When applied at label rate and once dried (usually < 2 hrs) it poses extremely low risk to mammals and birds. Standard pet exclusion is until spray is dry.

Groundwise believes in using the lowest, feasible impact methods for Mulching and Greenwaste removal.

It's super common to find all sorts of curiosities under the blackberry bushes i.e.  wire, metal or tyres we photograph and price removal separately.

No foliage = no uptake
Metsulfuron-methyl is a systemic herbicide that must be absorbed through green leaves and moved down to the roots. A freshly-slashed cane has nothing to absorb the mix, so >90 % of the chemical ends up on the ground.

What happens if you spray immediately after brush-cutting? 

• Wasted product
• Poor kill-rate
• Unnecessary soil exposure

SA Government advice: “Slashing and then waiting for fresh regrowth before applying herbicide will reduce the amount of chemical needed and the risk of unintentional damage to other plants.” greenadelaide.sa.gov.au

Yes - but that’s a different method. Immediate stump treatments rely on glyphosate or triclopyr gels painted onto every crown. Metsulfuron-methyl isn’t registered for stump swabbing and struggles to penetrate the woody blackberry crown. Groundwise doesn't currently offer this option, however we are taking EOI's and if interest is high enough we can expand our service offerings, note:

• This option costs more in labour (every stump must be located and dabbed)

• uses far more chemical per plant than our slash → regrow → spot-spray sequence

• still needs monitoring because buried crowns are easy to miss.

No leaves, no uptake – Metsulfuron-methyl is a systemic herbicide; it must enter through green foliage and ride the sap stream down to the roots. A stump can’t absorb it.

What happens if you spray straight after cutting? 90 % of the mix ends up on the soil, not in the plant.

NSW DPI blackberry guide: “After slashing or burning, wait until plants have up to 1 m of regrowth before applying herbicide.” weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Blackberry grubbing is the manual removal of blackberry plants by digging out the root crown with an implement attached to a tractor or excavator

Blackberry scalping is the process of removing the top layer of soil and vegetation usually with machinery to strip away blackberry crowns and surface roots in one pass.

Groundwise does not currently offer these services, however we are taking EOI's as part of our desire to expand our service offering.

Excellent Reference Material from the Vic Blackberry Taskforce can be found here

At Groundwise, we offer residential herbicide application for blackberry control using low-tox, targeted methods. If you'd like to keep costs down, we also offer a DIY herbicide kit — complete with product, instructions, safety guidance, and timing advice, so you can confidently tackle the regrowth yourself.

For rural and Green Wedge properties, we currently offer the DIY option only, as Groundwise is in the process of obtaining a Commercial Operator Licence, which is required to legally apply herbicide on non-residential land in Victoria. We're committed to doing things by the book, and once licensed, we'll be expanding our service to cover these areas fully.

In the meantime, we’re here to guide you through safe, effective blackberry control – whether we do the spray or you do.

🔗 Agriculture Victoria – Using Agricultural Chemicals Safely