Q.Indian Hawthorne
I just removed Wild Blackberry vines that have over taken my Hawthorne hedge. One of the plantings in the hedge is all but barren of foliage What can I do to help the Hawthorne recover without feeding the Blackberries?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Alright... This one is going to be a little complicated... If there is any growth at all (which it looks to have a little at least) Than you will want to feed the whole bed some nitrogen... That will kickstart things a little... Pour unused coffee and tea onto the bed. That will be your cheapest method for feeding. Eggshells can help some as well... If you would like to go granular, I would recommend Botanicares line called organicare. Both grow and bloom are really good. Now... The hard part. You will have to go in and pluck any blackberry that come up by hand. It really helps to dig up the root with a handshovel. You will not be able to avoid feeding those suckers... Now, I will suggest spraying straight vinegar ONLY ON THE BLACKBERRIES. AVOID CONTACT WITH THE SOIL Acetic acid is toxic to plants... so the idea is to kill what you don't want. You get it in the soil, You run the risk of killing the plants you want to keep.
