horse/marestail !!!

[weekendwellies]

Its everywhere. As much as I hoik it out it blinkin well pops back up again.

Weedkiller may well be resorted to. Not a happy bunny today at all.

[Alison]

I've got tonnes of it too but of the weeds I have it doesn't bother me that much as it doesn't really harm the veggies like bind weed etc does. I just pull out as much as I can everytime I see it and it gradually weakens.

[Polly Fouracre]

It used to be used to control blight at one time, I don't know how effective it was though and I think you had to spray several times a day.

[weekendwellies]

It used to be used to control blight at one time, I don't know how effective it was though and I think you had to spray several times a day.

well the potatoes didn't get blighted last year so maybe there's something to it

Did they make a tea out of it?

[binley100]

I just keep pulling it out and drowning it.

[Two_Sheds]

it's not a very competitive weed and it hates shade. Grow taller plants around it and it will retreat

[Madasafish]

I brush on systemic weedkiller mixed with wallpaper paste..

It dies: almost everything I brush it on does...:-)

[mogs]

I is gonna try the wallpaper trick - what a marvellous idea - been searching high and low for systemic weedkiller gel, and I don't think it exists! Thanks Madasafish I am truly inspired

[weekendwellies]

I brush on systemic weedkiller mixed with wallpaper paste..

It dies: almost everything I brush it on does...:-)

cool idea. there may be a market for that.

[ginger ninger]

It's been round for millions of years so you'll never get rid of it, here's a few fact's about it.

Fact Sheet – Mares tail

[funstuie]

I found this link:

Ammonium Sulphamate Weed Killer Banned!

going on some of the advice on there I ordered some ammonium sulphamate to put on my compost heap from ebay. I went down to the plot on Friday evening and I maanged to spill it on all the mares tail when I was trying to get over to the compost. We shall see how it goes.

[weekendwellies]

hmm good one there funstuie.
I also need some compost accelerator and I was thinking about flame retardant on my edgings. You cant be too careful when you have a fire going on your plot now, can you?

[SarzWix]

Really, I can't see the point in getting het-up enough about it to 'accidentally spill' banned substances on it. It truly has very little effect on your veggies - it doesn't block light and it takes very little water or nutrients because the roots go down up to 2m... You will weaken it eventually by continually pulling it out, but you're not likely to fully eradicate it even with weedkillers.

More info here: Equisetum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
And here: Field horsetail - Weed information - Organic Weed Management

[Two_Sheds]

I also need some compost accelerator...

You already have some: it's called pee

[chris]

Ahh... I wondered what the stuff growing throughout my garden was, and this is it. Weekly I'm pulling clumps of it up. Bloomin stuff!