How to Kill Salmonberries

Cutting and Pulling Plants

• 1

  Cut down the above-ground growth and pull up roots and rhizomes to weaken and kill the plant. Don strong gloves and clothing suitable for outdoor work, then cut away the majority of the plant using strong pruning shears and saws for the thicker stems. Leave a 2-foot length of central stem intact.

• 2

  Dig around the base of the plant, using a fork to loosen the soil without cutting though the roots. When the soil is loosened, grab the central stem and gently ease the plant out of the ground. Do not pull violently. Lift it slowly and use the fork to ease any recalcitrant roots out of the soil.

• 3

  Collect all parts of the plant and burn them. It's essential to ensure that no part of the plant is left on the ground because roots, rhizomes and even small twigs have the potential to reproduce. Burn all the plant material to ensure that it is destroyed.

Using Herbicide to Kill the Shrub

• 4

  Wait until the weather is suitable for the application of a glyphosate herbicide. Conditions must be neither extremely cold or hot. It should not be raining and no rain should have fallen in the previous six hours. Avoid windy conditions as droplets of herbicide can be carried onto other plants.

• 5

  Apply a glyphosate herbicide preparation to the leaves of the salmonberry shrub, following the application instructions provided with the product. This normally involves misting the leaves with a fine spray. It is not necessary to drench them. Or you can apply the herbicide to any green part of the plant, including stems and open cuts.

• 6

  Reapply the herbicide after the period recommended by the manufacturer, if the plant does not die. If no guidelines are given, assume that the salmonberry will grow at an increased rate for a few weeks and then collapse and die. If it is still alive two or three weeks after the first application, apply a second dose.