Marestail eqyisetum spp

[stella]

Anyone tried using this as a plant food like comfry and nettles? I have loads of it so it would be good to put it to some use

[Two_Sheds]

Horsetail? It's apparently rich in potassium, but I've never had enough to try brewing it up. It infests our school's wildlife garden, so if it comes back this spring we can try bottling it up

Marestail is the aquatic plant Hippuris vulgaris

[stella]

It seem it is high in silicates and trace elements dont know if it is safe or not

[Two_Sheds]

Google it Stella ... I would, but I'm rushing out the door right now ...

[di]

Liquid plant fertilizer - Green manure protects the garden

there you go
I noticed it says 'fresh dried plant'...I guess that's to ensure any spores are well and truly dead.

[chris]

I hope now I have chickens that they'll eat it, my garden is overran by the stuff in the summer.

[Flummery]

You can scrunch up the leaves (well, whateve you call them) and use them to scrub pans. Because of the silicates it makes your pans shine! Glad it has a good use because it's a bleddy nuisance!

[stella]

Well at least I shall have a use for it now as hand weeding it all seems a waste of time

[Hilary B]

Horsetail and marestail are 2 different plants. I can never remember what marestail is like, but horsetail was well described by Seymour as "the coelocanth of the vegetable kingdom". It's been around a lot longer than human kind, and will probably outlast us!

[stella]

Didn't know that..... but can they both be used as a plant food as I am not sure which one I have

[Two_Sheds]

I am not sure which one I have

Marestail is the aquatic plant Hippuris vulgaris

hfaldffffhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Polly Fouracre]

I understand that mares-tail can be used as a spray against potato/tomato blight.