Mares tail

Tall trees · September 2021

I’ve put 4 ton of clean top soil onto my garden before i turf, I topped up the edges with 3 small bags of weedfree soil that was contaminated with mares tail, i can dig out each piece with a trowel, use strong weed killer and wait until next spring to lay or lay the turf and hope by mowing it the mares tail will die out. I’ve wrote to the company but dont expect a reply, I’d like your thoughts.

JennyJ · September 2021

I think I'd go with digging out and getting rid of as much of the affected soil as possible before the marestail can get established, and replace with some that's clean. Then be very vigilant and pounce on any bits that you missed as soon as they start growing. I don't know whether mowing would eliminate it but somehow I doubt it

. A good company should at the very least apologise and reimburse you for the contaminated bags of soil, but as you say, don't hold your breath waiting.

Fairygirl · September 2021

I don't think there's much more you can do @Tall trees . Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to eradicate it. Mowing regularly will keep it at bay, but you'll probably still find it coming up all round the edges.

If you can get it out by digging before it goes any further [not easy] that might be the best solution, but It's soul destroying. Infuriating when you've done all the work getting the site ready too.

raisingirl · September 2021

Yes, I agree. Dig out as much as you can, before it gets established.

Topbird · September 2021

When did the infested bags of soil go in and how deep is that soil?

The real nightmare is when you inherit a patch of well established mares tail with deep deep roots.

If it's all fairly new and you think there's a lot of mares tail it would be worth taking all the infested soil out (you did say they were only 3 small bags...) and replacing it with clean stuff. Depends how bad the problem is really.

A bit disheartening I know but I think it's better to nip problems like that in the bud.

Woodgreen · September 2021

I bought a ton bag of topsoil a couple of years ago and used about a third of it, unaware of any problem. I had ordered second grade, as it needed to withstand occasional flooding so I didn't want fine stuff. I didn't use any more from the bag for several weeks and noticed both marestail and bindweed emerging on the surface of the soil in the bag.
The supplier took away the contaminated soil and replaced it with a bag of their top grade topsoil which was clean. (I still have some of this top grade in the bag and there have only been bits of grass or annual weeds emerging.) I had to explain to him how very problematic marestail and bindweed weeds are, and that spraying glyphosate would not solve the problem!
I was vigilant at looking for the weeds where I'd spread the soil, and was able to carefully remove the shoots with attached roots. There weren't many, but the potential for problems if I hadn't done this doesn't bear thinking about especially as it was among established planting.

So I would say remove it when it emerges, even though this delays your lawn. Mowing cuts off the top growth but it's roots could spread elsewhere -- it doesn't give up easily.
You could try to take out the contaminated soil, but I would still want to check that there was no marestail left behind if it was me. The fine root fragments that sprout would be very difficult to spot without the green shoots.

So sorry you have this problem. Good luck.

Chris-P-Bacon · September 2021

Dig out as much as possible. I'm not normally a weedkiller fan but in this instance perhaps it's the only effective method. Mowing will definately weaken it but it'll take quite a while for it give up. If it's any consolation you're not on your own.

Tall trees · September 2021

Thanks for all the advice, my only concern about digging up the if I chop up and underground roots I’m going to make the problem worse, I’m a qualified gardener so I’m licensed to spray weed killer if needed, it looks like I’ll take the risk and carefully remove soil, put my own top soil in from my veg plot, and replace it with new, one good thing as I’m a landscape gardener this is not for a client, but even with over 40 years in the job it’s nice for your input.

Fairygirl · September 2021

I think that's a wise decision @Tall trees. If you can get out the soil without leaving anything, that will hopefully work. Fingers crossed.
As you say - could have been a lot worse if it had been for a paying customer, especially if it had been a much bigger amount

stephen.mcmellen.49 · October 2021

If you haven't laid your lawn yet, you can get rid of the maretails. Buy some brushwood killer, if you have a small hand spray ,put half of it in the sprayer, then put the same amount of bleach, top it up with water, wait until it appears and spray , it will kill even the roots. Or if you turf it first, wait till it comes through, then with a small brush, gently brush it's foliage. In one year you should get rid of it . If not the same the following year and then it will disappear.

punkdoc · October 2021

I don,t think bleach is a recommended weed killer and will have damaging environmental consequences. It is highly unlikely it would kill marestail as it would not be transported to the roots.
Agent Orange might work.

Mares tail

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