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  • #1

    Horsetail and soil ph

    Hi grapes

    I have heard that if you want to get rid of horsetail you shouldn't try to dig it up: that won't work, because the roots go down for 30 cm , go horizontally for meters at a time, go 30 cm deeper, go horizontally for meters at a time, go 30 cm deeper, go horizontally for meters at a time - and this layering continues to a depth of about 2.5 meters. What you have to do is reduce soil acidity. Give it a 7 or even 8 ph and watch the horsetail go away.
    Can anyone tell me the best way of altering the ph of an allotment in the cheapest most effective way. I have also heard that horsetails contain lots of potassium. Tomatoes need lots of potassium.
    I would appreciate all your thoughts on this
    Thanks

    “If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.”

    "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Charles Churchill : A dog will look up on you; a cat will look down on you; however, a pig will see you eye to eye and know it has found an equal
    .
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  • #2
    Don't know about the ph theory, I do know that it goes a long way down and can't be dug out. If you keep pulling the top off as soon as it appears you will eventually weaken the plant to extinction, but that will take several years. I believe that some people have had good results with green manures and mulches but don't know which particular green manures. Yes you can make a plant food with it but it is better if it is made in conjunction with either comfrey or nettles. It is also good as a spray against rust disease.

    Ian

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    • #3
      My soil is Ph7 -7.5 and i've got Marestail everywhere!!!
      Nestled somewhere in the Cambridgeshire Fens. Good soil, strong winds and 4 Giant Puffballs! https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...lies/smile.gif
      Always aim for the best result possible not the best possible result       https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ilies/wink.gif
      Forever indebted to Potstubsdustbins https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...lies/smile.gif

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      • #4
        It doesn't like shade. In my garden when I first bought the house (6 years ago) it was all that grew. My garden is now so densely planted in the borders it rarely pops up its head. Different story I know on the lottie, I have a few bits here and there. Never heard of the PH theory though. I've found it's the only thing that works really. Sorry if that isn't much help to you.
        Last edited by MrsC; 11-07-2009, 08:31 PM.

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        • #5
          Hoeing it off constantly definitely weakens it. My soil Ph tends slightly towards alkaline though, and it makes little difference - if you make it too alkaline it might discourage the horsetail, but your veggies won't be too keen either! (except the brassicas)
          It's also said that it prefers uncultivated & compacted ground, so any cultivation will put it off too.
          Main thing is to not get too stressed about it - I haven't noticed any of my veg particularly suffering because of it. I think because the roots go so deep, it doesn't really take much away from them in terms of water and nutrients, and it doesn't really cast a shade either. Just get it out as you can whilst weeding, hoeing and digging, and concentrate your efforts on the ones which are troublesome like the docks and dandelions, nettles and brambles.

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          • #6
            and couch grass and bindweed

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            • #7
              I agree with Sarzwix, out allotment has quite a bit and we dig up / pull what we can but it'll always be there. Yet the crops seem to be doing well. Its the slugs, snails, wireworm and pigeons we are fighting!!

              Our neighbour says he has used a strong herbicide like round up, applied directly as a wipe and he reckons the quantity of horsetaile is significantly less this year. Depends on how organic you want to be I guess.

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              • #8
                Apparently you can use marestail to making a strengthening hair rise. It is very high in silicon which is good for the hair. How to Make Homemade Hair Rinses. We never get it in my garden but when I lived in the west country as a child it grew everywhere even on limestone (alkali soils).
                Cider, Vegetables and Sussex sustainability blogged at www.ciderhousepress.com

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Jerryfb View Post
                  Apparently you can use marestail to making a strengthening hair rise. It is very high in silicon which is good for the hair. How to Make Homemade Hair Rinses. We never get it in my garden but when I lived in the west country as a child it grew everywhere even on limestone (alkali soils).
                  With the silicon in it it's also good as a pan scourer!
                  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)

                  Diversify & prosper


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                  • #10
                    Thanks for your replies grapes.
                    The shade theory wont work on the lottie as it is a fairly open and sunny site.
                    There is a bit of shade as I am in a corner and one side has a garden fence which is to the south-west of the plot.
                    But this provides only a small amount of shaded ground.
                    I guess I will follow your advice to not get too stressed about it and hoe and pull as I see it.
                    The trouble is I am fairly new to allotmenting on a plot which hasn't been used for cultivation before and I am still clearing overgrown ground.
                    When I pull on a root it gets to an undug part and breaks off.

                    If it doesn't affect the crops as you say, then I will learn to live with it.

                    As far as the tomatoes goes, would I have to dig up the horsetail roots and do something with it or could the tomatoes planted in a horsetail area benefit directly from being with the horsetail.

                    “If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.”

                    "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

                    Charles Churchill : A dog will look up on you; a cat will look down on you; however, a pig will see you eye to eye and know it has found an equal
                    .

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                    • #11
                      I have horsetail in my garden - from the new neigbour as she does not control her infestation like her predecessor did.

                      It's in the alkali and shady area, and has crept forward and widthways about 5 foot this year, which is the thing that is fussing me.

                      Digging doesn't work, pulling with a bit of root can do but does not stop the forward spread. Weedkiller stops it going forward so much but does not really kill it.

                      How does it get a foot high without you noticing it there? That's what really bugs me, it seems to spring up overnight.

                      At least bindweed responds to weedkiller........

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                      • #12
                        when i chose my half plot i was un aware of the amount of horsetail on my half. i have more in a square foot than my neibough has on her entire half! we whent on holls for a week and came back to jurassic park!!!! supose w'eve just got to live with it. and maybe in about ten or so years i might be horse tail free(fingers crossed)....

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by simmo116 View Post
                          when i chose my half plot i was un aware of the amount of horsetail on my half. i have more in a square foot than my neibough has on her entire half! we whent on holls for a week and came back to jurassic park!!!! supose w'eve just got to live with it. and maybe in about ten or so years i might be horse tail free(fingers crossed)....
                          Lol.. I was thinking more like 30 years.....

                          “If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.”

                          "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

                          Charles Churchill : A dog will look up on you; a cat will look down on you; however, a pig will see you eye to eye and know it has found an equal
                          .

                          Comment

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