Horsetail

moneyistooshorttomention

Realised today that a bit of very "strong" type "grass" growing in a crack in one of the concrete paths around house done by a previous owner is horsetail.

It's one of the plant problems of the area and I think (as far as I can recall) turned up about 2 years after moving in here:cool:.

It's only "running along" about a 1' or so in total of the crack in that path.

Now I've realised what it is:mad::eek: - then I'm wondering if it's had so little chance to "take a hold" that doing what I did today at regular intervals for a few weeks/months/couple of years at the most should be sufficient to see it on its way once and for all - never to rear its head again?

I cut it down absolutely as low to the ground as I possibly could with a pair of scissors/threw out the cuttings and have now poured several kettles worth of boiling hot water over it.

Is this going to be sufficient that - done for no more than a few months - it should be "gone for good" for that small amount of it? Wondering if I should try and haul up the surrounding broken bits of concrete and it should be "young" enough to be able to dig out all the root it's had the chance to get so far?

Other thought is if it comes to worst case analysis - this stuff is about 2' from my house and I dont suppose it can do a "Japanese Knotweed" and manage to get through? Also - one of these fine days there will be posh paving stones (sandstone maybe? granite maybe?) going along on top of that bit of garden (as it's side garden and I don't reckon it gets enough sun to have much proper garden in iyswim). Can this stuff manage to get up through said posh paving stones? Don't know when I'll have them mind - as, any time I think of the cost of revamping the garden, I come up with a 5-figure amount of money (so it's likely to be a while....:().

Davesnave

If it's endemic in the area, organic methods may not totally destroy horse/mares tail. The roots can go down 2 metres and they may also be next door.

The good news is that I had a very small amount in my last garden and I got rid of it, but I'd emphasise that it was only in one area and I never saw any in nearby gardens. The bad news for you is that I probably didn't do it organically. I remember persistence playing its part.

There's a product which is effective against this weed, but it's not for amateur use and you wouldn't want it anyway. I'd also doubt if you have enough horsetail to make its high cost worthwhile. I'd just keep knocking it back for now. If it's under a path, there's little else you can do.

Lizabeth21

I had this too brought in with top soil. I hoed it every morning for a whole growing season and now I get the odd piece that I just pull up. (Heard on gardeners world the hoe is the weapon)!

DaftyDuck

It can get up through tarmac three or four inches thick. However, seriously, don't worry about it. It is easily controlled, when growing in small areas. Just keep on top of it, grub it out when it is four inches of so high (depleting any underground reserves of energy) and it will die back.

Check your locality and neighbours(!) for established growth. But, without chemicals, limited invasive growth is easily controlled.

forgotmyname

They reckon Horsetail outlived the dinsaurs and the roots go far deeper than 6ft.

If trying a weedkiller you want something stronger than the average stuff on the shelf, a stump killing solution strength product at the very least.
It can take years to get rid of it and if your neighbours dont keep on top it then the job will be harder.

Keep lawns mown and treat with a stump killer unless you know someone that can obtain something better.

Davesnave

forgotmyname wrote: »

Keep lawns mown and treat with a stump killer unless you know someone that can obtain something better.

There is no need to 'know someone.'

The most effective product is still freely available via the internet, but money is an organic gardener, so she won't want it.

Advocating double and extra-strength solutions is the hallmark of the amateur. People who deal with weeds as part of their job know that the best non-organic solution, from an environmental POV, is usually a selective product which will target the weed, not everything else.

moneyistooshorttomention

Davesnave wrote: »

The good news is that I had a very small amount in my last garden and I got rid of it, but I'd emphasise that it was only in one area and I never saw any in nearby gardens. The bad news for you is that I probably didn't do it organically. I remember persistence playing its part.

.

As far as I can tell it's not there in any adjacent gardens - hence though I'm aware of some in three locations near me (a garden in a road a couple of minutes walk away and 2 other locations easy walking distance from my house) I'm somewhat surprised to see it in mine and even more surprised it appears to have turned up since I moved in. I'm just hoping I've not inadvertently walked the blimmin' stuff in myself from walking through a field I know has some in and carrying spores back on my footwear without realising it.

The plus side of it not being in any adjacent gardens is that I don't have to worry that someone who couldnt care less about it in their gardens will inadvertently let it spread to mine.

The cutting it absolutely as short as its physically possible to do is down to reading that the U.S. Army got rid of some in 2 years on land of theirs by putting some goats on to eat the grass and they acted like 4-legged mowers and problem gone. Been trying to think ever since whether goats pull up any grass (or whatever else) they eat by pulling it up from the roots as they grab it with their teeth or whether they eat in a more "lawnmower" type mode and just "grab along the surface of the soil" for their food. I feel a quick browse on YouTube coming up - there must be videos of goats eating there - there is of pretty much anything else one can think of.

Also read of people mowing it (along with the grass it was growing in).

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm interpreting "grubbed out at 4" high" and "hoed every morning" as meaning = yep....pull up the cracked tatty bits of concrete it's growing through in order to be able to "get at it better" re the roots. Immediately next to that concrete path is some tarmac underneath cheap paving stones. Said cheap paving stones get all sorts of "normal" weeds growing through the gaps in between them (as they were just laid down on the tarmac and the gaps never filled with anything) and cant spot any of this in those gaps.

Just hoping that horsetail weeds go down straight down - rather than spread out sideways and they're lurking under that tarmac. I can feel another google coming up - "images of horsetail roots".....

DaftyDuck

How sure are you that it actually is horsetail? It would be showing little growth right now anyway.

It really isn't a big deal. Plenty of it around here too. Just keep it controlled, and it really won't spread. It will die if you keep at it.

angela110660

We had not seen it in our garden in ages then had a new front wall built which seemed to start it up again for some reason. Have been regularly pulling it out this summer and it seems to have gone again now.

Farway

Although not the question you asked, it is apparently a good pan scrubber due to it's silicone content, organic & MSE in one plant