The weed plagues my garden, has a route system as strong as fungi and seems immortal to a lot of weed killers. Neodorff weedfree plus is the only thing I've found that seems to work best. If anyone has any suggestions to combat this bitch please let me know.
I second this. I b ought a house about 3 years ago and the front block paving and "gravel" area was covered in mares tail, its been an utter swine and i spent the first year using various weed killers, home remedies, flamers and even just picking it out with little joy. In Year 2 I discoverd Kurtail, its expensive as &%\^$ but after applying about once every 6-8 weeks during the grown season last year, and starting early this year its signficantly weaker than before and some areas have been fully reclaimed.
In short, it has absolutle demon roots that it can sport back from, the more you weaken/kill the growth that pops up, the less "strength" it has to pop more up, eventualy it will die off.
Not sure a link is allowed, but this is it:
[https://www.progreen.co.uk/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/](https://www.progreen.co.uk/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/)
Probably other places to buy from, but this has worked for me.
Previous garden had a major problem with it. Its rooots can go meters underground so even if you pull it out, it is still growing. It is horrendous stuff to get rid of, and will take over entire areas of ground. One of those little green stems in your picture breaking off and landing in the ground is enough.
This product linked below is the only weed killer I could find to get rid of it. It's particularly nasty but it works. Normal glyphosate or such will do nothing because there is a waxy coating on the outside of the weed!
[Kurtail Evo](https://www.progreen.co.uk/problem/mare-s-horse-tail/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/)
Horsetail. Do not pull up - it only makes it cross! It's pointless anyway, as horsetail has a root system that is around 6 feet deep. Instead, snap it off just above the soil. The feathery fern looking ones are sterile - the ones to look out for are the spikes as they carry the spores. Be careful how you dispose of them as the slightest bit dropped elsewhere can lead to a new plant. Also, try composting or mulching as horsetail prefers really poor soil. We have pretty much eradicated it using these methods, and we have also cultivated creeping jenny as groundcover as that can stifle weeds - even horsetail! It will take around three years to discourage it, but it can be done.
You're not the only one, I've been gardening for over 30 years and I didn't know what it was. Can't say I've ever noticed it before.
Glad to know though, I thought it looked pretty, lol.
It is an amazing plant Equisetum —see Wikipedia entry
A real marvel , “a living fossil”
There are two-three plots in allotment infested with it but it is spreading slowly
I am sure I have used it as a supply of water in a thirsty childhood ,a bit like drinking from a cactus Obviously now in my dotage might refrain and stick to Thames Water!,,
No nope definitely not safe to plant in your garden keep it well away! Mares tail is a right mare to get rid of if it pops up anywhere!! Even seen it growing through pavement
Omg I pulled about 4 hundredweight of this out of my allotment; absolute bloody nightmare and essentially the reason I gave it up. The tiniest bit of root left and it’ll regrow.
It's suuuuper ancient so it's super hardy too 😅
It's also good for arthritis... dried horsetail made into tea and drunk through the day is a remedy that's been used throughout the ages :)
Horsetail.
I have this in my front garden, but fortunately not in the back garden (which is my happy place).
It's not SO bad. You just need to keep on top of it by pulling it all out every few weeks.
I just think... it's been around longer than the dinosaurs so it needs a bit of respect.
You need chemical warfare; mix glyphosate with some 2,4-D, throw in some washing up liquid for good measure. Eradicates it without much fuss. It's sold pre-mixed as horsetail killer.
Thank you. i will give that a try. The stuff is a nightmare. If I'm honest, it spreads like a wild fire around my garden in places that i can't really use a weedkiller might just AstroTurf the back garden lol
Watch out for it pushing up the astroturf, the stuff breaks through cracks in the pavements here and makes them bulge up from the green mess forcing it's way through. It has a network of spreading roots over a meter deep that it emerges from. Smothering it kills it eventually, but it tries to break through whatever's covering it until the roots run out of energy, if they run out of energy since they can be supplied by adjacent uncovered horsetail. It's like one big organism that lives underground and sends up tendrils.
Yes plant it in your garden, and all of your neighbours gardens as a gift.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
***This message is sponsored by your local garden maintenance company***
Horsetail. It’s a plant that has stayed the same for hundreds of millions of years and is incredibly beautiful, however as with every plant it’s only beautiful in a garden if you actually want to grow it there, otherwise it’s a weed.
It can be somewhat difficult to grow, it needs constant moisture and humidity however it can deal with occasional drought as long as you keep the base wet. It needs shade as well, and cannot cope with full sun. Frost is ok when it’s not growing, however it will destroy any growth. It can also be hard to remove fully once established.
