Horsetail in the garden, how to get rid of the weed. How to get rid of horsetail
Horsetail is a very harmful weed that produces spore-bearing shoots in various parts of the garden, starting in mid-May. The plant is dangerous because its growing rhizomes draw all the moisture from the ground and deplete the soil, preventing cultivated plants from developing normally.
When digging (both spring and autumn), horsetail roots are hardly noticeable, so it is difficult to select them. Meanwhile, they can go into the soil to a depth of 40-60 cm or even 1 m. It is very difficult to dig up the ground to such a depth. Thus, the shovel does not reach the rhizomes of the weed, and it quietly reproduces, populating new territories. Therefore, there are several rules for preparing the soil on the site, following which you can protect the site from horsetail.
Principles of soil preparation
1. When using imported soil, make sure that it does not contain inconspicuous blackish horsetail rhizomes. Otherwise, the plant will settle on your site, and it will be difficult to get rid of it.
2. Lime the soil to create unfavorable conditions for horsetail to grow. Usually calcium-containing preparations (lime, chalk, ash, dolomite flour).
If horsetail grows on the site, it means the soil is acidic
The most popular and most convenient remedy is dolomite flour. Indeed, in addition to reducing acidity, it also improves the structure of the soil and enriches it with magnesium. And, unlike lime, dolomite flour can be added at any time of the year.
The table shows approximate doses of dolomite flour during liming different types soil.
3. Be consistent. In the first year, apply the full dose of liming materials, and in the next 2-3 years - no more than half. It is preferable to do this in the spring. If you alternate this activity with weeding out the green stems of horsetail, then after 3-4 years you can get rid of this insidious weed completely.
What medications will get rid of horsetail?
Since horsetail is a spore plant and not a flowering plant, the use of Tornado or Roundup is ineffective. Horsetail can only be destroyed by using a large dose (4 ml/10 sq.m.) of a more powerful herbicide, such as Glyphos. But in this case, there is a high probability of hazardous chemicals getting into not only the soil, but also vegetables and fruits.
Horsetail does not get along with plants of the Cruciferous family: winter rapeseed, oilseed radish, white mustard. Therefore, in order to protect the site from weeds, after harvesting, these plants can be sown in empty beds. Winter rye has the same property.
Medicinal properties of horsetail
On the one hand, horsetail is a malicious weed that takes nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus from the soil and accumulates them in its nodules.
On the other hand, it is unique treatment plant, which contains a large number of valuable substances, as well as silicic acid, which the human body really needs. It is necessary for the construction of the skeleton, the functioning of mucous membranes, the healing of wounds and damage to the walls of blood vessels. Silicon compounds contained in horsetail prevent the formation of kidney stones. It is especially effective for diseases of the urinary tract.
For cooking medicinal tea from horsetail 1-2 tsp. dried chopped herbs pour 250 ml hot water, leave for 30 minutes and filter. It is recommended to drink up to 3 cups of this drug per day.
Of course, for an ordinary summer resident, horsetail is a weed that harms plantings. Therefore, carefully check the brought soil, monitor the acidity of the soil and promptly get rid of “accidental” weeds before they have time to fill the entire area.
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Horsetail is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Equisetaceae family, which has about thirty different species and is one of the oldest plant crops on our planet. This aggressive and at the same time useful weed consists of a long (about 100 cm) creeping branched rhizome and succulent erect shoots - “fir trees” (30 to 50 cm long) with a spike-shaped inflorescence at the top. This unpretentious and tenacious plant easily tolerates frosty winters and high summer temperatures; it is not afraid of even forest fires. Grass grows on any soil, but feels more favorable on moist soils. forest areas, as well as in meadows, along roads and in vegetable gardens.
Horsetail in a country house, garden or garden is a serious problem and a cause for concern. The weed reproduces by spores and rhizomes, so it spreads easily and very quickly over a vast area and significantly reduces the quantity and quality of the expected harvest. Its main diet is: useful components like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The root system of weeds absorbs all these beneficial substances from the soil, leaving garden crops without fertilizing. Vegetable plants stop their full development and growth.
Popular species in our country are “Meadow” and “Bolotny” horsetail, and in the dachas of the Moscow region you can most often find “Polevoy” (or “Ordinary”) horsetail. People have many different names for this weed plant - swamp column, cat's tail, pusher, earthen cone, field spruce, ponytail, panicle and many others.
The main feature of horsetail is the ability of its reproductive organs long time maintain their vitality and survivability due to their deep burial in the soil. When adjacent to other weeds (for example, fescue and wheatgrass), horsetail can form real dense thickets that are not afraid of drought or excess moisture, sun or shade. To get rid of this culture completely will require a lot of effort and patience, as well as a comprehensive, timely and systematic approach.
Ways to control weeds
Since the weed culture feels more favorable on moist soils, one of the measures to combat it is to drain the waterlogged area.
Covering areas with horsetail thickets and row spacing with dense, light-proof material (for example, plastic film black or pieces of plywood) also leads to good results. Herbaceous crops do not have access to light, heat under cover it simply burns them out - all this ultimately leads to the death of most of the weeds.
