 |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
||||
|
  
 |
Make this horse a non-runner...!
Dear
Martin...
Any advice for the removal of the
horsetail weed which is growing between established plants I would
be most grateful.
Thank you Anne
Dear Anne
Many thanks for your recent enquiry regarding how best to remove horsetail which is growing in between established plants. Let’s take a quick look at the culprit first... Field horsetail or mare’s tail is one of the
most feared weeds. This intrusive plant has deep creeping roots
which can reach as deep as 2m below the soil surface, and can
reproduce from small pieces. Two types of shoot appear above the
soil; light brown stems with a cone-shaped top appear in late
spring and are followed later in the year by green 60cm tall stems,
which are similar in appearance to tiny fir trees.
Treatment of this persistent weed can be carried out culturally and chemically. If you don’t want to resort to synthetic herbicides, then you’ll need to be diligent. Repeated hoeing and destruction of the foliage will weaken the plant, and generally ensure you remove any new growth as and when you see it. Forking out the roots to as great a depth as possible will also help but this is no quick-fix solution (as I mentioned above, even a tiny sliver of root is enough for the plant to re-grow) and can take several years. It may also be unpractical given you have established plants in the near vicinity. If chemical control is an option you wish to
consider the good news is it will work but again, is a long term
affair. Applying glyphosate in late summer is effective when the
weed is actively growing and bruising or damaging the plant (by
trampling growth for example) before spraying often helps herbicide
penetration, and ensure that any re-growth is treated
promptly.
In your situation with the weed popping up between
established plants, the suggestion of using a mulch cover is
probably worth considering. I’d advise you use the Lightweight Porous Ground Cover as this
material is designed for planting through and will allow water to
pass through easily. The other cover up for consideration is the Woven Heavy-Duty Ground Cover which is
used extensively in garden centres and nurseries to create plant
standing areas; this material is not designed to be cut or planted
through however, and its random permeability can lead to completely
dry or waterlogged soil beneath!
Finally, I would suggest you cover the material you
decide upon with between 5 and 10cm of soil or mulch after
planting; this will help keep the cover in place, prevent drying
out, retain moisture and suppress the weeds
below.
I
do hope I’ve managed to be of help; obviously, trying to
eradicate this pernicious weed is a likely to be a protracted task
but worth it in the long term - many thanks once again for your
enquiry and please do not hesitate to contact me with any other
questions or queries you may have.
Martin
|
|
||||
|
|||||||
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook