[AmandaLouise]

My beds are still full of mares tail.  It is taking us a full day to rid of one bed, to then have to redo again and again.  We turn the soil over all the time and it is still coming fast.

I am succumbing to a weedkiller now, how would it work though as I dont have any leaves to treat.  The weeds are hiding under the soil.

[mumofstig]

weedkiller has very little effect on marestail 
I wouldn't turn the soil over, just hoe the tops off as soon as it comes through, but you won't get rid of it, just make it a bit less vigorous

[fatcat1955]

weedkiller has very little effect on marestail 
I wouldn't turn the soil over, just hoe the tops off as soon as it comes through, but you won't get rid of it, just make it a bit less vigorous

Weedkiller i.e. Glyphosphate can be used on mares tail but becauce the leaves are waxy you will need to crush them first. Be prepared though to repeat this process up to 4 times. Do not dig or turn over the soil as any piece of root left will grow into another plant. An old saying is "Never let it see a Sunday" Which means that once you have it under control you must hoe the shoots as they appear.

[savbo]

Our beds were full of horsetail when we took the plot. As our 3rd season gets under way, they're still popping up and there are plenty of roots in the beds we're digging - but it's definitely getting easier, and as weeds go, horsetail has relatively little effect on crops should you miss a few....

sav

[AmandaLouise]

Thanks a lot, seems a mixed point of view on the internet.  Some say they like good acid soil, others say they thrive in poor soil.  Some say rotavate and keep hoeing and dont let them see the light and that eventually radicates them.  Others say get to the main root and get the * out, and also paint weedkiller on the tips which will then spread to its root.  Others say Trying to pull them out will shake the spores around for new ones to set......!!!!!!  I believe what everyone on here says as everyone is so experienced and really appreciate the feedback,  I have one bed that was first weeded back in October, and we just never got round to redoing, but now we could really do with it as we are running out of space.  And as I am reweeding the bed today I look at this other bed and think, no more, no more.  Everyone at the lottie says every time they see me I am knelt over weeding, and its getting me down!!!!

I am glad to hear we can still plant crops even if there are some hiding ones, I thought they might choke other crops roots.

[potatogrower]

i can suggest 2 ways to prevent and lessen its affect as i have it too. 1st way is a long process -  snip the green part off and follow the root down a good foot. bruise the black root best you can without snapping it at the soil depth. get roundup and spray it liberally and dip the whole root into the white throth. spray some more if you want and fill the hole with soil. no doubt it will pop through again but not for a long while.

other way is timing the arrival of winter when plants take their juices down to the root to preserve and bruising the green foliage and give it a liberal dressing of roundup in the hope that when it takes its juices down it takes roundup with it and kill the root system off....well that's the idea    i never caught it in time to try this out, as its slowly spreading in my garden

[jimpojimpo]

my allotment is full of this stuff like a network of cable running about a foot down its everywhere i can't pick every single bit out i even threw my spade at it this afternoon and it just laughed at me.

i hate the stuff

quick question if you spray it with (roundup) and then cover the patch and keep repeating will that get rid of the stuff.

cheers jimpojimpo

[Yorkie]

If you just spray it with roundup, without bruising the stems, the chemical is unlikely to have much impact.  The plant has a silica coating which needs to be broken down first in order for the chemical to be absorbed.

[DD.]

I've got, but can't see why people get so het up about it.

As MoS says, just keep the hoe moving, as you should be doing for the other weeds anyway.

[jimpojimpo]

i think people get het up about it cos they are trying to turn a plot in to something of there own and its everywhere. and all they want to do is grow stuff or as me (get busy failing to grow stuff)

i get the stereotypical "still going it at it boy" from the old boy as he walks away from his perfect plot that he's had for 15 years and is covered in black gold.

it just frustrating

cheers jimpo

[DD.]

I've had my current plot for 10 years.

Still got mare's tail. Still hoe it. Still don't get het up about it.

[Lardman]

Are you allowed to call in the professionals to get rid of it?

[DD.]

Brodie & Doyle? 

[Yorkie]

Are you allowed to call in the professionals to get rid of it?

I don't see the point, really.  They'd either use chemicals which would put the plot out of use for 6 months, or strong glyphosate.  This plant is, literally, prehistoric.  It will grow through concrete.  No professional chemical is permanently going to get rid of it.

I'd save the money and take the steps previously advised.

[Paul Plots]

I've had my current plot for 10 years.

Still got mare's tail. Still hoe it. Still don't get het up about it.

Hoe, hoe, hoe.  Good advice DD.

We have the stuff in a new garden and I'm sure it's been there for years and will be there for years after I've moved on. Looks quite pretty in the lawn before the mower swipes the top off.

In the flowerbeds... I'll keep hoe-hoeing.
In the veg plot.........the same.