Mulching beds performs two functions at once - it protects against weeds and feeds the soil. As mulch, it is recommended to use crushed tree bark or shavings, spruce or pine needles, small tree branches, dry grass, straw and even small river pebbles. First, you need to lay out geotextiles or spunbond, and on top of it a layer of 5–7 cm of mulch. Such an obstacle is too tough for the horsetail.
After harvesting vegetables, you can prepare the area for the next season by sowing it with any plants from the Cruciferous family. The roots of crops such as mustard, radish or rapeseed secrete substances that many weeds, including horsetail, do not like. Weeds do not grow in such a neighborhood.
There is another simple, proven method. Need to dig deep land plot, simultaneously carefully selecting all the roots of perennial plants, and then adding a large amount of wood ash to the soil. You can replace deep tillage with soil deoxidation by adding slaked lime or dolomite flour.
Treatment of soil with weeds with chemical preparations “Zenkor”, “Agrokiller”, “Prima”, “Hurricane”, “Roundup” and “Glyphos” gives good efficiency.
Special preventive measures to combat weeds will help to reduce the amount of horsetail in the country house or garden many times over. The most popular are repeated liming of the soil (over 2–3 years) and maintaining a stable level of soil acidity. For each square meter soil will require from 500g to 2kg of lime. If you add regular weeding to this, then gradually their number will become minimal.
Is there any benefit from it?
Horsetail is used in official and folk medicine in dry and fresh, in tinctures and ointments, decoctions and teas, in the form of compresses and powders, lotions and baths.
The herb is used in cooking, cosmetology and as a “medicine” in floriculture.
The war against weeds in gardens will always be relevant. That is why more and more chemicals. But, before purchasing them, you need to familiarize yourself with each weed separately so that the fight against it is effective.
Horsetail is known to many gardeners. This herbaceous plant has many other names. Among them: pestle, herringbone, tin grass, cat's tail, panicle, etc. In the garden, horsetail cannot be confused with other weeds because of its noticeable appearance.
How to get rid of horsetail in the garden is a question that worries many gardeners. It's definitely not easy. The thing is that the plant can develop on the site for a long time, spread thanks to spores, and put down powerful roots with tubers deep into the ground. Therefore, you can get rid of it by performing complex actions.
Horsetail is one of the oldest perennial plants. Its age is more than 400 million years. Grass covered part of the land even during the time of dinosaurs.
Among the characteristic features of the plant is its unusual appearance, methods of reproduction. It is noteworthy that horsetail shoots come in two varieties. The plant looks different in spring and summer. The only thing that spring and summer horsetail have in common is a jointed stem consisting of nodes.
Varieties of horsetail:
- spring shoot is generative or spore-bearing. It ensures grass reproduction;
- summer shoot is vegetative or photosynthetic. Its task is to stock up on nutrients and grow a long root.
Spring shoots are also called pistils. They are eaten. They taste a little like bread. There is no chlorophyll in generative shoots. Color - gray, slightly brownish, there are shades of dirty pink.
In appearance, it is a straight stem without ordinary leaves. Instead of leaves, the stem is covered with girdling teeth. Top part shoot - ovoid spike or strobile. It contains millions of spores. They are very small and weightless. The wind carries them over long distances. Some disappear because they are viable for only two days. Where they fall into favorable wet soil, a new horsetail will appear.
Freshly sprouted horsetail is completely different from its older brothers. It is a green stalk 2-4 mm long. This is a gametophyte. It contains an egg and sperm. When it rains, the egg is fertilized. Afterwards, a sporophyte appears in place of the gametophyte. This is already an ordinary horsetail.
The peculiarity of the spring shoot is that it lives for about a month or a little more. Then it dries up. In summer, a vegetative shoot of horsetail appears in place of the pistils. It looks like a dwarf Christmas tree or pine tree. Stem height is from 10 to 40 centimeters. It develops teeth, multifaceted side shoots. The color of the plant is rich emerald.
The lower part of the shoot is represented by a long rhizome. Its length can reach more than half a meter. There are small tubers on the roots. They form nutrients. The tubers separate from the plant and develop independently. That is why the weed is very tenacious.
Another one characteristic feature plants is that it can be found all over the world. It loves sun and moist, sandy, acidic soils. It tolerates drought or prolonged downpours without problems. He loves to settle on peat bogs. It is from these developed areas that peat soil is extracted for the garden, which is ordered by summer residents. Through the brought soil, horsetail ends up in the garden. In order to reduce this likelihood, gardeners need to carefully inspect the brought nutrient soil. The weed's long, strong, dark-colored roots are quite noticeable.
The composition of horsetail is rich. It contains fatty acids, glucose, lignin, pectin, vitamin C, and organic acids.
Why is horsetail dangerous?
This is a weed. Its danger is that, when it appears in the garden, it interferes with the full development of vegetable crops. The weed takes away moisture and nutrients that were intended for potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. As a result, summer residents receive a smaller harvest than expected.
Horsetail spreads very quickly, occupying a large area in the garden. It impoverishes the land, depriving it of fertility.
