Grow Your Own Magazine

We are new to allotment gardening,and this forum, so any advice on the controversial methods of ridding ourselves of mares tails would be useful. I've heard cover and leave for a year!

We have it and may have to learn to live with it, but would like tips from the old hands please.

I asked about this recently, to summarise the replies I got:

Pull up and dispose of (i.e. in bin, not on compost heap). Try to pull up some root with it. Do this frequently (weekly). Do not hoe - each bit left behind will grow.

You can use Glyphosphate (e.g. Roundup) but this will have limited effect; the waxy coat of the plant prevents effective absorption. Beating with the back of a spade, to bruise the plant, and then use Glyphosphate may help - others said that when bruised the plant just diverts its energises elsewhere, so waste of time & money!

I reckon it is worth doing the Glyphosphate thing, waiting a week for it to be absorbed, and then pulling the tops off

ammonium sulphamate crystals (sold as 'Deep Root' by 'Growing success') reputedly has better effect than Glyphosphate

Covering with woven mulching sheet may not work, the shoots may manage to grow through.

I think Deep Root has recently been taken of the market.
Mare's tails are probably the most difficult weed of all. They have roots all the way to Australia and any little bit will grow.
Jane I think the best you can do is spray with Glyphosphate. You will have to do it regularly as it keeps them under control but doesn't get rid of them.
It's hopeless trying to bruise them. You just get bits everywhere.
I think the Glyphosphate does work better if you wet them with soapy water first.
Good luck.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Our allotment is riddled with Horsetail. In my experience, glyphosate has very little effect We have come to the conclusion that it's best to just pull it up wherever/whenever possible, and not to worry about it the rest of the time. It actually takes very little from your plants - it casts little shade & has roots from here to the centre of the earth so isn't taking much immediate nutrition from your plants. Apparently it prefers unworked, badly drained/compacted ground so just by digging & improving your soil, it will be at a disadvantage. You may never fully get rid of it, but you will certainly weaken it. Oh, and I discovered last year, don't pull it up from your onion bed - it'll upset the onion roots & then they will bolt (go to seed)

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

J
If when you start digging the plot you take spits out that are about six inch thick, spade depth, turn them, break them and pick out every bit out root that you see you will have broken the back of the marestail, this is what I did on my plot I then kept a spray full of deep root ( I got a couple of packets from homebase about three weeks ago) and every time a shoot appears I gave it a squirt, I went from a plot covered in marestail to a plot with an odd bit here and there, lot of work but worth it.

These might helpRoyal Horticultural Society - Advice: Controlling field horsetail and

Fact Sheet – Mares tail

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The greatness comes not when things go always good for you,but the greatness comes when you are really tested,when you take,some knocks,some disappointments;because only if youv'e been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

weve got loads of the bloody stuff as well ,I just pull it up and try to get rid of the roots as best as I can.Its a prehistoric weed and has been known to grow through tarmac! keep at it and you,ll probably lessen its invasiveness.