Horsetail is a herbaceous plant that is particularly difficult to eliminate from your garden, owing to its deep roots that induce regrowth from even a small bit of root. Most growers can eradicate the horsetail weed using a number of approaches if they are persistent. Herbicides can be successful if used regularly until the roots are exhausted, or you can adjust the ground conditions in your garden to make it unpleasant for horsetail weeds to thrive. In this article, you will learn how to get rid of horsetail weed.
What are Horsetail Weeds?
Over 40 ancient plant species belong to the horsetail weed group (Equisetum spp.), which is closely connected to the fern family. Horsetail was once the most dominating plant on the planet, and it was claimed to have grown to enormous proportions. This perennial plant now comes in two varieties. One kind is called “scouring rush,” and it lacks leaves in favor of hollow, jointed stems.
This plant was once thought to be non-obnoxious and was widely utilized. The stems of this horsetail shrub were formerly used to wash pots and pans by early settlers. The stems were used to polish wood by English furniture makers. Around hinged and hollowed stems, the second form of horsetail plant has many thin, green jointed shoots.
Its look is similar to that of a horse’s tail, and it is frequently referred to as a “mare’s tail.” Ancient cultures also utilized horsetail to control bleeding and cure wounds. Horsetail is a permanent, flowerless plant that, if eaten in sufficient quantities, may be extremely harmful to animals, particularly horses. Horsetail spreads by the wind-carried spores. Horsetail grows in ditches, near ponds, along sides of roads, in meadows, and even in the yard.
How to Get Rid of Horsetail Weed?
Horsetail may be found in ditches, along highways, around ponds, and even in fields, but it can also make its way into your garden. It’s not simple to get rid of horsetail weed in yards and other sections of the landscape. Horsetail weed may be a serious nuisance in gardens due to its extensive root system and rhizomes. There is no specialized weed killer for horsetails, and many chemical solutions are ineffective.
It may be feasible to dig the piece up by the roots in limited regions. It is critical to eliminate all roots, otherwise the weed will regrow. Stifling the plant with a big sheet of plastic is another technique for management. Allow at least one gardening season to pass before removing the plastic. Under the tarp, the weeds should perish.
Preventing this weed from spreading over your garden is the most effective technique. Improve any portions of your landscaping that don’t drain effectively, and keep replanting around horsetail to a bare minimum to avoid spreading the spores.
How to Get Rid of Horsetail Weed Conclusion?
Horsetail weeds should not be pulled from the stems or dug out by the roots. Check what is the best weed killer UK before removing the stalks only results in new shoots, whereas digging leaves microscopic fragments of root that will sprout.
To destroy the weeds, don’t cover them with plastic or bark mulch. Horsetail grows in a warm, damp, anaerobic environment, which is created by these elements.
Glyphosate should not be used within a half-mile of potable water sources.
The rotting vegetation can diminish amount of dissolved oxygen when removing horsetail from a pond. To prevent harming fish, consider spraying herbicides in parts. Applications are spaced two weeks apart. The consequences of decomposition can be mitigated by adding oxygenation to the water.
