Huge dilemma on plot

[LjTricky]

Hey all,

I'm currently in somewhat of a bad predicament, namely with horsetail. I took over a plot in October 2017 when the horsetail had largely died back and the council had strimmed the entire plot so I had no idea how bad the level of infestation was. I've now seen (to my horror) that my plot is starting to look like a prehistoric jungle. There isn't a single square foot that isn't riddled with horsetail, and it's a fairly large plot at over 1000 square feet. I'm also in what you'd call a Sunk Cost Trap, I'd heavily invested in building a large chicken coop and run for my 6 hens in January this year, so giving up the plot is completely not an option for me (I've wanted chickens for years and an allotment is my only chance to keep them).

After extensive reading into it I've discovered that horsetail is nigh on indestructible. I'm looking for advice on how best to contain it so it doesn't spread further to other plots. I'm willing to cover the whole plot in membrane or polythene indefinitely (years if necessary) but I'm also on a budget like all allotment holders.
Any advice would be incredibly appreciated.
Many thanks.

- Lewis

[Martin H]

The (only) good thing about horsetail is that it doesn't interfere very much with the growth of other plants. So I would keep digging out as much of the roots as possible when an area doesn't have crops, and keep the top growth hoed off during the growing season. It will gradually get weaker and weaker.

Try not to stress about it too much.

[JMCKG]

I’m a no dig allotmenteer. Also had this problem when I started 5 years ago, although not as bad as yours sounds. I cut everything down, covered all beds etc. with a thick layer of cardboard and newspaper, added Council compost, manure, etc. I still get some coming through but not nearly as bad as 5 years ago due to pulling it out when spotted. It will gradually weaken.as has been said don’t despair.

[Thelma Sanders]

It's more noticeable in the spring when there has been little cultivation, but once you start you will notice it slowing down.
They say "never let it see a Sunday" - in other words hoe the tops off of it every week and eventually it will weaken and you will have less work to do. When you dig or fork over any ground also pull up any roots you see.

[Bill Door]

Hi LjTricky. yes it is a tricky problem. Never had it myself (fingers crossed, touching wood etc.). However, apart from the info above I have also read somewhere that if you "feed" the soil well that will also inhibit the growth. So I would recommend adding as much manure as you can get, subject to the requirements of the crops you want to grow (cabbage and root crops in particular).

Anyway best of luck and don't allow it to get to you.

Bill

[nickdub]

either go down to the recycling-center and see if they'll let you have a humongous load of cardboard and try to starve it out (obviously you'll need to cut the tops of before you put it down), or buy a rotovator and aim to try to rotovate the whole lot every week or so over the summer.

I'd probably go the cardboard route because rotovators are noisy and expensive, however as has been said that way is going to require perseverance - 5+ years being a rough estimate.

As an incentive to see what can be done I'd suggest forking over a v small plot really well and growing a bit of salad stuff just to cheer things up and have a crop to go alongside the hard work.

[lottie dolly]

Our plot is infested with it,most things is no bother as long as you have a,if you can,a daily hoe off,things like carrots and beets still grow,but you will need to hand weed,if you leave the green trimmings on the soil top it will dry up,only the roots will resprout,

[Mr Bones]

It's said to prefer acidic soil and poor drainage so maybe look into that as well. Good luck and as others have said, try not to let it get you down.

[Snoop Puss]

Like everyone says, it isn't the end of the world. I have loads in places. I just keep chopping it off. It hasn't stopped the other weeds growing, so it's unlikely to stop your crops from growing.

Stick to the same plans as you had before, just hoe it off like any other weed. Most of all, make sure you don't let it spread any spores. The other plot holders will know what the plot was like before you took it on. So long as you keep growth above ground under control, nobody is going to look askance at you.

If you have any ground not under cultivation, starve it of light by keeping it covered up. Cardboard is good, like nickdub says, and will gradually turn to humus.

