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Horsetail weed

LilysueLilysue Posts: 1
in Problem solving
HELP HELP HELP!!!!!I have an influx of horsetail or marestail growing in my garden-coming from my neighbours garden.(who isn’t so concerned unfortunately)It is multiplying by the minute and spreading quite randomly.Every forum I have googled says there is not much you can do,I wonder if blowtorching it may work-as Alan Titchmarsh suggest you do with brambles.Has anyone done this please,or have any further suggestions?It is growing in quite a long bed with mature shrubs and trees mostly,so not easy to cover with black plastic.I would be grateful for all advice.

Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,968
    Fire will kill the foliage, but not the root.  Dig it out, or stamp on it and coat each bit with glyphosate to help control the spread.  
    Utah, USA.
  • SussexsunSussexsun Posts: 1,444
    Kurtail will kill it but if it is next door and they do nothing about it then it will keep coming back.
    bruise the stems then paint it on. Black plastic wouldn’t work anyway So don’t worry about not being able to use a weed membrane.
    this stuff has been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth and was the first thing to grow back after mt st Helen erupted. 
    It does like poor soil and I have heard of people improving the soil quality by adding lime helps to control it but I don’t know anyone who has managed to get rid of it all just via soil improvement.
    To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,718
    I wouldn't bother trying to improve soil to remove it, it loves my veg garden and the compost heap. It also grows at the top end of my garden that has a PH of 7.5 so mild lime at least doesn't bother it.

  • The_herpetologistThe_herpetologist Posts: 481
    Does your neighbour realise that the presence of horsetail could reduce the value of his property significantly?
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