what is this weed please?

barbersfort · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 2

This has been spreading a bit around the wet ditches; taking over a bit..looks like nothing thats been around here.......

sorry....pic a bit blurred

thanks[/img]

kindredspirit · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 5:37 am Post subject:

Horsetail.

Sive · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 7:35 am Post subject:

Apparently this plant is unique in that it has been around for millions of years.....I wouldn't fancy it in my garden though.

medieval knievel · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:30 am Post subject:

a b****** to get rid of, too. resistant to pulling, and it laughs in the face of weedkiller.

barbersfort · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 25 Nov 2009 Posts: 2

thanks for feedback.

Im surprised how quickly its spreading and yes; its right in the wet grass/drain area....

James Kilkelly · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 1:10 pm Post subject:

Horse tail or mares tail alright.
More on it here... Horse tail

Handy to have around if you are growing spuds......

Herbal teas concocted from common weeds/herbs such as nettle, horsetail (Equisetum arvense ) and comfrey can be sprayed on potato foliage to help prevent the spread of blight disease.

To make the horsetail tea you should ideally in early summer pick the green part of the plant, leaves and stem, excluding the root. You will need one kilogram (2 ¼ pounds) of equisetum to submerge in drum filled with 20 litres of rain water, stirring it daily over three or four weeks.

When the time comes, mix it in your watering can at a rate of ten parts water to one part horsetail tea, then water liberally onto your plants. Plants that show any symptoms of bight or other fungal type disease should be sprayed with this mix once every four days.

If in a rush to create a batch of horsetail tea, you can make up some by simmering 1/2 kilogram of the weed in a pot with 10 litres of rain water for about an hour. Once cooled it should again be mixed it in your watering can at a rate of ten parts water to one part horsetail tea.

From here........ Potato blight, how to treat Phytophthora infestans.

walltoall · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 1:17 pm Post subject: What is this weed

Well said Mr.Kilkelly Sir. and now for MY two cents worth.

With respect: firstly Horsetail is not a weed; it is a plant. By definition a 'weed' is a plant growing in the wrong place. Horsetail never grows in the wrong place.That's why it has survived millions of years.

Secondly: and this is the important bit, horsetail is terrific for cleaning metal pots and pans. It works like the expensive materials you can buy in supermarkets if you are sufficiently gullible. In a word it is a totally organic cleaner polisher with no adverse effects.

It survives in damp shady environments and the only way to control it is to remove the moisture and remove the shade. Iam totally opposed to messing with the environment in such ways and suggest you learn to live with it or use it to clean stuff.
Respect Nature. It Was There Before We Were.

kindredspirit · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: What is this weed

walltoall · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:38 pm Post subject: a mule of horsetails

Nice one KS but I'm still going to defend the horsetail's right to grow in damp shady conditions to the butter end. I'm absolutely fascinated by James' soup though. There's a cottage industry here for an entrepeneur. packaged up like soup for humans. W2A

Her Outdoors · Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:48 pm Post subject:

Well I never heard of horsetail tea! We have loads of the weed in our garden, we think it either came in in topsoil we bought in or in a load of manure we acquired. It's a pain, but I will use it now to make up the brew for spraying on the spuds.

Anonany · Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:44 am Post subject:

We eventually -- after about 3-4 years of repeated treatments -- managed to get rid of the horsetail. Like your's, barbersfort, it turned up in a damp area and tried to take over.

Each time we repeatedly bruised it with either sharp-edged rocks or the strimmer (nylon cord, not blade) ... and anything else that we thought would break through its tough surface. Once bruised, we then sprayed with Tumbleweed or Roundup, both of which contain glyphosate.

The trick does seem to be in the bruising and -- although I didn't try it -- it did occur to me that what I really needed was a team of (heavy !) people wearing studded, spiked or hobnail boots to do a war dance on the stems.

It's a while ago, but I think we repeated the treatment 2-3 times per year over a 3-4 year period. It must be a good 15-17 years since it last appeared so we were either successful ... or it's biding it's time deep underground before re-appearing !