TLDR: want to replace wild blackberries with minimal cost and effort and only OMRI-labeled inputs. Want recommendations for varieties that could either outcompete these guys or would look different enough that it'd be easy to ID the invasive canes early and cut them. Must have higher yields or easier harvest.
Background
Posted here yesterday to ID some blackberry varieties. Turns out my husband was right and they were all invasive.
I would like to do the right thing and control invasives on our property, so I contacted the county. They're class C noxious here so no help to get rid of them but also no risk of gov action unless a neighbor complains. Talked to neighbors and they have a ton of them too and don't care, so no issues with enforcement.
Apparently that area was all timber until St Helen's erupted and damaged the house and septic. They logged the area to pay for repairs and then piled up ash and debris in the area. There's only 2-12 inches of top soil on top of lots of ryolite, and a natural seasonal spring pops out of the rocks. Basically the whole 5 acres is acid and is perfect for blackberries.
Neighbor says the Holly in the previous forest grew big once in the light and attracted deer which then pooped the berries, bringing them up from the valley floor.
I want to replace them with something similar that's not considered invasive. We have access to everything from U. Arkansas plus other varieties, but would prefer to stay away from patents owned by a for-profit. Hopefully there is something that would outcompete or looks different enough that we can easily ID the invasive canes and kill them as they pop up. To justify all of this cost and effort, we need something that produces higher yield or is easier to harvest so we can recover the investment over time. My husband has ideas but I'd just like more suggestions to consider.
Alternatively, I can spray the 5 acres with an acre-foot of 140⁰ water over an hour — could that be hot enough, or does it need to be 212⁰? I could do this once a week.
by LittleRedStore
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