[sea dog]

I am posting this question on behalf of a friend who does not have accsess to the internet.
He has just taken on a new plot spent a week putting up rabbit fence then started digging only to come across mares tail which he had on a previous plot. he is very disheartened and wounders if any body has had any success if so what method was adopted :?:
Thanks fror any replies in advance

[Aunt Sally]

We had a lot of mares tail on our plot but have it under control now.

We dug out as much root as we could (and still do each time we dig) and are religious with the hoe ie. Never let it (the mares tail) see a Sunday  

I doesn't like competition either so reasonable close planting helps.

[Yorkie]

Mares tail is a prehistoric organism and thus will be here millennia after we are!

If your friend is organic, there is no alternative to regular digging and hoeing.  Other posters recommend not letting it get above (I think) 3" high before hoeing it off.

If your friend is prepared to use weedkiller, he will have to wait until spring when the plant is growing more strongly so it absorbs the chemical into the system.  However, mares tail does have a silica-based coating which needs to be crushed first - by bruising, rubbing it with gloves etc - or the weedkiller will simply run off without making any impact.

[richyrich7]

hey have very long roots so you can't dig them out completely. Our garden had loads of it and ground elder when we moved in, it's very brittle so easy to hoe off or pull up, be persistent and he will win it's just a slow process.  

[Aidy]

it's just a slow process.  

   longer than a life time I reckon.

[richyrich7]

it's just a slow process.  

   longer than a life time I reckon.

Nah it's gone in my garden, not seen any for about 2 yrs now. We have been here 18yrs or so tho'  :roll: