My horsetail experience

Years 1-3 dug every piece of top and root of horsetail out of plot - almust
sieved the soil. Pulled up every piece that showed up every week.

Years 4-9 hitting it hard every year. Experience of covering with
carpet/plastic seems to encourage it too spread and anyway after covers
removed if seems even more vigouous

I notice it is reivading my plot from every direction.

Year 10 dug an excavation for a pond - plenty of root 4 foot down through
solid clay - can't get to the end of it.

BTW glyphosate only partially successful even if stem is bruised. I am told
ammonium sulphonamate (spelling?) will work.. Yet to give it a try
Heard a rumour that a 4 inch layer of concrete will keep it back for a
couple of years -Willing to consider it but this approach is not seeen as
best practice on the plots -

Side effect of all this weeding is that I have only one perennial on my
lot - and its still thriving grrrrr



"Mel" wrote in message
...
I have 2 questions regarding horsetail.

I've recently taken over an abandoned allotment. It's full of horsetail.
The person on the site next to mine said that my plot had been sprayed
with
weedkiller sometime earlier this year. There are only a few horsetail
plants still showing green above ground, however, the soil is absolutely
chock-a-block full of horsetail roots, which are endless in length and
more
or less impossible to dig out completely.

I'd like to take the lazy/easy/faster route and roto-till the plot, but I
know that horsetail will grow back from the tiniest piece of root.

My first question is: At this time of year, would live horsetail plants
still be showing green above ground?

My second question is: If the horsetail are dead down to the roots
(fingers
crossed) can I presume that they won't re-grow from the thousands of
pieces
of roto-tilled root?

Thanks.

I have 2 questions regarding horsetail.

I've recently taken over an abandoned allotment. It's full of horsetail.
The person on the site next to mine said that my plot had been sprayed with
weedkiller sometime earlier this year. There are only a few horsetail
plants still showing green above ground, however, the soil is absolutely
chock-a-block full of horsetail roots, which are endless in length and more
or less impossible to dig out completely.

I'd like to take the lazy/easy/faster route and roto-till the plot, but I
know that horsetail will grow back from the tiniest piece of root.

My first question is: At this time of year, would live horsetail plants
still be showing green above ground?

My second question is: If the horsetail are dead down to the roots (fingers
crossed) can I presume that they won't re-grow from the thousands of pieces
of roto-tilled root?

Thanks.

Mel wrote:

I have 2 questions regarding horsetail.

I've recently taken over an abandoned allotment. It's full of horsetail.
The person on the site next to mine said that my plot had been sprayed with
weedkiller sometime earlier this year. There are only a few horsetail
plants still showing green above ground, however, the soil is absolutely
chock-a-block full of horsetail roots, which are endless in length and more
or less impossible to dig out completely.

However, doing that a bit at a time is still your best chance of
success. I would dig out any you feel like while it is dormant when the
soil is suitable to work (ie not waterlogged or frozen).

I'd like to take the lazy/easy/faster route and roto-till the plot, but I
know that horsetail will grow back from the tiniest piece of root.

My first question is: At this time of year, would live horsetail plants
still be showing green above ground?

A few might be. It dies back for winter after being frosted.
Waste of weedkiller to hit it now. The roots hold massive amounts of
stored energy.

My second question is: If the horsetail are dead down to the roots (fingers
crossed) can I presume that they won't re-grow from the thousands of pieces
of roto-tilled root?

YOu can presume that, but it will not make it true. The best you can
hope for is to remove as much as possible of the roots and then hit
every one that shows up with gel formulated glyphosate and/or hand
digging. One hit of the entire plot when the new growth has all come
through then wait a couple of weeks for it to translocate.

You can't eliminate horsetail completely, but you can control it.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message from "Mel"


Well, green tops say that either, the weedkiller didn't kill all the
topgrowth (so some roots are alive and well), or the topgrowth has since
regrown (so some roots are alive and well).

But TBH it's very unlikely any weedkiller usable
on a veg plot, has had much effect on such a deep and extensive root
system. This is likely to be a long job. I'd start collecting barrier
materials to spread on all the soil surface (old tarpaulins, black
plastic sheet, cardboard cartons). .

(It would be a bit unusual for an out-going allotmenter to spend money
weedkilling, so possibly the allotment group knows more about this).


Hi, Janet, thanks for your reply. I believe that the allotment holders
adjacent to my site sprayed (or they persuaded the council to spray) because
they were fed up with the weeds infecting their areas. My site was also
covered in carpets, plastic, cardboard and whatnot as a barrier. I don't
know how long my site was abandoned, but there are absolutely no veggies
growing there at all; just bare soil and weeds.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/melanie...key/allotment/

Although there are loads of roots, there are only a few actual green
horsetails still growing, which is why I wondered if the weedkiller had
mostly done its job or if, in fact, horsetail dies back naturally at this
time of year.

"P Williamson" wrote
My horsetail experience

Years 1-3 dug every piece of top and root of horsetail out of plot -
almust sieved the soil. Pulled up every piece that showed up every
week.

Years 4-9 hitting it hard every year. Experience of covering with
carpet/plastic seems to encourage it too spread and anyway after covers
removed if seems even more vigouous

I notice it is reivading my plot from every direction.
snip

What also makes it hard to get rid of completely is that it spreads via
spores as well as the deep spreading roots. It puts up 'fruiting' heads
early in the year before you see any of the green bottlebrush shoots. So if
there is any horsetail left doing its own thing on nearby land it'll spread
back eventually. BTDT and got it in the field margins over 't fence.

--
Sue

The message
from "P Williamson" contains these words:

I notice it is reivading my plot from every direction.

Year 10 dug an excavation for a pond - plenty of root 4 foot down through
solid clay - can't get to the end of it.

It has been known to go down seven feet.

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

P Williamson wrote:
My horsetail experience
Years 1-3 dug every piece of top and root of horsetail out of plot - almust
sieved the soil. Pulled up every piece that showed up every week.
Years 4-9 hitting it hard every year. Experience of covering with
carpet/plastic seems to encourage it too spread and anyway after covers
removed if seems even more vigouous

Your story is my story indeed!

Mel, divide your plot and start at the beginning working bit by bit
removing the weeds as you need the ground. Year 3 and I don't find it
so much anymore. It does, like P said, seem more vigorous if I cover
some areas - it seeks the light from miles away it seems. According to
your lotty pictures you have a good size plot with plots arround being
used. I wouldn't, and never has, used weed killers. Stay on top of your
weeds, dead heads them/dig them out as you cultivate your plot,
eventually they'll diminish in quantity. Don't get a headache with your
weeds, rather enjoy the pretty ones and just dig dip for the ones in
the way )

From observation I feel that spraying with weedkiller only kills off
its competition and allows it to come back even stronger...as others
have said only cultivate as small a patch as you need, let grass or
other weeds grow in competition with it on paths and other unused
areas, just do the best you can to clear each bed and get on with
planting etc.... try not to let it become something you have to
beat...its been here since prehistoric times & will be here when we are
long gone you... will only lose any 'battle' you start

Mike

Mikey wrote:
From observation I feel that spraying with weedkiller only kills
off
its competition and allows it to come back even stronger...as
others
have said only cultivate as small a patch as you need, let grass or
other weeds grow in competition with it on paths and other unused
areas, just do the best you can to clear each bed and get on with
planting etc.... try not to let it become something you have to
beat...its been here since prehistoric times & will be here when we
are long gone you... will only lose any 'battle' you start

Mike

Agreed. It's a bugger, but it won't actually stop you gardening. As
with any other weed, a bit of hoeing will do the trick for the time
being: and you have to do the hoeing anyway, so what the Hell?

--
Mike.