Author Topic: Horsetail / Marestail  (Read 6998 times)

digmore

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 220
Horsetail / Marestail
« on: August 27, 2011, 06:58:44 »
Having had little to do with this plant over the years, it has suddenly cropped up on our site this year. Almost taking over two neighbouring plot and appeared on another plot 50 metres away.

From information available on the web and through books, what a marvel of nature this plant is. I had the good fortune to be at the Southport flower show last week when David Bellemy and Sir Roddy lewellyan where asked the question as to getting rid of Horsetail [Horsetail grows on land and Marestail in water].

Sir Roddy said pave over and Bellemy said move.  Not much help there.

Has anyone had any experience of using Kurtail formally knows as Kibosh?

Many thanks
Digmore

claybasket

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 677
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2011, 19:37:32 »
the council were we live ,sent out leaflets with info on this monster,the roots travel so deep that you cant dig them up and they are black in coulor ,every council should sent out warnings on it and the awful liverwart,which you shouldn't touch with you hands it has a poison.

ceres

  • Global Moderator
  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,140
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2011, 20:06:12 »

Has anyone had any experience of using Kurtail formally knows as Kibosh?

Many thanks
Digmore

You're asking in the wrong place.  These products aren't legally available for purchase or use by amateur gardeners.  You need to find a forum where professional groundsmen or equivalent with the appropriate training and certification hang out.

ceres

  • Global Moderator
  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,140
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2011, 11:30:36 »
The only source of accurate information on the legal use of pesticides is the CRD.  They have searchable databases on their website:

http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/home.asp

Borlotti

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,483
  • Ryde
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #4 on: August 28, 2011, 11:37:09 »
Learn to live with it, chop it cut it but it still keeps coming.  I have made friends with it, and the vegs still grow, so don't worry too much about it.  I used to dream about it but now I just live and let live.

pigeonseed

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,793
  • Hastings
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #5 on: August 28, 2011, 14:19:23 »
Yes I've found it doesn't seem to worry the veg. It gets a little lighter if you keep hoeing it out.

One of my neighbours gets so angry with it, he sprays his plot with herbicide and it looks like a desert with some veg poking through. But the horsetail still keeps coming!  :)

star

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 4,070
  • Northampton, sm greenhouse, heated propagator
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2011, 20:43:55 »
Hmmm its a thug allright. Apparently you need to break the waxy cuticle, by squashing the aerial parts , then apply a herbicide. Very laborious but possibly therapeutic.... if you're a masochist  ;D

Very difficult if not impossible to eradicate......  :(
I was born with nothing and have most of it left.

digmore

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 220
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2011, 21:27:15 »
Thanks everybody,

Been industrious, and worn the keys out on the PC also chatting around and about.

We have decided to, as the crops clear, burn off any above surface weeds. Cover the half plot with 2 sacks of lime and start forking in. Clearing any roots as we go. Cover the plot over with sheeting and wait till early spring.
Cover again with lime and not to plant potatoes as the drills make hoeing differcult. As any heads of horsetail appear, hoe off and remove from site, keeping this up throughout the year. If the info is correct the horsetail will seek other light/light source and appear elsewhere.

Fingers crossed

Digmore ::)

bionear2

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 155
  • Wigston, Leics
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2011, 18:13:14 »
One of our allotment neighbours uses strong glyphosate applied in a stiff wallpaper paste, having allowed the "leaves" to grow to about 4 to 5 inches.
He thinks, after 3 years, that he may be winning.......
Why plant rows of 24 lettuces??

digmore

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 220
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2011, 20:48:56 »
Thanks for the input Bionear2, came across similar solution from a chap in St Helens. Once in a while great minds think alike  :) Came across a guy who uses Kibosh at £28 a half litre. Also Deeproot has the same chemicals in it but not as concentrated. Also, believe it or not concentrated chip shop vinegar, watered down and mixed with washing up liquid to make it stick.

With all these ideas, I wonder why the so called experts shy away from the problem ?

Digmore

gazzaroo

  • Quarter Acre
  • **
  • Posts: 71
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2011, 18:42:40 »
hi all...iv posted some pitchers in my profile  of my attempt's to kill of my horsetail,, iv had my plot for 2 years now and we have it every were...
it was up to my nee,s when a took the plot on,..
i asked the older gardeners on how to get rid off it,,and all they said was you cant,
so id hunted the web for answers..and fond the web site WWW.PROGREEN.COM...and got some kertail weed killer,, it works ok, and kills it dead. but it still comes back..but less of it..i now mix roundup and kertail with asda vinger ,,,,works mint.     

chriscross1966

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 3,764
  • Visionhairy
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2011, 22:57:32 »
I've pretty much eradicated it at home with one simple rule.... if I see any I stop what I'm doing and pull it out, then go back to what I was doing.... there was a fair amount alst year, a lot less this year, in a couple of years time there won't be any.... I've got rid of it before and not had it come back, jus tbe vigilant/brutal.....

Rooter

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Horsetail / Marestail
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2012, 09:22:53 »
Horse Tail is as bad as everyone says - a complete nightmare. On the subject of mares - Mares Tail is the common name for an aquatic weed but is mistakenly used for the more common Horse Tail. I am able to use Kurtail and will use it this spring on a badly infested garden so will report back on success or otherwise - I don't hold out much hope! Until then I will be trying to control it by physical means, which needs persistance. I know a former head gardener at Castle Howard stately home and he said that continual hoeing in shrub beds over a number of years finally killed it off in those areas. I have dug areas down to two spade depths and meticulously removed every bit of root I could find. The first year was virtually clear (some growth from roots on the edge under adjacent paths), second year it started back with a vengance! Digging deep and removing roots every two years would achieve limted control and would provide vigorous excercise!!
« Last Edit: January 12, 2012, 09:24:52 by Rooter »

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal