Having read this thread and having a "small" horsetail problem I would make 2 comments for further consideration.
1. Just how useful is weed suppressing material. I tried it a few years ago and covered it with an attractive mulch and it instantly became the perfect place for passing weed seeds to fall and germinate.
2. "Old wives tale"... pick your marestail/horsetail on a Sunday. For a small infestation this will probably work as it removes it from sight and gradually weakens it. Thanks Grandma.
I have weed suppressing membrane at the far end of the garden around the raised veg bed. The membrane is now 13 years old and still working; the weeds that self seed into the pea shingle on top are very easy to pull up/hoe.
I agree with artjack, you will get some seedlings but because they can't get a foothold they are easily done away with.
Any plant denied light will eventually die. It all depends how persistent the plant is in getting through the barrier in the meantime!
It is best to start with no weeds before putting down the ground cover. You could say that otherwise it's like closing the stable door after the "horse" has bolted!
I've had this since I moved in to my house ten years ago. It's only got worse In non-cultivated areas (our kids play area in particular). My predecessor put down a load of slabs. The mares tail loved that. I put down fabric and bark and it loved that even more.
I should mention that before I put the membrane down, my wife and I spent ages and ages going over the area and painstakingly pulling up every single one with the roots as far as we could. We then went back over again, doing the same job, digging deeper, and getting bits we missed.
This, in hindsight, did absolutely no good at all. It came back almost straight away. I mention this because the standard advice "pull up all you can, and every bit of root" is BAD ADVICE as it was a big fat waste of time. The roots go down metres.
Bruising stems and glyphosphate slowed it a bit, but isn't great, and it all comes back.
So what does work?
Keeping on top of it certainly helps. I have it on the allotment, but it's not a major problem as what it really likes is being under gravel / slabs / membrane. It's a pest in beds, but you just pull up the stems Whenever you can and that keeps it manageable.
I have no solution for paths or non-cultivated areas. Pulling it up is, once it's established, a pointless and never ending job. I am tempted to try the kurtail out of desperation. Other than that, I just strim it down so it doesn't look so awful.
That seems to be the general opinion although I did break the top's off some then sprayed with weedkiller and the they have turned brown but that does not mean the roots are dead
Posts
They're a bit like Mare's tails but more stable
I know they kick up every time you pull one
Having read this thread and having a "small" horsetail problem I would make 2 comments for further consideration.
1. Just how useful is weed suppressing material. I tried it a few years ago and covered it with an attractive mulch and it instantly became the perfect place for passing weed seeds to fall and germinate.
2. "Old wives tale"... pick your marestail/horsetail on a Sunday. For a small infestation this will probably work as it removes it from sight and gradually weakens it. Thanks Grandma.
I have weed suppressing membrane at the far end of the garden around the raised veg bed. The membrane is now 13 years old and still working; the weeds that self seed into the pea shingle on top are very easy to pull up/hoe.
I agree with artjack, you will get some seedlings but because they can't get a foothold they are easily done away with.
Any plant denied light will eventually die. It all depends how persistent the plant is in getting through the barrier in the meantime!
It is best to start with no weeds before putting down the ground cover. You could say that otherwise it's like closing the stable door after the "horse" has bolted!
Not sure which is correct but it can be called Horsetail or Marestail
I've had this since I moved in to my house ten years ago. It's only got worse In non-cultivated areas (our kids play area in particular). My predecessor put down a load of slabs. The mares tail loved that. I put down fabric and bark and it loved that even more.
I should mention that before I put the membrane down, my wife and I spent ages and ages going over the area and painstakingly pulling up every single one with the roots as far as we could. We then went back over again, doing the same job, digging deeper, and getting bits we missed.
This, in hindsight, did absolutely no good at all. It came back almost straight away. I mention this because the standard advice "pull up all you can, and every bit of root" is BAD ADVICE as it was a big fat waste of time. The roots go down metres.
Bruising stems and glyphosphate slowed it a bit, but isn't great, and it all comes back.
So what does work?
Keeping on top of it certainly helps. I have it on the allotment, but it's not a major problem as what it really likes is being under gravel / slabs / membrane. It's a pest in beds, but you just pull up the stems Whenever you can and that keeps it manageable.
I have no solution for paths or non-cultivated areas. Pulling it up is, once it's established, a pointless and never ending job. I am tempted to try the kurtail out of desperation. Other than that, I just strim it down so it doesn't look so awful.
The roots apparently go down metres..... regular picking can only weaken it. Chances of eliminating it are probably small?
That seems to be the general opinion although I did break the top's off some then sprayed with weedkiller and the they have turned brown but that does not mean the roots are dead