Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => General Gardening => Topic started by: Janew on May 08, 2018, 06:42
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Help!! I was allocated my plot on 23rd March. Broke my arm 24th. Cast now off and I have cleared over half the area. All good so far. Then yesterday I noticed horsetail weeds coming through. What is the best way to eradicate this menace or at least control it? :(
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If you dig & happen to be digging & see any root get as much as you can, but you could dig down to Australia & still not get it all so don’t go mad. Otherwise let it grow until it is 7-10 cams tall & then gently pull it out, or use a trowel to ease it out, this method supposedly lets it put a lot of its energy into growth & then you pull it out which supposedly weakens it before it can photosynthesise. This method has worked best for me, my 2nd has plot was covered in it. It doesn’t cause a problem to your plants as the roots go too deep to compete for moisture, plus some people say it brings up nutrients. Don’t compost the roots.
Do a search on here, John has an article about it
Also It apparently has lots of uses according to Steph Hafferty who gardens no dig with Charles Dowding.
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I have it on my plot too and as Snowdrop says just keeping pulling it up or hoeing it. I'm getting far less appearing after just a couple of years and it certainly doesn't seem to be bothering the crops at all.
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Hi. Thanks for advice. Would prefer to control it without using strong weedkiller. I have looked at article too so thanks for pointing me in right direction. :D