Grow Your Own Magazine

Can anyone offer any advice on how I can rid my plot of "mares tail"? I took on my allotment the end of last summer and it was 6ft tall in weeds! It's now mostly under control, but I have this mares tail everywhere...

not a lot you can do.had it in my old plot got told by an old timer to keep on hoeing it down,will eventually die ?,

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I tried digging it out last year but that didnt seem to work, so I've resorted to hoeing it hopefully that will eventually get rid of it then...

as soon as you see it hoe it ,might take a while.like a lot of weeds it puts a lot of energy into growing the top so if you keep cutting the top of it should die hopefully ?

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Welcome to the Vine Fastlearner. There is no way to get rid of Mare's tail. It's impossible to dig it out - the roots go all the way to Austalia and any little bit left will regrow.
It can be kept under control. If you're prepared to spray with glyphosphate, 2 or 3 sprayings will lessen its impact. Otherwise just keep hoeing the tops off.
Covering with membrane (or anything else ) doesn't work. It just grows sideways and comes up outside the covered area.
Sorry if this sounds negative - but the stuff is a major problem.
The only thing I found worked was road salt - but the stuff was growing in the road, but this would stop anything from growing.
Hope you can find a way.

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

i havent tried napalm yet!

Deep root sorts out marestail I had a plot that was covered in it, after digging out as much root as posible and having tried the roundup without much success I heard about deep root, I kept a spray of this and when the mares tail showed its self give it a squirt this worked very well and after two years I reckon I am 95% free of the evil weed.

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your advice - I am going to try everything you suggest - twice!! I will let you know how I get on!

One of the guys at the allotments has a plot infested with mares tail! He has built raised beds lined with teram and this seems to keep it at bay in these areas.

Apparently it was brought in with a load of manure the guy on the end plot got delivered. It's taken quite a few years but it's now 5 plots down from the original drop............3 plots away from mine!

Bruising the foliage before treating with weedkiller is the usual recommendation!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)