These weeds, which have flower heads made up of many tiny flowers, are often called stickweeds. As a rule, this group of manageable weeds should be eliminated in the tree rows if trees are less than 4 feet tall, and suppressed between the rows. Undesirable weeds . Highly competitive weeds, which reduce Fraser fir growth or make it difficult to shear or harvest trees, include pokeweed, briars, tree saplings, and vines. These weeds will need to be eliminated if possible and can be most easily controlled in the fall.
Briars are thorny shrubs or cane-producing plants.
The most common briar is blackberry. It does not compete with the tree, but it will interfere with workers. Briars should be eliminated. Tree saplings are typically a problem in fields recently cleared of timber or brush. Vines are difficult to control because most are woody perennials with deep root systems.