HardyWeinberg

I threw a pair of pruning loppers in a pannier yesterday and zipped off to where I have to cross a big road feeding freeway on-off ramps where all the traffic is as close to escape velocity as it can get, and pruned the bejeezus out of a blackberry infestation that way blocked my view to the left (mostly cars (not) returning to earthbound speeds from the freeway). Some of these canes were pushing 2" in diameter!! I hope the pruning doesn't spur a whole ton of new growth before I get a little chance to appreciate the increased visibility.

ModoVincere

Can you get some roundup or similar herbicide and spray the area?

HardyWeinberg

I was wondering about that, weighing the civic unresponsibility of leaving dead thorny canes all over the place vs actually spreading herbicides. It's all state property as far as I know, and nothing landscaped to speak of...

dwainedibbly

I've done the "guerilla pruning" thing, too. Just make sure you get the cuttings well out of the way. Don't think I'd use herbicides, though.

Did you pick any berries?

pinkrobe

You'll get some lateral growth if you leave partial canes. Did you take them out at ground level?

unkchunk

I stop pruning at the end of April, when the poison ivy starts to come out. Never occurred to me that I might be spurning new growth.

Bill Kapaun

If this a bike lane (or maybe even if it isn't), I'd contact the highway dept and maybe they'll handle it as a "traffic hazard. If not, threaten to do it yourself. They wouldn't want non union workers cutting in

HardyWeinberg

Well, it was very nice looking to the left coming home today and clearly seeing ... a young maple tree reaching out onto the road! But that hasn't leafed out fully yet so much easier to see through for now.

These vines haven't flowered in years, so no fruit to harvest (even if there were going to be buds, this isn't quite the season yet, around here).

I did not aim at ground level, I'll have to re-check my work this weekend. Today it was great, and I am out of town the next 3 days.

I have wondered about talking to whoever might actually be responsible, city or state hwy people.

threephi

I don't think you're going to want to eat fruit from a plant growing by the side of a busy highway anyway. Just think about all the heavy metals that must have settled into that soil from the exhaust.

ollo_ollo

Good on ya Hardy! I used to do a regular prune at a couple spots on my commute along South Bay Rd where blackberries grew completely across the bike lane.