[Yorkie]

I think the mods will be along to tell you that kurtail is for professional use only & should only be bought & used by someone with a license.

Thanks, snowdrops - beat me to it.

Guys, you all know the rules about promoting the use of pesticides otherwise than in accordance with licensing.  Please cease and desist 

[TimGuyUK]

Thanks people

Looks like my clearing it is the only way. I took a good 10ft sq patch and took the top of it at the weekend with the hoe. Ill now catch the stuff as it comes through and try and dig patches as they become free of veg.

Ive lost for this season as theres not much chance of doing anything while stuff grows. Carrots have had it, I can see one in three rows and the rest of over grown.

I have planted out 10 more runner beans at around a foot high so hoping I'm not so late to get them up and running and they shouldn't get enguffed.

Sorry to the MOD for bring up something iffy. My fault!

[simonwatson]

The things about marestail is that it's not a particularly vigorous or big plant. Event if you've got it, it won't really outcompete anything unless ignored completely. It takes about 10 minutes once a week to walk from one end of my plot to the other pulling out the worst bits and even that has a noticeable effect on it from year to year, seeing it slowly reduced.

[TimGuyUK]

The things about marestail is that it's not a particularly vigorous or big plant. Event if you've got it, it won't really outcompete anything unless ignored completely. It takes about 10 minutes once a week to walk from one end of my plot to the other pulling out the worst bits and even that has a noticeable effect on it from year to year, seeing it slowly reduced.

I wish it was 10 minutes from end to end Simon. I'm loosing an hour a night picking and I'm still not getting it all.

This is my corn and broadbeans post de-weeding. You can see the bit behind them, that was pulled a couple of days before and its back.

The bottom right of the picture is the carrots which I had to leave but never took.

[simonwatson]

The things about marestail is that it's not a particularly vigorous or big plant. Event if you've got it, it won't really outcompete anything unless ignored completely. It takes about 10 minutes once a week to walk from one end of my plot to the other pulling out the worst bits and even that has a noticeable effect on it from year to year, seeing it slowly reduced.

I wish it was 10 minutes from end to end Simon. I'm loosing an hour a night picking and I'm still not getting it all.

This is my corn and broadbeans post de-weeding. You can see the bit behind them, that was pulled a couple of days before and its back.

The bottom right of the picture is the carrots which I had to leave but never took.

Ouch, that looks like hard work. I certainly didn't mean to make light of your efforts! I made the decision to build raised beds when I got my half plot, apart from one area that I use for squash. It's been the best choice I ever made. The beds are more productive (in my experience) than open ground so you don't lose any growing space and they're easy to week as you can get to every part without treading on the soil.

The first couple of years on my plot there were weeds popping up all the time, due to it having been very overgrown with flowering weeds when I took it on, mixed with horsetail in abundance. Before I grew anything I sprayed the lot with glyphosate. Then I waited three weeks and did it again. I spent hours pulling all the horsetail. After that, it was easier to keep on top of the emerging weeds and now, four years later it's possible to leave the plot for days at a time and come back to nothing more than baby weeds that aren't ready to flower and a few sprigs of horsetail

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the hard work now will pay off in abundance later on and you'll look back and realise it was worth it. Good luck.

[Thrutchington]

Hello all, first post for me having been reading this excellent forum for a couple of months. 

I'm in my third season on an allotment that was riddled with weeds. Most of them are under control now but the one that is providing the most difficult to sort is the dreaded horsetail. I've covered the plot with raised beds which i dug out deep and sorted all the soil going back in to remove weed roots etc. That has been quite successful for the beds, it's now the 'periphery' of the plot that needs attention. I have tried bruising the horsetail leaves with a rake and then applying strong glyphosate solution, using a product called Amenity Glyphosate which is sold as a concentrate. First application seems to have been successful and has killed the tops off. I think that using this plus some digging and use of suppressant membranes, should be able to control it for me.

The key to tackling new allotments that are a mess is to take it in small steps, you cannot expect to have the whole thing cultivated in the first year. It has taken me over two years of grafting and mine is still not fully done.

[Goosegirl]

Hello Thrutchington. You've done the right thing by bruising their leaves because they contain silica which makes them almost impervious to even glyphosate weedkillers, though not sure about suppressant membranes as they may get through it like couch grass but others on here will tell you if not. I have it in my ornamental beds and know how hard it is to get rid of it. Just so we can help out with other queries, would you mind putting your location in your profile - thanks.

[Magicchivz]

Hello all!

I’ve just joined this community. I have recently taken on allotment in Cardiff. Looking forward to hearing about everybody’s experiences and advice on here.

I also have a problem with Mare’s tail. I took on the plot in April and although cultivated in recent years it had been left to go. Wood frames from previous tenant were still in place but it was completely over grown with mainly couch grass. In the last month or so, the mares tail has appeared and its everywhere. At first I was dreading the task ahead but after reading up on it (My plot suffers from drainage problems which I’m resolving – so knew this was good breeding ground for Mare’s tail) and through the last few weeks experiences its not as much as a problem as I first thought it would be.

I haven’t used any sprays. I’ve just turned the ground over and pulled it out. I’ve noticed (or it feels to me) that Mare’s tail does seem to be as hard work as other weeds like bindweed and couch as its just one long root and by turning the ground its bee fairly easy to remove a lot of it. The areas I have turned over and planted in haven’t really had any return of the stuff. I get the odd tail coming through but as part of the weekly weeding I just put a hand fork under and pull it out. So far so good.

Granted its not fast. And its digging! But about half of the plot has been turned over and its not rushing back yet. I think the key is getting all (or as much of) the long root as possible. I’m I read somewhere that it seems to have two successions. Cutting back early in the season will see a come back after July?

I may be in for a shock return – but at the moment it seems to be working and the ‘down’ bit of looking at the plot covered in it has subsided…

[Yorkie]

using a product ... which is sold as a concentrate.

AG is a product which can only be used lawfully by professionals.  What you choose to do in your own garden is, of course, a matter for you - but on this forum we ask and expect members only to suggest solutions which are lawful for amateurs to adopt.

No reason for you to know this already as you're a newbie to the site 

[TimGuyUK]

Ouch, that looks like hard work. I certainly didn't mean to make light of your efforts! I made the decision to build raised beds when I got my half plot, apart from one area that I use for squash. It's been the best choice I ever made. The beds are more productive (in my experience) than open ground so you don't lose any growing space and they're easy to week as you can get to every part without treading on the soil.

Ha no problem..

I too want raised beds and if I can find enough scafording planks that's what Ill attempt to do.

Back part I went for it again start of last week and so far it hasn't come back. As others have said, get the tail when its above the ground and its weak while it trys to restore its power from the sun so attacking it then has stop it. Of course like you say its under there.

Digging will have to be the order of the day this winter and Ill try and work my way down.

Keep at it all fellow 'Tail'ers'

[Thrutchington]

Ok thanks for this tip, wasn't aware.