Step 3: Dig up the Roots & Process the Debris

For links to my full restoration process, visit Restoring a Native Woodland Garden.

Now for the really hard part; digging up the roots! Andrew spent a year digging/pulling up the blackberry roots with a pick axe and bare hands. And the result was a MASSIVE pile of debris! Seriously, I can’t even begin to explain the amount of blackberry canes and roots that was garnered from this project. All in all, I’d have to guess that the amount created would have filled a 20 by 10 foot space at a height of 20 feet if we could pile it all together. The photo above shows less than half of the amount collected.

How in the world were we going to get rid of this massive pile? I contemplated a number of options; however, our location halfway down a steep hill meant our choices were limited. Ultimately I decided to hire my forest garden consultant (Mark of Wassail Ecological Landcare) to manage a burn to turn the blackberries into biochar. There were positives and negatives with this choice, but in the end, it made the most sense for us given the location and sheer size of the debris that needed to be addressed.

What is biochar and why would I want it? I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a science brain so my understanding of this is somewhat limited. I’ll explain it the best way I can. When you typically burn wood, or in this case blackberry canes and roots, you end up with ash. If that ash were to run down our steep hill and into the body of water at the bottom, it could raise the pH levels, affecting the plants and animals that call the water home. The ash could also increase phosphorus levels, which could encourage algae to grow, which would eventually lead to decreased oxygen levels, greatly impacting sea life.

When you burn in such a way as to limit oxygen, like in this specially-made kiln, you’re able to create a stable solid that sequesters carbon and serves as a soil amendment, particularly when sprayed with other amendments, which the biochar readily absorbs and holds onto.

LEARN MORE: USDA Forest Service

As you can see in the photo above, this burn had a small amount of ash but was mostly a delicate and fine substance that is easily crushed. I spread it out to cool and then sprayed with a diluted mix of EM1, an inoculate of beneficial microbes that will help create a healthier soil life.

It took three days of burning to get through most of the debris. I decided against a fourth day. Instead, I covered the remaining pile of debris with black plastic to help it break down faster. Before summer, I’ll remove the cover and try to crush the dry canes as best as I can. I’ll spread them out and allow them to break down naturally over time.

• A logical way to process a large amount of debris without having to transport it up the steep hill and pay for it to be hauled away (using a large fuel-burning vehicle)
• Sequesters carbon and prevents ash runoff (an issue with traditional burning)
• Helps retain nutrients; readily absorbs nutrients and prevents them from washing away
• Increases and improves healthy soil life
• Not applicable to my property, but biochar is also used for soil remediation at sites with heavy metals and other soil contaminants

• Though perhaps not as much as a traditional fire, a biochar burn still produces smoke, which can be problematic for anyone within range
• To burn properly (preventing ash) and safely, it’s best to use a kiln made for this purpose. Finding an expert in biochar burning can be a challenge, and there is a fee for this service.
• Burning a large amount of debris is very time-consuming, requiring continuous feeding and constant monitoring

My neighbors hired goats to tackle their blackberry canes. They were a lot of fun to watch!

If I was just beginning this project but somehow had all my current knowledge, would I deal with removing the blackberries in the same way? Not exactly.

Originally, I wasn’t sure how large of a section I was planning to tackle for Phase 2 of the restoration of our property. Additionally, the owner of the Rent-a-Ruminant service near me surveyed my property but wasn’t confident that the area was safe for goats because the blackberry cover was so dense. Therefore, it wasn’t a project she was willing to take on. However, if I could go back in time, now knowing the size of the area I wanted to clear and the fact that the space would be safe, I would prefer to hire goats to munch all the blackberry canes. In less than a week, the goats would be able to eat down almost all of the canes, leaving only the roots for Andrew to deal with. And though the biochar does provide some benefit, the goats would have left behind some nutrients (manure) as well. All in all, hiring the goats might have cost a bit more, but only minimally, and they would certainly be able to work faster than a single person manually chopping down the canes and later having to burn them. Let’s face it, 120 goats can eat a lot in a week!