[AmandaLouise]

Absolutely jimpo, I feel all I do is fight with this stuff, I am plagued with it.  Ours takes over a day to do one bed, and then we have to redo again.  Hard when you are working too and have other things to do at home, but want to get it ready for planting.  You cant just hoe ours, as we would never be able to plant anything.  Ours need the roots pulling out, as like you say, it is like underground cable.  So I do empathise and it frustrates me too!

My plan now is to keep digging it out and turning soil, so I can enjoy some planting and growing, as like I say I have done it over and over, and it is still going strong but I guess it is getting better.  I just wanted an easy way out for the next bed!!  when I can see any coming through I am hoeing themIm sure it cant get any worse,

I guess too that covering in winter helps and I understand they dont like well manured soil, so we will get there.  I have got too far to give up now with my plot.  When I am spending a full weekend just pulling mares tail out I want to throw in the towel.  Weeds, I'll give you weeds!!!  see my pics if it works!

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
[/q

[potatogrower]

it is fustrating to keep working at it but it requires patience.

i had japanese weed in my garden and i read its a nightmare to get it removed due to the length of roots. it was slowly making its way into the lawn and i had enough. learnt how it grows, germinates from smallest of roots, it took most of the day but using just a spoon and trowel i managed to trail all the roots carefully to their main huge roots without snapping any and got rid of it. the main knot in the root was at least a 1.5 foot into the soil.  i could only think of one thing that would finish this off, the original creosote. 3 years gone and no sign of it......fingers crossed!

please note at no point i will recommend using original creosote on your plot due to health hazards but you have to get the right method. the method i can think off with marestail is really slowly injecting it in the stem and roots with a syringe and let it work its way around but i haven't tried this. i have the patience and like thinking of wacky ideas but if you haven't got patience then like moderators say just hoe it.

[AmandaLouise]

thanks a lot.  Here is the before and afters of my weeds!  With the evil mares tail hiding for us underneath.  I have been patient but have just felt disheartened on this one.

[potatogrower]

That's quite impressive!

wish i did a before and after   

must have taken you a while?

[AnneB]

We have mare's tail in our plot.   Each time we have prepared a new raised bed, we have dug out all the soil and sieved the lot of it to get rid of the root as far as we can.

It is a hard slog, but worth it.  However, you can't get all of it out, it must be miles below ground - the roots disappear into our clay subsoil.   It is primeval stuff.  So, we are still pulling it up, but in more manageable quantities than before, but it gets a new lease of life in spring.

If you took a plot on not knowing you have mare's tail, I am afraid you are stuck with it and you have my commiserations.  Put some work in at the outset and you can still get good crops though.

[Paul Plots]

AmandaLouise........what a brilliant achievement.

Like all gardenng and allotment growing you can't afford to turn your back on it for long - keep at it.
Looks bootiful. 

[AmandaLouise]

Thanks Paul Plots.  Be nice to just go at the end of a hard week, and not have such a fight with this weed all the time, its for a whole day at a time!  If I didnt work and have two kids I would find it easier.    At least all the others weeds have been tamed.    When we got this plot I was very reluctant but hubby desperately wanted one, if I had known the mares tail was this bad I am not so sure I would of done it.  I am only now being told on the plot how bad it is.... bit late now though.  So we are stuck with it and have to get on with it.  But nothing will stop me getting het up about it I'm afraid!

[Diddy Gardener]

Thankfully no mares tail here, but am blighted with bishop's weed (nasty, underground growing, plant choking nightmare)... one bit left in the ground and you're stuffed. Also have a lot of creeping buttercup too, another nasty. So you have my sympathies 

[jimpojimpo]

What a great way to be able to feel sorry for myself and everyone else. ( love this forum)

i feel a lot better about my plot now.
 
AmandaLouise that looks amazing and its kinda the picture i have of mine when its finished (in my head)

I found a piece of mares tail today that had grown between the joists of wood of my poly tunnel. must have been a gap about 8mm to get through.

cheers jimpo

[Paul Plots]

What a great way to be able to feel sorry for myself and everyone else. ( love this forum)

i feel a lot better about my plot now.
 
AmandaLouise that looks amazing and its kinda the picture i have of mine when its finished (in my head)

I found a piece of mares tail today that had grown between the joists of wood of my poly tunnel. must have been a gap about 8mm to get through.

cheers jimpo

It's doing beautifully well in my greenhouse  If it grows tall enough it might look good in a vase with some cut blooms. 

[prakash_mib]

Me and marestail have one thing in common.
We both visit "MY" plot everyday 

This plant has lived through jurassic age and we are mere mortals. All we can do is to slow them down a bit when we live through our life

[savbo]

an additional thought - I find it very easy pulling up really long horsetail stems from my raised beds - the looser soil allows a lot more to come up. So the presence of horsetail might be another factor in the raised beds or not decision...

sav

[Christo]

Hiya,

As well as digging for England, I've decided to  follow the advice  here   and
Hoe my marestail every week.
My question is, seeing as how pernicious  it is, do I need to pick up all the bits that I cut off? I would have thought so but I reckon I'll lose loads under the soil.

Many thanks.

C

[Kleftiwallah]

I find it better to carefully pull the tails straight up until it gives up and breaks.  That way you get quite a depth of root as well.  With hoeing the tails just spread out from the cut surface, but then again if you have a gurt big raft of the stuff.  .  .Cheers,    Tony.

[SUTTY1]

I would pick up any cuttings rather than take the chance of them springing into life. I agree with tony pulling them up seems to do a better job at keeping it in check.