Cultivating horsetail.

[BigShot]

What!? Surely not! Are you MAD!?!?
Possibly... but hear me out.

I'm going to be trying horsetail as a blight control this year. I think I'll have enough to get by but if it's successful I'm thinking about trying to grow some purely for using against blight (like we sometimes grow comfrey, nettles and other weeds to make things from).

Obviously growing it in the ground is going to lead to 10-foot deep roots and the evil stuff spreading sideways underground too... so I'm not keen on that idea. I'm thinking about growing it in a planter raised off the ground on legs to make sure the roots can't get down into the ground unnoticed.

Can anyone see any issues with this idea?
Do they need deep roots or can they get by with long roots tangled around in shallow soil?
Do they get the silica that's (apparently) useful against blight from somewhere way down? Will a layer of sand or something like that do the job?

It's an idea for next year at the moment as I've still not tried the spray yet (though having just had 4 smith days in a row I wish I had!) but it can't hurt to plan ahead.

[zazen999]

Want a bag of the stuff sending over?

[binley100]

Just a bag? I could send you a trailer full

[Suky]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that growers in France make a 'horsetail tea' like comfrey tea and spray the vines with it. It helps prevent some fungal infections or something...............

[Snadger]

The silicon in it is good for scouring pans as well!

On the subject of importing mares tail, I'm not so sure! Pernicious weeds have a habit of escaping and once you have it in your soil.......you'll ALWAYS have it.

There is none in either of my plots and thats the way I'd like to keep it. If I am given any veg/fruit plants from other plotholders I always examine the rootball thoroughly as it is rampant on our site!

[ginger ninger]

My instinct is to shout "DON'T DO IT" but my curiosity is interested to see if this idea work's...if it does, get ready to patent it mate...you'll could be sitting on a gold mine

[Edith]

Just to say, we have horsetail by the bucket-load, AND blight so bad that we can't grow potatoes (except first earlies), or any tomatoes at all (even legend and ferline are no match for this blight). I know we are not infusing them but at this level of concentration, I'd have thought if they repelled blight there would be some effect...

My understanding was that it worked specifically on the mildew on grapes, not more generally, (source was hardcore biodynamic gardener) but could be wrong! Would be great if an organic cure for tomato blight had been found...

Have read that there are concerns about toxicity of horesetail, which has put me off preparing it in the house (I have 3 kids under 7 so have to be more careful than most)

[Two_Sheds]

I'm going to be trying horsetail as a blight control this year.

Of course it's illegal to prepare your own fertilisers and pesticides

Why don't you try it first to see if it works, before you go infesting your plot (and surrounding ones) with horsetail?

[womble]

Surely you can go and pick a bit of horsetail from the countryside instead of growing some at home? Growing nettles is one thing, growing something else that is all but impossible to get rid of, even in a pot, is maybe not such a good idea.
IIRC, my understanding is that the silica in the horsetail makes a coating on the leaves, which prevents the blight spores from getting a hold, so I would guess the more you spray, the better it is, so get going

[BigShot]

Edith - I don't think it works on a repellent basis but rather by contact. Kinda like having an open packet of dithane alongside onions won't stop mildew but actually spraying it on can... not that I'm using dithane either.
The point about grapes only is interesting. We'll see how that works out.
Thanks for mentioning the toxicity thing too. I'll have a look into it and probably just avoid spraying the fruits (in the case of tomatoes) and stick to the leaves where I can... I dunno if the fruits can be infected directly or if it needs to pass from the leaves, but time will tell (if this works at all).


TwoSheds - Yes, I'm aware of that... but this is just for informational purposes. I wouldn't dream of actually using it.
How about fungicides?


As for getting horsetail on the plot, well... it's already there, and on all the surrounding ones. Pity, but there you have it. I'd be taking some off the plot and putting it into a planter so if it did escape it would just be joining the others. The only reason I'm thinking of cultivating it in this way is so I can keep cutting it back wherever it shows in my main beds and yet still have a healthy supply ready to make (theoretically make, that is - I wouldn't dream of breaking the law that TwoSheds rightly pointed out ) preparations with.

[Snadger]

Edith - I don't think it works on a repellent basis but rather by contact. Kinda like having an open packet of dithane alongside onions won't stop mildew but actually spraying it on can... not that I'm using dithane either.
The point about grapes only is interesting. We'll see how that works out.
Thanks for mentioning the toxicity thing too. I'll have a look into it and probably just avoid spraying the fruits (in the case of tomatoes) and stick to the leaves where I can... I dunno if the fruits can be infected directly or if it needs to pass from the leaves, but time will tell (if this works at all).


TwoSheds - Yes, I'm aware of that... but this is just for informational purposes. I wouldn't dream of actually using it.
How about fungicides?


As for getting horsetail on the plot, well... it's already there, and on all the surrounding ones. Pity, but there you have it. I'd be taking some off the plot and putting it into a planter so if it did escape it would just be joining the others. The only reason I'm thinking of cultivating it in this way is so I can keep cutting it back wherever it shows in my main beds and yet still have a healthy supply ready to make (theoretically make, that is - I wouldn't dream of breaking the law that TwoSheds rightly pointed out ) preparations with.

Fungiscide comes under the generic term of pesticide!

Geoff Hamilton reckoned that spraying a seaweed solution on all his plants, as well as being a tonic, put a protective coating on the leaves?............. Something I've been meaning to try myself when I get arround to it!

[binley100]

I would like a round tuit as well . Anything to stop the blight

[BigShot]

Here ya go folks...

http://www.ohmenerves.com/wp-content...round-tuit.jpg

Let us know how you get on.


Snadger - I figured as much. Worth an ask for weaseling out of illegality anyway (not that I care a fig for what some stuffed suit in Westminster or Brussels/Strasbourg/Luxembourg thinks about what I do with my veg... I don't think anyone who can't decide their group's location should have any say in any matter though ).

[weekendwellies]

Maybe I should start a pick your own horsetail business for all those who want to use it against their blight. Would save me a big job, that's for sure :

[weekendwellies]

If you are actually serious about this, I would just say, dont let it get to spore stage. There is no stopping it at that point.