Finding horse tail weeds sprouting up in your yard can be incredibly frustrating. With their rapid spread through underground rhizomes and deep root systems, these primitive plants are notoriously difficult to control However, with persistence and the right techniques, it is possible to get rid of horse tail weeds for good
Understanding Horse Tail Weeds
Before diving into removal methods it’s helpful to understand what makes horse tails (Equisetum arvense) so problematic
- Spread easily via underground rhizomes, tubers, and spores
- Can quickly colonize large areas of the garden
- Deep roots and rhizomes – up to 10 feet underground
- Waxy leaves resist herbicide absorption
- Thrive in poor, wet, acidic soils
While horse tails have survived for millions of years, their presence is rarely welcome in today’s home landscapes But with the right approach, these prehistoric pests can be conquered
Helpful Tips for Horse Tail Removal
Here are the most effective ways to get rid of horse tail weeds for the long run:
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Improve drainage – Horse tails thrive in boggy areas. Fill in depressions, slope soil away from beds, or install drainage pipes to reduce moisture.
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Solarize the soil – Cover patches with clear plastic for a full growing season to bake weeds underground. Replant with desirable species after.
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Apply lime – Raises pH, creating less favorable conditions for horse tails, which prefer acidic soils.
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Add fertilizer – Makes soil less nutrient poor. Apply compost or organic fertilizer to favor other plants over horse tails.
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Plant dense shade – Tall plants that form deep shade will discourage horse tails over time. Ferns, shrubs and large perennials work well.
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Cut shoots frequently – Repeatedly removing top growth stops photosynthesis, eventually weakening the plant. Commit to cutting any new shoots all season long.
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Use herbicide carefully – Systemic products like glyphosate may help kill foliage and roots if applied repeatedly. Use caution around desired plants.
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Weed torch – Cautiously burning horse tail growth can stress the plant over time. Again, persistence with followup is key.
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Dig and sift – Excavating soil to remove every last root fragment is tedious but can eradicate small patches. Dispose of any bits carefully.
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Mulch heavily – A thick layer of mulch may suppress horse tails, but be sure to use only organic materials to avoid increasing acidity.
Avoid Worsening the Problem
When attempting to remove horse tail weeds, some common approaches may actually make the problem worse:
- Pulling stems can spread root fragments that resprout
- Rototilling chops up rhizomes, spreading them in soil
- Using black plastic mulch creates optimal moist, dark conditions underneath for horse tails
- Applying acidic bark mulch lowers pH, favoring horse tails
- Using only a one-time herbicide spray typically kills just the foliage, allowing regrowth
Persistence Pays Off
While no single technique will instantly eliminate horse tail weeds, combining several cultural, mechanical and chemical controls can successfully eradicate infestations over time. The key is persistence and not allowing any regrowth. With concerted effort, you can reclaim your landscape from these tenacious ancient weeds.
LuEsther T. Mertz Library Plant & Research Help
I have a property that has been inundated with horsetail. Unfortunately, it is spreading into my gardens and lawn. Do you have any suggestions for how I could get rid of it or keep it in check? I’ve tried cutting it down and pulling it out by hand, but its roots are very deep.
Equisetum arvense, commonly called field horsetail, looks like a prehistoric survivor. This perennial can be one of the toughest weeds to manage. The ancient genus Equisetum was the dominant plant group during the Carboniferous Period, 359-299 million years ago.
The plant has fleshy tubers that grow along the rhizomes that are buried one at a time or in pairs. The rhizomes can be as shallow as a few inches or as deep as six feet. The tubers store the carbohydrates that are made by photosynthesis. This gives field horsetail its amazing ability to grow back and makes it hard to control.
Two types of stems grow from the rhizome annually. Tan-to-white fertile stems, resembling short asparagus sprouts, grow up to a foot tall in early spring. These stems are unbranched and leafless, topped by a spore-bearing cone up to four inches long. Since they lack chlorophyll, these fertile stems die shortly after releasing their spores. After the fertile stems die back, sterile stems arise and grow about two feet tall. The stems are grooved and hollow, and the plant looks like a small conifer or a green bottle brush because of the feathery leaves that cover them.
Controlling Field Horsetail
Control options include repeated mowing or mechanical removal. Taking out the sterile stems regularly depletes the plant’s carbohydrate stores, which can take years, and the rhizome will eventually die. Field horsetail grows best in full sun and so can also be controlled by shading. Mechanical removal of the stems followed by mulching with black plastic can also be effective. One source, though, says that covering the plants with black plastic or other mulch won’t work because horsetail grows best when it’s wet, dark, and oxygen-poor. Sprouts emerge when the plastic or mulch is removed no matter how long the plant has been covered. Tillage can make the problem worse by spreading the rhizomes and/or tubers.
Mechanical Control
Even though it takes a while, horsetail can be controlled by cutting off the top growth over and over again. This stops the spores from germinating. Cut off the green growth above ground whenever it appears; the plant will eventually die out.
If you are growing horsetail on purpose, you can stop it from spreading by cutting off shoots that grow in places you don’t want them and cutting off shoots that make the spore-filled cones.
Cultural Control
The most effective way to get rid of horsetail, though not very common, is to change the conditions where it grows so that it can’t remain there. Horsetail grows best when it’s wet, so fill in low spots that hold water and add drainage ditches, small swales, or dry streambeds to move the water away from the plant. The plant likes poor, infertile soil, so add nutrients to the soil with chemical fertilizer or, better yet, organic compost, aged manure, or fish emulsion. Increasing the pH of the soil is also an important part of a plan to get rid of horsetail because the plant likes acidic soil. Add agricultural lime to the soil two weeks before or after the fertilizer for best results. With this method, the plants will die off on their own, but it could take up to five years. Keeping the greenery and spore cones cut hastens success.
For tips on a variety of gardening topics, see our Plant Information Guides. – Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service
Try this everyday product to get rid of MARE’S TAIL / HORSETAIL #lewisgardenserices
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