Don't let it stop you enjoying your plot or your chickens. There are lots of threads about it on the forum. Penellype has started a thread on her plot. She suffers from the same problem but is still going gangbusters at getting her plot underway:
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ent_95455.html
It's a very long thread (42 pages) but shows what can be done. Overall, though, the upshot is don't let it get you down and carry on.

Lastly, hello and welcome to the Vine. Hope you get lots of pleasure from your plot and chooks and have a great growing year.

[Bluenowhere]

Our site has horsetail, one side very much worse than the other.

I’ve got it in one bed. As others have said it’s an annoyance rather than an impediment to growing.

I saw it but had no idea what it was, the other plot holders did and have been very helpful with advise and understanding so I’d be very surprised if yours were any different as chances are the neighbouring plot holders have or still are dealing with it themselves so efforts on your side well reduce the spreading back to theirs.

The roots go deep (I dug/pulled out one over two foot long, directly down - out of curiosity as to how deep they went and didn’t get it all - I was digging out couch grass roots as well so needed some fun!). As others have said, chop off all the top growth asap. If you aren’t growing anything yet you can use a strimmer or shears rather than a hoe before it produces spores. Collect up all the ferns and dispose of. Don’t compost in case of spores.

Cover what you aren’t going to cultivate. Then in the area you want to grow dig out as much root as you can. You won’t get it all by any means but my theory is the more root/stalk it has to grow to get to the surface the more it gets weakened. Then as soon as you see a sprout in your bed hoe it off or pull it out - I hoe if the rest of the weeds in the bed are annual or pull if I’m already on my hands and knees dealing with other perennial weeds or deep rooted things.

After a year I now get noticeably weaker sprouts so it must be working. Can appreciate that on a whole plot it seems daunting but as others have said it’s not a reason to give up your clearly much looked forward to plot.

[1Bee]

Just what everyone else has said! Don't panic! Dig and remove, cover, hoe... it all weakens it. I co-exist with horsetail quite happily now, although I was despairing when I first took on my plot.

Good luck.

[bikermike]

what everyone else said - don't be disheartened, it's a pain but liveable with)
Can you use the chickens to your advantage? can they eat it? (or at least disturb it).

On thing that always makes it particularly disheartening at the start is that it responds to being picked at first by coming back with more (thinner) stalks. So as you clear the plot. it's first to come back. But if you can get those, it's wasted a lot of energy.

I'd also suggest dividing into areas. Those you aren't using, cover - especially paths etc - an area where it can't stick it's head up seems to slow it down. Also, defined areas make it easier to weed. Mowing grass will keep it from getting too much out of any grassed areas too.

Remember the purpose of the plot is to grow veg, not pull up marestail! don't spend all your time focusing on that.

[astevens4]

Horsetail is tough, but not as tough as chooks! Make yourself up a portable run, and let your ladies loose on it in stages. They will not only destroy it, but poop it right back out to fertilise your plot for you!

Tony

[keat63]

We also have small patches of this.
Being new to the allotment scene, neither of us knew what this was until Dad turned up.

I told him, it looked like a mini conifer.

I've tried Glysophate on it, and actually double dosed it yesterday.
Covering with carboard is my next plan, until harvest time where i'll try and dig up what I can.

[Jay-ell]

Weedkiller has virtually no effect on it because it has a thich silica rich skin which doesn't let the weedkiller penetrate. I've read that you're supposed to give it a good thwacking with a bamboo to brake this skin before applying the weedkiller.

On the other hand that silica rich skin means that it's great for cleaning brass - act like a gentler wire wool.

As plants need silica having this concentrated plant based source (as opposed to chunks of quartz) can be beneficial if you compost it down.

Horsetail roots go down about 2m so it's scavenging nutrients that may not be available to your crops. Get a bucket with a lid (or several to make an on going supply), pack it full of as much horsetail you can ram into it then cover with water and put the lid back on. It'll drown, rot down and leave you with a nice plant feed to pep the crops up with. Starting a bucket every week or fortnight gives you an ongoing supply.