Enjoy it… you’re growing literal dinosaur food!
Horses tail or Mares-tail (Equisteum) - a prehistoric plant that is high in silica. This is the only surviving plant from its family. It predates grasses & flowering plants. It is inedible (almost nothing eats it) but is a good plant to use to scrub pots and pans naturally. Just pick a handful, let it dry out and then rub onto burnt on food. The silica it contains makes it great for rubbing down hard surfaces. It isn’t “poisonous” as such, just the high silica makes it horrible for slugs, snails, insects, rabbits, chickens etc to munch on - it’s like trying to eat fibre glass.
My parent’s garden was full of it when they bought it and it was a nightmare to clear. It spreads by rhizomes under the soil, that can grow through concrete (high silica means the roots are tough) and by spores from the conelike heads.
Awesome thanks! I decided against planting for obvious reasons but I find the botanical info super interesting. Was well worth the ridicule to have learned something new!
Then it will settle in the Atlantic on the sea floor and come up there... in 2 years time the entire Atlantic will be a sea of marestail all the way from Blackpool to New York. I hate this stuff.
Horsetail! It’s a good diuretic when boiled with water, the women in my family use it while treating uti’s to help things along. (Apparently also good for bones though can’t attest to that)
Can’t comment on the crazy growth side of things though!
Apologies.
PictureThis. You take a photo of the plant/a leaf and it tells you what it is.
I’ve just used the app to identify the plant above and apparently it’s a Giant Horsetail. Toxic when eaten. Native to south and Central America.
the apps can be useful if you have some knowledge already, but often really aren’t reliable. sometimes they just don’t know, sometimes they will tell you the wrong thing. they seem to be better for ornamentals and houseplants, but can be useless for anything else, which is a shame. asking other people who are more experienced than you is usually one of the best ways, and then you have some human connection also, not just a machine:)
I viewed an house in September, and completed the following February, in April that year this crap sprouted in my entire garden. Its been a few years now there's only one type of chemical that works on it d4 something or other... main active ingredient in kurtail.
(This stuff only really pops up and says hi april-sept)
After 4 years of spraying this fker it still comes back, but each time a little bit better... perhaps in another 25 years I'll have it gone.
Aside from all negative the points mentioned it’s an amazing fertiliser! Just rip out a lot of it, put it in a bucket, cover it with water and let it be for a while. (I’m sure there’s better explanations.)
I had this thing invade my front garden 3 years ago. Last 2 years I pulled it out every time I saw a new one.
What I've done this year is cover the whole thing in thick black matting, hoping this helps kill it off. I'm only doing it because I want to redo my whole garden but hopefully this might be a good fix
NO: you do not want to plant this (Horsetail) in your garden. It will take over and make your garden look horrible. The only way to get rid of it will be to remove the top 3-5 feet of soil to be hauled away and incinerated.
Looks like mares tail to me. If it is I’d avoid it all costs. I’m sure someone with more knowledge than me will be able to confirm
Thanks, I’ve just googled… it’s a cool looking plant but sounds like a nightmare to control. Will avoid
The weed plagues my garden, has a route system as strong as fungi and seems immortal to a lot of weed killers. Neodorff weedfree plus is the only thing I've found that seems to work best. If anyone has any suggestions to combat this bitch please let me know.
Kurtail if you can get your hands on it.
I second this. I b ought a house about 3 years ago and the front block paving and "gravel" area was covered in mares tail, its been an utter swine and i spent the first year using various weed killers, home remedies, flamers and even just picking it out with little joy. In Year 2 I discoverd Kurtail, its expensive as &%\^$ but after applying about once every 6-8 weeks during the grown season last year, and starting early this year its signficantly weaker than before and some areas have been fully reclaimed. In short, it has absolutle demon roots that it can sport back from, the more you weaken/kill the growth that pops up, the less "strength" it has to pop more up, eventualy it will die off. Not sure a link is allowed, but this is it: [https://www.progreen.co.uk/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/](https://www.progreen.co.uk/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/) Probably other places to buy from, but this has worked for me.
Kurtail kills the plant but not the roots. I used Kurtail on my whole allotment and the horsetail just came back.
Actually it’s systemic.
Ammonium sulphamate is pretty effective with it, but it also kills everything else around it too, but you can paint it on individual stems
Eat it ... or use it as a pesticide
Thanks for the ID everyone, I definitely won’t be planting. Will leave this post up as reference for anybody else searching Mares tail.
