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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

horsetail weed

12 replies

tartanhaggis7 · 04/09/2025 05:33

hi gang any got ideas how to get rid of this weed ive tryed digging it up NATURAL weed killer burning but yet NO joy is there a beastie that wiuld eat it ive tryed placing lettuce puree over it then a couple of slugs they take the puree but don't touch the WEED sos thnks

OP posts:
YelloDaisy · 04/09/2025 05:57

I had it in a pond - you had to crush it to break the surface of the plant then use a very strong weedkiller.
The pond was filled in and turned into lawn which is mowed so it has disappeared.

Pricelessadvice · 04/09/2025 06:58

It’s a nightmare. Our paddocks are full of it at the moment. The roots grow very long so it takes moisture out of the ground even when grass is struggling, hence why it seems to thrive even in very dry summers.

Spraying it can require several goes, and even then the roots can survive and it can bounce back.

Talipesmum · 04/09/2025 07:18

i am not sure you can get rid of it. It is prehistoric, there are Jurassic fossils of it. It’s a survivor.

All we’ve been able to do it keep it at bay. Go around the garden regularly and remove as much as I can. You can’t get the roots out as they go very very deep.

Zuve · 04/09/2025 07:21

I dug mine out, plant by plant. It took some time, but it's gone!

Easyozy · 04/09/2025 07:42

It's impossible. I completely dug out all the weed laden soil between my slabs in the garden and filled in with concrete and it's still coming through! I just go round every week and pull up what I can.

Shedmistress · 04/09/2025 08:03

YelloDaisy · 04/09/2025 05:57

I had it in a pond - you had to crush it to break the surface of the plant then use a very strong weedkiller.
The pond was filled in and turned into lawn which is mowed so it has disappeared.

You probably had Marestail rather than Horsetail, which is why it didn't survive with no water.

OP the only method to deal with it is to hoe, pull or dig out each bit as you see it. Never leave pieces on the ground as they will regrow.

Or, the one way we tackled some was to completely cover with weed fabric. But I'll bet if it was uncovered 20 years later, the horsetail would be up again within a week.

SeaAndStars · 04/09/2025 08:36

New gardener - When is the best time to weed horsetail?
Old gardener - Sunday.
New gardener - Which Sunday?
Old gardener - Every Sunday.

It's the only answer really. Just keep at it.

Original poster
tartanhaggis7 · 04/09/2025 09:43

yeah thnks for that my problemn is i have a border between my neighbour who does regulary pull it out but NOT by the root just the top 's whereas i dig down good foot

OP posts:
Talipesmum · 04/09/2025 09:53

The roots can be way deeper - I’ve heard up to several metres. And if your neighbours have it too, it’s likely to be something you’ll just have to stay on top of each year.
RHS advice here

Horsetail / RHS

Horsetail / RHS

Instantly recognisable, horsetail is a prehistoric perennial native to the UK. Producing a dense clump of growth and deep rhizomes, it is unwanted by many gardeners and needs regular management to control its spread.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/horsetail

Blueuggboots · 04/09/2025 10:06

We have this in our garden. It spreads by spores AND the rhizomes are often 6ft deep….I keep pulling it up.

Original poster
tartanhaggis7 · 05/09/2025 15:27

someone suggested burning horsetail do you think this will work?????😎

OP posts:
SeaAndStars · 05/09/2025 15:31

No, burning it won't help at all. The roots go deep underground and will just send up new shoots. When you've weeded it you can burn the waste rather than put it into your compost where it will regrow. Alternatively you can put it with your green waste for recycling.

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