I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

The horsetail plants have died back for the winter so it's too late to spray
with weedkiller, but I really want to get the plot dug over, build some
raised beds, gravel paths and whatnot ready for spring.

I'd really like to rototill it with a machine thingy, however, then I'd be
left with a zillion more horsetail plants from the chopped up roots. But
then perhaps I could go in with the weedkiller as they start to grow again
and get on top of them that way.

I don't know what to do. Where do I start?

TJ wrote:
I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.
The horsetail plants have died back for the winter so it's too late to spray
with weedkiller, but I really want to get the plot dug over, build some
raised beds, gravel paths and whatnot ready for spring.
I'd really like to rototill it with a machine thingy, however, then I'd be
left with a zillion more horsetail plants from the chopped up roots. But
then perhaps I could go in with the weedkiller as they start to grow again
and get on top of them that way.
I don't know what to do. Where do I start?

Don't use weedkiller. Please. Horsetail is here to stay. For ever. Pick
it up as it comes through, make sure you dig it out deep. After a
couple of years you'll be on top of it. Like I did. Your most important
weeding time is summer before they set seeds. Think organic and don't
worry about weeds so much but concentrate about the texture of your
soil. Feed it plenty of manure. Good luck and courage with all the
digging!

"TJ" wrote in message
...
I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've
cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced
with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

The horsetail plants have died back for the winter so it's too late to
spray
with weedkiller, but I really want to get the plot dug over, build
some
raised beds, gravel paths and whatnot ready for spring.

I'd really like to rototill it with a machine thingy, however, then
I'd be
left with a zillion more horsetail plants from the chopped up roots.
But
then perhaps I could go in with the weedkiller as they start to grow
again
and get on top of them that way.

I don't know what to do. Where do I start?

Just dig them out methodically, removing every morsel of root as you go.
There is no easy way.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.

The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words:

Don't use weedkiller. Please. Horsetail is here to stay. For ever. Pick
it up as it comes through, make sure you dig it out deep. After a
couple of years you'll be on top of it. Like I did. Your most important
weeding time is summer before they set seeds.

Horsetails don't set seeds, they dissipate zillions of spores.

Think organic and don't
worry about weeds so much but concentrate about the texture of your
soil. Feed it plenty of manure. Good luck and courage with all the
digging!

And remember - unless you want to take 'double digging' to extremes,
horsetail roots can go down seven feet or more, and they'll sneak back
from the surroundings anyway if they like it where they are.

Just dig/pull them out as they appear, and take as much root as you
reasonably can. After a while (FLVO while) the problem will diminish,
but it won't go away.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"TJ" wrote
I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've cleared
it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

The horsetail plants have died back for the winter so it's too late to
spray
with weedkiller, but I really want to get the plot dug over, build some
raised beds, gravel paths and whatnot ready for spring.

I'd really like to rototill it with a machine thingy, however, then I'd be
left with a zillion more horsetail plants from the chopped up roots. But
then perhaps I could go in with the weedkiller as they start to grow again
and get on top of them that way.

I don't know what to do. Where do I start?

We had it on our last allotment. Rotovate it if you want to it will hardly
make much difference to the Marestails. When they come through next year
keep hoeing/rotovating them off with the other weeds and as long as you keep
on top of them they will gradually die back over the years but you won't rid
yourself of them. They are covered in a silica skin so you would have to
bruise them for any weedkiller to work (and do you want weedkiller near your
growing food?)

First rule of allotmenting....never let any weeds seed themselves.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

"Bob Hobden" wrote:

First rule of allotmenting....never let any weeds seed themselves.

In colonial Massachusetts, a farmer could be fined for allowing stinging
nettle to set seed on his property. Thank goodness that law is long gone or
at least unenforced!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

The message
from "TJ" contains these words:

I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

The horsetail plants have died back for the winter so it's too late to spray
with weedkiller, but I really want to get the plot dug over, build some
raised beds, gravel paths and whatnot ready for spring.

Well, you still can. Just pick out every recognisable scrap of HT
roots as you go. Burn them don't compost. You won't get rid of it so
easily but it's a start. Then next year chop off each shoot before they
get chance to feed new roots. Rototilling will just multiply it, as you
guessed, and HT is very resistant to weedkiller.