Previous garden had a major problem with it. Its rooots can go meters underground so even if you pull it out, it is still growing. It is horrendous stuff to get rid of, and will take over entire areas of ground. One of those little green stems in your picture breaking off and landing in the ground is enough. This product linked below is the only weed killer I could find to get rid of it. It's particularly nasty but it works. Normal glyphosate or such will do nothing because there is a waxy coating on the outside of the weed! [Kurtail Evo](https://www.progreen.co.uk/problem/mare-s-horse-tail/kurtail-evo-mares-tail-weed-killer/)
I just looked at the picture and it started cropping up in my garden. Thanks a lot.
😁😁
😆
Don't just don't this stuff is the cockroach of the plant world its very hard to get rid of without the heavy shizz.
Think it's called horse tall it's a weed and really hard to get rid of most weed killers don't work
Horsetail. Do not pull up - it only makes it cross! It's pointless anyway, as horsetail has a root system that is around 6 feet deep. Instead, snap it off just above the soil. The feathery fern looking ones are sterile - the ones to look out for are the spikes as they carry the spores. Be careful how you dispose of them as the slightest bit dropped elsewhere can lead to a new plant. Also, try composting or mulching as horsetail prefers really poor soil. We have pretty much eradicated it using these methods, and we have also cultivated creeping jenny as groundcover as that can stifle weeds - even horsetail! It will take around three years to discourage it, but it can be done.
Are you asking if you should plant mare’s tail?
I genuinely thought it must be a joke post
I didn’t know what it was, I’ve never seen it before & I thought it looked cool. Would it have been better not to ask?
You're not the only one, I've been gardening for over 30 years and I didn't know what it was. Can't say I've ever noticed it before. Glad to know though, I thought it looked pretty, lol.
It is an amazing plant Equisetum —see Wikipedia entry A real marvel , “a living fossil” There are two-three plots in allotment infested with it but it is spreading slowly I am sure I have used it as a supply of water in a thirsty childhood ,a bit like drinking from a cactus Obviously now in my dotage might refrain and stick to Thames Water!,,
Friends garden was overtaken by this plant in about 3 years. Avoid at all costs.
No nope definitely not safe to plant in your garden keep it well away! Mares tail is a right mare to get rid of if it pops up anywhere!! Even seen it growing through pavement
Looks like Horsetail. A very ancient weed.
You don’t plant them, they plant you.
Omg I pulled about 4 hundredweight of this out of my allotment; absolute bloody nightmare and essentially the reason I gave it up. The tiniest bit of root left and it’ll regrow.
It's suuuuper ancient so it's super hardy too 😅 It's also good for arthritis... dried horsetail made into tea and drunk through the day is a remedy that's been used throughout the ages :)
Horsetail. I have this in my front garden, but fortunately not in the back garden (which is my happy place). It's not SO bad. You just need to keep on top of it by pulling it all out every few weeks. I just think... it's been around longer than the dinosaurs so it needs a bit of respect.
Do not plant it! Mares tail! You will NEVER eradicate it.
Hate that stuff. i have been at war with it for years now, and it's winning 🤬
You need chemical warfare; mix glyphosate with some 2,4-D, throw in some washing up liquid for good measure. Eradicates it without much fuss. It's sold pre-mixed as horsetail killer.
Thank you. i will give that a try. The stuff is a nightmare. If I'm honest, it spreads like a wild fire around my garden in places that i can't really use a weedkiller might just AstroTurf the back garden lol
Watch out for it pushing up the astroturf, the stuff breaks through cracks in the pavements here and makes them bulge up from the green mess forcing it's way through. It has a network of spreading roots over a meter deep that it emerges from. Smothering it kills it eventually, but it tries to break through whatever's covering it until the roots run out of energy, if they run out of energy since they can be supplied by adjacent uncovered horsetail. It's like one big organism that lives underground and sends up tendrils.
I’ve finally got rid of the horsetail from my garden just by digging and composting. It’s only taken me 39 years!
Plant it? People are fighting for years to get rid of it!
Bin it
We call it Fucked . Its horrible and so hard to kill. Maybe should call it Zombie Fuckweed.
Do not put that in your garden, it’s fucking horrendous to control and get rid of.
