Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: harry on April 17, 2014, 17:41

Title: mares tail
Post by: harry on April 17, 2014, 17:41

I have just taken over a second allotment and mares tail has appeared, has anyone managed to eradicate this weed

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: Yorkie on April 17, 2014, 18:04

It's survived since prehistoric times ...  :ohmy:

The advice is to try to pull it up as often as you can.  Try to remove it before the spores are shed.  If you choose to apply weedkiller, bruise the leaves first otherwise it's pointless because the silicone coating prevents absorption.

Never let it see a Sunday, and you will eventually weaken it.

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: Baldy on April 17, 2014, 19:17

Its a swine but can be beaten - or at least controlled - as Yorkie says pull it out as often as you can. I managed to get most out by careful digging and sieving on my old plot. Thankfully don't have it on my current plot...

Cheers,
Balders

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: Headgardener22 on April 17, 2014, 22:36

As well as pulling it up as often as possible, try to improve the soil condition, mares tail likes poor soil so good soil quality discourages it.

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: WirralWally on April 17, 2014, 23:55

Quote from: harry on April 17, 2014, 17:41

. . . . . . .  has anyone managed to eradicate this weed

Keep at it.

I had a plot with marestail all over the place.
Having beavered away at it, and immediately pulled out any I found, I do believe that I am free of it - - - - - after 4 years.

Don't lose heart and you'll win in the end.

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: Eightball on April 18, 2014, 00:21

I have it on both my plots, worse on one. As others have said just keep hoeing it/digging it out whenever you see it.

From my research it seems to like low oxygen and acidic conditions. Hence it rather likes my acidic heavy clay soil. I think improving the conditions will help a lot. I've been adding calcified seaweed and green manures to my beds as well as digging/hoeing the roots whenever I'm at the plot and it does seem to have helped. This is my second year and it doesn't seem as bad as last year.

Also it doesn't seem to like competition. Where I grew potatoes the horsetail was much less prevalent which I assume is from the dense canopy of foliage that the potatoes produce.

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: CDave on April 18, 2014, 06:32

have a look at this:

http://www.pushingupdandelions.co.uk/2013/05/20/horsetail-more-or-less/

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: snowdrops on April 18, 2014, 07:50

Very interesting,thanks for posting.

Title: Re: mares tail
Post by: harry on April 18, 2014, 08:37

thanks for all the replys