Is this horsetail please?

fryderykchopin

This summer our garden has been taken by some kind of new weed that we hadn't seen before.

I'm clueless when it comes to gardening but my wife suggests it is horsetail. I have checked online and it seems it is tough to get rid of it, but some threads on here recommend using Kurtail, a professional product specifically designed for horsetail. As it is rather expensive, we would like to make sure that it is actually horsetail before we buy and use it.

I would be really grateful if someone could confirm if this is horsetail, or what it is otherwise.

As it can be seen in the photos, it is mixed with all our plants. Will that Kurtail weed killer kill our other plants or just the horsetail? I'm not sure the best way to proceed, any advice is appreciated.

theoretica

Horsetail (or if not a close relative - I know there is mare's tail, but can't remember the difference).  I dug mine out and that worked fine - how large is your garden?  If it is coming across the boundary from a neighbour you might find setting a vertical barrier into the ground helps stop the roots.

fryderykchopin

theoretica said:

Horsetail (or if not a close relative - I know there is mare's tail, but can't remember the difference).  I dug mine out and that worked fine - how large is your garden?  If it is coming across the boundary from a neighbour you might find setting a vertical barrier into the ground helps stop the roots.

Our garden is about 10 x 15 meters and there's a weed membrane under the gravel so digging out doesn't seem an easy task and is likely to create a big mess.

I will try first some of the recommended horsetail/marestail killers and see how it goes. Apparently it's likely to regrow after some time and it may take years to get rid of it completely, so it may take some time before we can sing victory...

Thanks for confirming!

Woolsery

Is the garden new to you or, as theoretica has asked, has it come through from next door? Horsetail doesn't just arrive suddenly like a dandelion and it's a serious pest once it gets going. Indeed, I think I'd prefer Japanese knotweed if I had to inherit one or the other!

Kurtail is the recommended treatment and it will injure other plants too. It may be expensive, but compared with having a garden that would put many people off your house it's cheap! Progreen is the place I get chemicals, not that I need many now.

fryderykchopin

Woolsery said:

Is the garden new to you or, as theoretica has asked, has it come through from next door? Horsetail doesn't just arrive suddenly like a dandelion and it's a serious pest once it gets going. Indeed, I think I'd prefer Japanese knotweed if I had to inherit one or the other!

Kurtail is the recommended treatment and it will injure other plants too. It may be expensive, but compared with having a garden that would put many people off your house it's cheap! Progreen is the place I get chemicals, not that I need many now.

The neighbour doesn't seem to have any. There's a big wooden fence between our gardens so I don't think it's coming from the neighbour, it is a mystery where it comes from. I can't remember seeing this weed last summer, it seems to have grown very quickly this year. I just ordered from Progreen and will give it a go this summer.

Woolsery

fryderykchopin said:

Woolsery said:

Is the garden new to you or, as theoretica has asked, has it come through from next door? Horsetail doesn't just arrive suddenly like a dandelion and it's a serious pest once it gets going. Indeed, I think I'd prefer Japanese knotweed if I had to inherit one or the other!

Kurtail is the recommended treatment and it will injure other plants too. It may be expensive, but compared with having a garden that would put many people off your house it's cheap! Progreen is the place I get chemicals, not that I need many now.

The neighbour doesn't seem to have any. There's a big wooden fence between our gardens so I don't think it's coming from the neighbour..

Once it gets going the roots go very deep indeed, so a barrier like a fence isn't a defence. But if your neighbour's clear of it then they should be grateful you're on the case. Let's hope the membrane has contained it a bit and encouraged surface runners.

Katiehound

It's a relative of some prehistoric plant (that I think formed the coal seams?) so it is very tough!

 If it's a fairly new garden (or new build)  I would think that this was well established in the ground but only just appearing.

Chrystal

My garden is full of the damned stuff!!

A number of years ago my then neighbour got some manure from the local riding stables and it progressed from there.  It went from her garden to mine and then to the house next to me and no doubt will continue down the whole road.  I just keep pulling it out as it when it gets to around 4 inches.  Maybe it's time to buy Kurtail!

[Deleted User]

It is indeed Mares Tail/Horsetail .... official name Equisetum Arvense.

It grows in any type of soil, is not specific to any one type.

Its roots are inches deep and the same wide, therefore it travels very easily underground.

A systemic weedkiller is the only way to get rid of its existence and several applications a week if you've got the time and money to spend.
Once sprayed onto the plants leave it alone, do not pull up the dead looking bits, leave the area untouched for a year or those roots will still be alive.

If you haven't got the time and money to see it through just pull it out - this will never completely eradicate it though.

It will have travelled to your garden from a neighbouring one and unless that neighbour is diligent in its removal you'll be fighting a losing battle.

if you're as tenacious as it is you'll win the battle, it took me 2 years to rid a large area here.

goldfinches

My local Botanic Garden has an infestation of this in one corner and I have noticed it popping up in other beds over the years. As far as I know they keep on top of it by diligent hand weeding combined with healthy growth of the plants they do want but they have accepted that they will not be able to eradicate it completely.

Mojisola

[Deleted User] said:

A systemic weedkiller is the only way to get rid of its existence

To allow the weedkiller into the plant, you need to break the waxy surface coating or the weedkiller will just run off - crush or stamp on the plant before spraying.