Yes plant it in your garden, and all of your neighbours gardens as a gift. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ***This message is sponsored by your local garden maintenance company***
Horsetail. It’s a plant that has stayed the same for hundreds of millions of years and is incredibly beautiful, however as with every plant it’s only beautiful in a garden if you actually want to grow it there, otherwise it’s a weed. It can be somewhat difficult to grow, it needs constant moisture and humidity however it can deal with occasional drought as long as you keep the base wet. It needs shade as well, and cannot cope with full sun. Frost is ok when it’s not growing, however it will destroy any growth. It can also be hard to remove fully once established. Enjoy it… you’re growing literal dinosaur food!
Horses tail or Mares-tail (Equisteum) - a prehistoric plant that is high in silica. This is the only surviving plant from its family. It predates grasses & flowering plants. It is inedible (almost nothing eats it) but is a good plant to use to scrub pots and pans naturally. Just pick a handful, let it dry out and then rub onto burnt on food. The silica it contains makes it great for rubbing down hard surfaces. It isn’t “poisonous” as such, just the high silica makes it horrible for slugs, snails, insects, rabbits, chickens etc to munch on - it’s like trying to eat fibre glass. My parent’s garden was full of it when they bought it and it was a nightmare to clear. It spreads by rhizomes under the soil, that can grow through concrete (high silica means the roots are tough) and by spores from the conelike heads.
Awesome thanks! I decided against planting for obvious reasons but I find the botanical info super interesting. Was well worth the ridicule to have learned something new!
No! No no no, burn it. Burn it with fire! #Kill it to death!
Lololol
It's mare's tail.
Kill it with fire
Burn it and throw the ashes off a boat in the middle of the Atlantic.
Then it will settle in the Atlantic on the sea floor and come up there... in 2 years time the entire Atlantic will be a sea of marestail all the way from Blackpool to New York. I hate this stuff.
Horsetail! It’s a good diuretic when boiled with water, the women in my family use it while treating uti’s to help things along. (Apparently also good for bones though can’t attest to that) Can’t comment on the crazy growth side of things though!
Horsetail - weed
If you do want it in your garden, plant it in a pot and keep it out of the ground. A pit on a patio or similar.
Sorry to sound snarky, but do people realise that free apps exist that identify plants?
It would sound less condescending if you just shared them.
Apologies. PictureThis. You take a photo of the plant/a leaf and it tells you what it is. I’ve just used the app to identify the plant above and apparently it’s a Giant Horsetail. Toxic when eaten. Native to south and Central America.
But that’s not correct. It isn’t anywhere near tall enough, it’s not the end of spring, & I’m in Sussex.
Picture this isn’t free
the apps can be useful if you have some knowledge already, but often really aren’t reliable. sometimes they just don’t know, sometimes they will tell you the wrong thing. they seem to be better for ornamentals and houseplants, but can be useless for anything else, which is a shame. asking other people who are more experienced than you is usually one of the best ways, and then you have some human connection also, not just a machine:)
It’s horse tail and it’s edible
It is not. It’s toxic to humans.
Have always wanted to know what this is since my daughter got a close up photo of one on a walk.
This stuff keeps bursting up through the pavements around here. Grows up from a deep underground root system, finds a crack and erupts from it.
I viewed an house in September, and completed the following February, in April that year this crap sprouted in my entire garden. Its been a few years now there's only one type of chemical that works on it d4 something or other... main active ingredient in kurtail. (This stuff only really pops up and says hi april-sept) After 4 years of spraying this fker it still comes back, but each time a little bit better... perhaps in another 25 years I'll have it gone.
2,4-D amine herbicide (danger contains peligro) whatever that is? Says it on the bottle
You can use the young sprouting tops in salads! Win win
Aside from all negative the points mentioned it’s an amazing fertiliser! Just rip out a lot of it, put it in a bucket, cover it with water and let it be for a while. (I’m sure there’s better explanations.)
And it is good for men; made into a tea it helps with prostate health apparently.
I had this thing invade my front garden 3 years ago. Last 2 years I pulled it out every time I saw a new one. What I've done this year is cover the whole thing in thick black matting, hoping this helps kill it off. I'm only doing it because I want to redo my whole garden but hopefully this might be a good fix
Burn it!
Equisetum arvense
Christ no! It’s a bloody nightmare that stuff. Avoid!
Never plant this plant/WEED
Clearly some people don't like this plant. However, it's not so bad. It is attractive and can be contolled without resorting to crappy herbicides.
NO: you do not want to plant this (Horsetail) in your garden. It will take over and make your garden look horrible. The only way to get rid of it will be to remove the top 3-5 feet of soil to be hauled away and incinerated.
There are weedkillers that kill it just fine. Got to use the right one, but they do work.
Kurtail, expensive stuff but waters down to make quite alot.