Topic: I'ts Back! AaaaaH!

[bennettsleg]

The photos make me understand what you're going through.  Mum had a "loggery" in the garden where horsetail grew and I loved the stuff, still do. It's fascinating.  And you're right, it isn't trying for world domination on my plot.

[SMP1704]

A touch of insomnia this morning :(

thought I would update you on the horsetail saga.  My plan to suppress it under cardboard and add compost/soil, making a bed on top of it was working well.......doing a spot of light weeding between the lettuces and noticed.......couldn't believe it.....horsetail shoots.

This is beyond persistent and I'm running out of ideas and motivation.  No wonder it has survived since pre-historic times >:( >:(

Any ideas??

[saddad]

Speak to your site manager and keep an eye out for an easier plot coming available? (The cowards way out I know but you have proved you are not a fair weather allotmenteer). As treasurer of a private site we would prefer to see a managed move than loose a keen gardener!

Stick with it, it has put a lot of effort into coming up and if it doesn't live long enough to rebuild the energy stores you will win in the end. Remember it is a weed of uncultivated land! The longer you work it the less you will see, I know it doesn't seem like it right now!

 :( :'(

[SMP1704]

Ahh, Saddad if only.......a Site Manager.  This is a council run site and they have a deliberate, if unadmitted, policy of non-intervention.  There is a plot, two up from me that is totally overgrown but just with couch, the council say it is taken, but  - I'm thinking of squatting ;D

Thanks for the support - I know keep diggin' and weedin'......sigh

[bennettsleg]

There is a plot, two up from me that is totally overgrown but just with couch, the council say it is taken, but  - I'm thinking of squatting ;D

No-no-no-no-no! Not squatting! It's known as becoming an Allotment Elf! ;)

[SMP1704]

but I'd be a really friendly and helpful Allotment Elf ;D ;D

I'm fairly sure that the plot is rented by a local school for boys with 'challenging behaviour'.  Charlie, our lottie neighbour reckons it was the boys that burnt down the shed and since then the plot has be untended.

I thought I'd give the secretary a call and find out what she knew...............

[euronerd]

I've heard that if you have it on your bit of land it's all part of one big plant, so if that's the case there doesn't seem to be much choice but to live with it. On the bright side, when I took over my plot it was overrun with the stuff. Eight years on, with no more than average care, it's hardly a problem, giving credence to the claim that it prefers uncultivated conditions. I haven't killed it, it's just gradually relocating to find a more suitable place to reproduce, i.e. the next plot. ;D Btw there seems to be two distinct breeds - horsetail is not the same as marestail, or at least their Latin names are quite different, if anybody can be bothered to look it up (I think mine's the one that ends in 'arvensis'). Whatever it's called, it hasn't gone away by reading about it.

Geoff.