[pa-v]

Any one any ideas to get rid of horstail in gardens tried round up wit some sucess


Regards
pa-v :

[Protein]

Don't know if you do this already, but its recommended to strim the horsetail (not to the base), to bruise and expose flesh - then spray with round-up.

I don't envy you at all.

[inishindie]

These plants have been around millions of years longer than the dinosaurs and other than getting a bit smaller remain unchanged. These plants don't flower but like ferns they spread with spores. The established plants also have masses of roots and if one piece is left in the soil then they are back again.

I do know of some uses for the plant, they are very effective at polishing metal; they were once imported from Holland for that very reason. They are also very good at cleaning wooden spoons, but unless you were going into the pot cleaning business that bit of information is no good to you whatsoever. The plant can be poisonous to livestock if they have too much of it so putting cattle on your lawn is not the best idea either.

I surfed the Internet to see if anyone has come up with a solution to the encroaching weed. I was amazed to find the Horsetail is a problem in lots of countries; there are special chat lines about the subject, with no real solutions.

There is the suggestion that they can be covered in black polythene for no less than two years. I have tried this but the roots spread to the end of the polythene and new plants emerge.

Spraying can be as unsuccessful as the plants are coated in silica so the weed killer just runs off them, like was just mentioned, each individual stem has to be crushed for this to be successful. If they are in the lawn they can be cut down regularly, this stops the spores spreading the plant but doesn't get rid of the plant. A flamethrower only kills the top growth too so that would be a waste of time as well.

There are some really nasty chemicals that have been suggested...but they too only have limited success

[Boland]

I'm new so this is late reply I know. Might work for next year.

I got a few lorryloads of soil from a neighbour and as a result the place was infested!!! with horsetail.

I tried everything but then gave the place a quick spray of nettleban, worked a charm but it has to mixed strong and any regrowth has to tackeled ASAP. so far 99% has not come back after the first treatment.

I know chemical free control would be better but somtimes....

Tim

[Sunny]

To my knowledge, the only way to be rid of them is to move house! Best of luck with it.

[buryjas]

Hi Have a lot of this and found putting salt around base kills it off.