Start saving free mulch mats. These can be, old wool canvas-backed
carpet, old rugs, cardboard cartons, ripped old tarpaulins. Use them in
strips to cover all vacant ground now, and next year the spaces between
crops This will deprive some of the HT shoots of light and suppress
other weeds too..which are almost always a discouraging problem to new
allotment holders. You can peel back the covers every so often and rip
up the pale stems of HT you find underneath. ) Foam and rubber-backed
carpet is no good, it disintegrates.

BTW, mind your back with all that digging. You probably won't be
able to reclaim and plant the entire allotment in one season anyway, so
take your time. And save the bricks , even broken ones always come in
useful for something..like weighing down mulch sheets.


Janet.

In article ,
TJ wrote:
I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

Long after the human race has joined the dinosaurs, and new races of
gardeners have appeared, this will still be a FAQ. Horsetail has
been around for approximately 3 times as long as the mammals and is
showing no signs of going away.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

In article ,
TJ wrote:
I've just taken over a very neglected, overgrown allotment. I've
cleared it
of rubble, foam carpets, bricks, glass and plastic, and am now faced with
wet soil that's full of horsetail roots.

Long after the human race has joined the dinosaurs, and new races of
gardeners have appeared, this will still be a FAQ. Horsetail has
been around for approximately 3 times as long as the mammals and is
showing no signs of going away.

No, but it's getting smaller all the time. In a few hundred million
years it might be so small that it'll be used to underplant bonsai...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:16:59 +0100, Jaques and chums wrote:
Long after the human race has joined the dinosaurs, and new races of
gardeners have appeared, this will still be a FAQ. Horsetail has
been around for approximately 3 times as long as the mammals and is
showing no signs of going away.

No, but it's getting smaller all the time. In a few hundred million
years it might be so small that it'll be used to underplant bonsai...

Hehee,
nice one Rusty, now I will be able to look my horsetail in the spore
and smirk !.

I have it in only one small area, it is always there but never spreads
outside its approx 20m x 20m patch.
I used to, dementedly, pounce upon every tail, but now I leave the
brambles to overfly it and harvest the blackberries for the wine.

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words:
Don't use weedkiller. Please. Horsetail is here to stay. For ever. Pick
it up as it comes through, make sure you dig it out deep. After a
couple of years you'll be on top of it. Like I did. Your most important
weeding time is summer before they set seeds.


Horsetails don't set seeds, they dissipate zillions of spores.

Zillions? tee hee But I never said horsetails had seeds!! I said ...
My Gawd! You're turning me into a Janet!

Think organic and don't
worry about weeds so much but concentrate about the texture of your
soil. Feed it plenty of manure. Good luck and courage with all the
digging!
And remember - unless you want to take 'double digging' to extremes,
horsetail roots can go down seven feet or more, and they'll sneak back
from the surroundings anyway if they like it where they are.
Just dig/pull them out as they appear, and take as much root as you
reasonably can. After a while (FLVO while) the problem will diminish,
but it won't go away.

I quite like horsetail. Very old plant. I don't get rid of all of it. I
like it with cornflowers, red zenias and some mint I grew at the
entrance of my plot. Looked wild. Very nice I thought.

Gary Woods wrote:

In colonial Massachusetts, a farmer could be fined for allowing stinging
nettle to set seed on his property. Thank goodness that law is long gone or
at least unenforced!

And do you know why they inforced this mad rule?! I encourage nettles,
let it spread and move it around my garden and plot. My kids curse me
but I believe it's good for them. Keep them alive and bouncing )

The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words:

I quite like horsetail. Very old plant. I don't get rid of all of it. I
like it with cornflowers, red zenias and some mint I grew at the
entrance of my plot. Looked wild. Very nice I thought.

I find them a bit tough and stringy, but very good roughage...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote

I quite like horsetail. Very old plant. I don't get rid of all of it. I
like it with cornflowers, red zenias and some mint

I find them a bit tough and stringy, but very good roughage...

i believe that in the olden days native american indians used horsetail to
scour their cooking pots.

In article ,
TJ wrote:
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote

I quite like horsetail. Very old plant. I don't get rid of all of it. I
like it with cornflowers, red zenias and some mint

I find them a bit tough and stringy, but very good roughage...

i believe that in the olden days native american indians used horsetail to
scour their cooking pots.

It was certainly used for that and similar purposes in Europe.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.