Mares Tail [shock]

[Mum2KSS]

Hi, the house next door has been empty for a few months and the driveway is full of mares tail we have well established flower beds but I've pulled out a huge amount of it a couple of days ago, not digging out roots, just pulling it out - am I now doomed to do this forever or is there a way to get rid of it without killing all my beautiful plants?

DF was a commercial grower and swore by 2 things:
1 - whatever the strongest most appropriate weedkiller was, almost certainly now illegal!
2 - you had to bruise the plant to ensure it absorbed the weedkiller - which a PP has already mentioned.

Yes it's incredibly robust and I remember DF telling me it was pre-historic. Fascinating.

Pedantically, I'd have thought most wild species are prehistoric.

Good point, Errol.

I remember Thompson and Morgan advertising something with the slogan “new! Food of the dinosaurs!”

Not sure but the very earliest cultivated species may be technically prehistoric too - I think humankind got agriculture going first and then thought, shit, we need to find a way too keep track of what's in our grain store and what a cow is worth or whatever other thrilling stuff the earliest known records document.

It's always a bit surprising how relatively recently flowering plants evolved though, which I guess is the point re the much greater origins of mares tail.

I can't help with the mare's tail but can offer support to grow your grey out. Took me two years and I love it. Go for it - you'll never look back and will have more time for gardening.

I will swap mares tail for that sticky free stuff that acts like a spider web for catching humans. (I refuse to say it’s name as it only makes it grow quicker).

Green! Although it grows freely.

@Bargebill19 I have that as well 😭

Would you like more? I’ll happily take everyone’s mares tail in a swap!

If I'm thinking of the right thing, bizarrely my dog likes it. I've no idea how he manages to swallow it - though from one of its common names large waterfowl also like it and they can't even chew.