Best weedkiller for horsetail and bindweed?

[Earthbabe]

Hi I've usually resorted to the Deep Root option which works fairly well as long as you dig afterwards. I've also been told that an infusion of mare's tail makes a good treatment for blight etc. so it may be worth hanging on to some or cutting some off before you spray.

One of our plot holders grows the stuff to sell!! It's starting to be used in cosmetics because of it's silica content and is used by herbalists. Ho hum! Don't think I'll try that in a hurry.

[nick the grief]

Some folks eat snails as well earth babe !! I'm with you on this one

[Snadger]

Old guy on the alottment close to me was a coal miner and swears there were mares tail roots hanging from the roof of mine workings. Sorry to be so negative!

[skegblade]

Piglet

I've just read your posting about buying full strength glysophate on e-bay.
I've found some for sale, but on reading the blurb, it says you need a certificate of competence to buy it. I was wondering if you had any problems buying yours.

[Alice]

I bought some Skegblade and it just came in the post. No problems.

[skegblade]

Thanks for your help Alice; I'll send off for some and blitz the nettles and docks at the top of my lottie, not to mention the dreaded bindweed.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm living in horsetail hell today. I dug it all (lol) out of one bed at school last summer. It was still coming up through the paths and in the other beds and I didn't have time or energy to dig it all, so the school got a 'professional' in to glypho it.

Guess what... it's back. Everywhere. I nearly cried when I pulled up all the cleavers this morning and saw what horror lay underneath, but now I've come home for some Coke, codeine and my proper garden fork.

I'm aiming to get as much root out as poss, one bed at a time, and then immediately get it planted up with something pretty or useful (horsetail isn't a very good competitor and dislikes being shaded out. 53 pumpkins it is then)

Let battle commence

[singleseeder]

Old guy on the alottment close to me was a coal miner and swears there were mares tail roots hanging from the roof of mine workings. Sorry to be so negative!

Snadger, do you know, someone said this to me this morning as I was cursing it!

I know that this thread is a blast from the past, but I wanted to do a bit of a search before I asked everyone for advice.

I am working my way down my 'new' half plot, 3/4 done now, carefully taking out as much marestail root as I can. Most is still bare soil as I am trying to keep it simple this year; beans, courgettes etc still hardening off in the gales at home. Only potatoes and shallots are in.

Any marestail from bits I've missed is dug out as soon as it rears its head again. Hopefully, making the ground more manageable when plant go in.

How do I manage it once the plants go in? There are bits coming up near the shallots which I am carefully pulling up before I hoe, but does hoeing cut the tips off any new growth that is just below the soil? Will these tips regrow the same as bits of roots?

Sorry if this sounds a bit pedantic but it is a new challenge for me and spraying won't be an option till the end of the year/beginning of next. It does come under the fence and across the path from the adjacent plots too, so I know that it will be an ongoing task.

Cheers.

[baldrick]

Our marestail is horrible horrible horrible. When the plants go in you have no option but to dig out the ones between rows by hand or with a hoe, which basically means removing the top bit however deep you trowel or hoe. Dont do whet i have done, which is attempt to maximise space by growing stuff a bit closer together as I cant hoe between my onions now without damaging them. Some plants have become stunted by the damn things and I have just spent a day putting my feet between rows, balancing carefully with the baby in a sling on my chest and my back in half to stop my bum squashing the plants, levering our marestails with a trowel. The plot looks better but i am shaped like a question mark and right off onions......anyone who laughs is in serious trouble...or they would be if I could move! net timw they are going in 6ft apart and being hoed by quad bike!!!

[singleseeder]

When the plants go in you have no option but to dig out the ones between rows by hand or with a hoe, which basically means removing the top bit however deep you trowel or hoe.

Are you saying that I do need to collect up the tips of the marestail after hoeing? I am an avid hoer (is there such a word?) so would be cutting bits off before I know they are there IYSWIM. Is it better to go over the area and dig/pull it out before hoeing?

Still pedantic, sorry.

[baldrick]

Are you saying that I do need to collect up the tips of the marestail after hoeing? I am an avid hoer (is there such a word?) so would be cutting bits off before I know they are there IYSWIM. Is it better to go over the area and dig/pull it out before hoeing?

Still pedantic, sorry.

no youre not pedantic. what we do is fork over where there is space and remove as much entire plant root and all as possible.with less space less space we hoe as much of the tops off as we can and remove it (needs a good sharp hoe)or you can do what i had to yesterday which is trowel it out (not my preferred option)! we fork over and remove roots before planting anything out, even if its only been done in the last day or two, then zap them as soon as they show their faces with a hoe once plants are in. you can leave the tops to die on the soil, but if there is a bit of root on them and it rains they turn into a new plant so we remove what we can and put it in the communal council heap not ours. i wouldnt put it in our heap unless it had dried out well first. our friends rotavate and poison the stuff, and i have to say i think their problem is worse than ours coz you chop one root into 6 and you get 6 heads! they seem pretty resistant to poison so why go to the expense and health risk when you have to become a champion hoer (ha ha my new title!) anyway? Only my opinion though. My opinion would be dig empty beds regularly, remove what you can, leave room for efficient hoeing and do it regularly. Good luck and let me know if you find a better way coz im at war and taking every little christmas tree shaped monster personal now!!!!

[singleseeder]

Thanks Baldrick. That is really helpful. Let battle begin!

[baldrick]

death to the invaders!

[Rixy]

When the mares/horses tail rears its ugly head through my paving slabs or pathways I use something called Kibosh on it. Available from my local allotment society shop it really does what it says on the label.

[Hillwalker]

I use something called Kibosh

It's now called "Kurtail" and is normally very expensive. As the active chemical is glufosinate-ammonium, members might want to try a cheaper option: Wilko Fast Acting Weedkiller 1ltr | Weedkillers | | Weedkillers & Insecticides from Wilkinson Plus

Here's the Kibosh/Kurtail info video: YouTube - ‪Marestail Weedkiller Kibosh from Progreen(1/2)‬‏