackthorn in the hedges around our garden. I've achieved this largely through ring-barking the established trees, which has killed almost all of them within 2 years. This has completely removed the source of the suckers. I've effectively used this ring-barking technique to kill a range of undesirable trees in our micro-meadow/garden, including Eucalypts, Willows and Grey Alder.

So having removed the Blackthorn we won't have any Brown Hairstreak butterflies or other Blackthorn-dependent invertebrates in our hedges, but there are still plenty of Blackthorn plants in other hedges nearby to support those species. Meanwhile we have introduced locally scarce species such as Guelder Rose and Alder Buckthorn - home grown from locally sourced seed.

In a different location, where ring-barking was inappropriate, I've used Eco-plugs (www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/the- ... d-control/) to kill standing aspen and wild cherry, which also sucker badly. I put the plugs in a few months ago, so I should see the results in spring.

I would encourage you not to have a blanket 'no chemicals' policy - in a few cases, careful use of synthetic chemicals such as glyphosate can cause less ecological harm than the alternatives. Everything is made out of 'chemicals' - plenty of 'natural' chemicals are extrememly harmful, whilst plenty of 'synthetic' chemicals are safe and beneficial. I would encourage people to assess each case on the individual merits rather than bringing a prejudged blanket rule.

Certainly topping once a year is the best option……if one has to.Blackthorn is a fabulous plant and it’s encouragement will provide early nectar and pollen for bees.It also is the food plant for many moths and of course the Brown Hairstreak butterfly ….as well as providing nest sites and sloes for birds to feed on in winter.We are fortunate in having Brown Hairstreaks on the farm and the more hedges that are managed with wildlife in mind can only be a bonus.Glyphosate and the cocktails of various chemicals with which it is frequently mixed should be avoided at all times.It is possibly carcinogenic and causes other issues in humans.It is persistent in the soil and clearly harms biodiversity.We have farmed organically for many years and the use of chemicals is not necessary.