On 30/07/2019 09:12, Muddymike wrote:
Hi Folks
We are settling in well at the new house enjoying the blossoming of new
(many unknown) flowers appearing every month. The previous owners were
indeed great gardeners apart from allowing the dreaded horsetail to
spread throughout the vegetable and fruit cages.

Any advise on positively controlling it appreciated.

Pull every one you see out with as much root as possible and before it
has time to get any bigger. The aim is to drain the roots of energy. It
is very definitely a war of attrition.

Bruising it and applying over diluted glyphosate gel (to get a slow kill
that translocates deeper into the roots will help). But if the
conditions are suitable for horsetail you will probably never get
completely rid of it. I don't have it in my garden (yet).

It was in my parent's garden and the plants I pinched from there are
presently in quarantine to avoid bring it in. One pot was contaminated.

It seem to me like it is a real nuisance on sandy soils.

We also have recently learned that those interesting tall plants with
pink flowers that grow all along the stream are Himalayan Balsam! Never
heard of that before, but now know we should be pulling it up before
this years crop flowers.

It is essential to zap it before it sets seed. The flowers are quite
nice (think bizzy lizzy on steroids) with a sweet honey perfume. It is
incredibly invasive on the banks of water courses - pernicious weed.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown