Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Horse tail problem

bazabaza Posts: 670
in Problem solving
Hello Everyone I was wondering if anyone has a solution to get rid of this horse tail weed my garden is riddled with.
Thanks
Baz
«1

Posts

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Keep pulling by hand, it will weaken the growth eventually.  Do not put them into the compost, put them in the normal bin.  If it's a large area, walking on it to bruise the stem and then spraying with high strength Roundup or similar may have some effect.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    And keep an eye open in the spring for the fruiting shoots that spread the spores around and create new infestations 
    You can see pictures of them here https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/field_horsetail

    as soon as you see them pull, bag and bin them 🤬


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bazabaza Posts: 670
    Thankyou its gradually got worse the last couple of years . I was advised just to hoe it when it appeared but it keeps coming back with a vengeance 
  • bazabaza Posts: 670
    This is a new one a man has said try WD40 he said its works great . So I'll try a little patch of it and see what happens
  • SmudgeriiSmudgerii Posts: 185
    Ammonium sulphamate 1kg per litre of water.  Do it now before it goes dormant for the winter.

    Then you can hit any new growth as it shows next spring by mixing the AS with wallpaper paste and dabbing it on the shoots ( if it’s raining cover it with a plastic bottle )
  • bazabaza Posts: 670
    Thanks Smudgerii I'll try anything 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    baza said:
    This is a new one a man has said try WD40 he said its works great . So I'll try a little patch of it and see what happens
    You’re going to contaminate your soil with oil?!?!?!

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • SmudgeriiSmudgerii Posts: 185


    This plot was so infested with Horsetail in may 2018 that the committee had decided to make it a carpark.  Used Ammonium Sulphamate across 3 or 4 sprayings in 8 weeks and this is the result. 

    Fast forward a year and...




  • bazabaza Posts: 670
    Hi Dovefromabove yes you are right about contaminating the soil 
    . I did use it on a patch and it has worked but I like what Smudgerii has done and I think that's the way forward.
    Thanks everyone
    Baz
  • mickmillsmickmills Posts: 5
    baza said:
    Hello Everyone I was wondering if anyone has a solution to get rid of this horse tail weed my garden is riddled with.
    Thanks
    Baz

    Hi I have had had a problem with Marestail for the last 3 years, it suddenly took off in my garden from one side to the other I tried all kinds of was to get rid of it ie: digging it up defiantly not a good idea as where there was 1 it turns into 2 or more shoots, then I tried Extra strong Gylphosate this kills it in a fashion but not permanently then I tried Weedol lawn weedkiller and Glyphosate which killed it but it killed anything I touched with the spray grass for instance and it seemed to come back, I was thinking of spending £30 pound on some very expensive new weedkiller (only 300ml or something) then I found out by mistake that Weedol lawn weedkiller on its own works a treat, when it is sprayed or painted, the Marestail it will start looking sorry for it self within a day then after a week its dead in 2 weeks is gone pale brown and dessicated. I have only been using this method for a couple of months so I’m not sure about long term but its the most effective way I’ve come across


Sign In or Register to comment.