What can I do about "mares tail"

[fastlearner]

Can anyone offer any advice on how I can rid my plot of "mares tail"? I took on my allotment the end of last summer and it was 6ft tall in weeds! It's now mostly under control, but I have this mares tail everywhere...

[barrie tough]

not a lot you can do.had it in my old plot got told by an old timer to keep on hoeing it down,will eventually die ?,

[fastlearner]

I tried digging it out last year but that didnt seem to work, so I've resorted to hoeing it hopefully that will eventually get rid of it then...

[barrie tough]

as soon as you see it hoe it ,might take a while.like a lot of weeds it puts a lot of energy into growing the top so if you keep cutting the top of it should die hopefully ?

[Alice]

Welcome to the Vine Fastlearner. There is no way to get rid of Mare's tail. It's impossible to dig it out - the roots go all the way to Austalia and any little bit left will regrow.
It can be kept under control. If you're prepared to spray with glyphosphate, 2 or 3 sprayings will lessen its impact. Otherwise just keep hoeing the tops off.
Covering with membrane (or anything else ) doesn't work. It just grows sideways and comes up outside the covered area.
Sorry if this sounds negative - but the stuff is a major problem.
The only thing I found worked was road salt - but the stuff was growing in the road, but this would stop anything from growing.
Hope you can find a way.

[danski]

i havent tried napalm yet!

[PAULW]

Deep root sorts out marestail I had a plot that was covered in it, after digging out as much root as posible and having tried the roundup without much success I heard about deep root, I kept a spray of this and when the mares tail showed its self give it a squirt this worked very well and after two years I reckon I am 95% free of the evil weed.

[fastlearner]

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your advice - I am going to try everything you suggest - twice!! I will let you know how I get on!

[Snadger]

One of the guys at the allotments has a plot infested with mares tail! He has built raised beds lined with teram and this seems to keep it at bay in these areas.

Apparently it was brought in with a load of manure the guy on the end plot got delivered. It's taken quite a few years but it's now 5 plots down from the original drop............3 plots away from mine!

Bruising the foliage before treating with weedkiller is the usual recommendation!