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Safety brambles

Breed brambles without spikey bits.
  (+2)
(+2)
 

I find brambles among the plants in my garden. I go on a country walk and brambles overhang the path. Brambles had the spikes to stop animals eating them. These days, spikes are a risk to the plant as I am going to hack them back to avoid being caught. A non-spiked bramble ought to have an advantage over a regular bramble as it does not have the investment of making the spikes, and it does not get hacked back. I suppose there is some of the old risk of feral goats eating it, but I have not seen any. Release them into the 'wild' that is the planet we live in, and they should flourish.

Think seedless grapes. These were a sterile sport of the grape plant, but they are doing just fine. Or orange carrots. Or maize.

The ideal weed would have no sting and no thorns. It would not kill off neighbouring plants. It would come up easily. It would not have deep roots. Oh-oh - I think I have just invented bindweed.

Richard K, Aug 05 2026





       Just what we need - another invasive species. I'm not certain my objection applies here, but this reminds me of a line in the help file ...   

       "to make any organic matter do anything (just add genetics or, once people complain about the use of genetics as magic, "selective breeding")"
normzone, Aug 06 2026
  

       I'm picturing a broader theme of evolution by intimidation.   

       "You'll be dropping a few of *those* codons, if you know what's good for you."
Then a different message comes, whispered through the underground mycelium:
"Hang tough, brambles: in a few more generations, human civilisation collapses, then we're back to wild goats."
pertinax, Aug 06 2026
  

       I imagine nature as a person on the other side of a chess board, steepling their fingers and saying "Ah. Interesting move. Are you sure you want to do that?"
Richard K, Aug 06 2026
  

       //on the other side of a chess board//   

       Don't look now, but she's behind you.
pertinax, Aug 07 2026
  
         


 

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