The unpleasant feature of horsetail is that it is difficult to fight. In order for the weed to disappear, it is not enough to treat the area with chemicals or plow it. We need an integrated approach.
The plant, despite the fact that it clogs plantings, is often used in folk medicine. Experts advise using decoctions of green shoots with caution. They can be dangerous. They have toxic substances, which accumulate in the human body. The result is poisoning. You cannot treat with horsetail for more than two to three weeks.
Decoctions should not be drunk by pregnant women, nursing mothers, or people with low blood pressure. The plant will only bring harm to these categories. It is better to consult a therapist before self-medicating with horsetail.
Vegetation control methods
How to deal with horsetail garden plot? Firstly, it is worth understanding that this needs to be done as early as possible. The property of the plant is an annual increase in number. Secondly, the usual methods used to combat weeds are not enough. Thirdly, you can only get rid of it through comprehensive vegetation control measures. Control measures should not be one-time, but permanent. You need to do this until the area is completely free of dangerous, annoying weeds.
Among the methods of struggle are:
- Reducing soil acidity.
- Application of chemistry.
- Biological methods.
Some gardeners are not aware of the acidity of the soil they cultivate. Although it's quite important indicator affecting productivity and weed distribution. Typically, high acidity of the soil occurs where it is too humid, and there is often rainy weather. Calcium is lost due to water. She washes it off.
In acidic soil, horsetail will begin to spread very quickly, taking over the area. It is this weed that will inform the owner of a field or plot about the increased acidity of the soil without any analysis.
To drive a weed out of the garden, soil deoxidation is required. In other words, you need to adjust the soil composition, making it neutral or slightly acidic. It is not difficult. However, the process is long. It can take from several months to 1-3 years.
Substances that help reduce acidity:
- Ash.
- Slaked lime.
- Plaster.
- Dolomite flour.
- Special deoxidizers.
- Cement dust.
If lime is taken, then about 0.6 kg is needed. per one square meter. The owner of the site scatters it evenly on the soil. Afterwards watering is carried out. It is believed that it is best to deoxidize the soil with lime in the fall, since in summer it can damage the root systems of vegetable crops. This procedure with lime is carried out every 3 years.
Chalk, dolomite flour, old plaster scattered throughout the garden in a ratio of 300 grams per square meter. Deoxidizing drugs, which can be bought in specialized stores, are used according to the instructions.
Reducing the acidity of the soil helps fight horsetail with constant weeding and digging of the garden.
Chemicals
In addition to soil deoxidation, gardeners can use various chemicals to combat horsetail. Herbicides are effective because they remove not only the plants themselves, but also spores and root tubers.
Herbicide Prima
A chemical made from powerful components. In a short period of time it penetrates the weed and stops its growth. Death will occur within 2 weeks. The advantages of the drug are that it is not afraid of precipitation in the form of rain due to its rapid penetration into horsetail or other weeds. At the same time, the chemical quickly disintegrates in the soil and does not affect its fertility. Does not affect insects. The disadvantage is that Prima's properties are reduced during frosts.
Ground
This is a continuous action herbicide. Kills like vegetable crops, and so are weeds. The advantage of the drug is that it effectively rids the garden of any harmful weeds and does not pollute environment, safe for the crop. This product has a significant advantage - it is not too expensive. The ground is applied in the spring, before planting, or after harvesting. It is sprayed over the soil. Can be applied directly to the weeds themselves. The disadvantage of Ground is that insects may suffer when using it.
Zenkor
A time-tested weed control product. Selective action herbicide. It only fights weeds. It can be used before planting and after the emergence of green shoots of agricultural crops. The drug is completely harmless to vegetables and poisonous to weeds. After the product penetrates the weed, the pest turns yellow, withers, and dies. The advantage of this drug is that it penetrates deep into the ground and has a detrimental effect on plant roots. Non-toxic for humans and insects. Among the disadvantages of Zenkor is the low effectiveness of the drug in greenhouses; in hot weather, the product can damage some hybrids.
Stomp
Selective broad-spectrum herbicide. It can be used to control a wide variety of weeds. He will not touch vegetable crops. Its disadvantages are that in hot, dry weather the product will not penetrate to the roots of the weed, but will remain on the surface of the soil.
Agrokiller
Effective against weeds and safe for other plants. Its active substance penetrates the weed, spreading along the stem, leaves, roots and destroys them. Agrokiller is sprayed onto the soil with weeds until other plants are planted. After 2 weeks, the garden can be planted. The disadvantage of the drug is that it is suitable for one-time use. Only if the product is sprayed once, it does not have a detrimental effect on vegetable crops or soil quality. In addition, the prepared solution cannot be stored. It must be used immediately for its intended purpose.
Lontrel-300
He is selective. Its advantages are: non-toxic, not afraid of rain, destroys harmful plants in a short period of time, penetrates into the roots. Lontrel-300 is profitable to buy. It takes very little to cultivate a large plot of land. One liter of product is used for 3 hectares of land. The drug is often used to feed beets. To do this, it is mixed with fertilizers. The disadvantages of the drug are that it is used only once.
Roundup, according to reviews, is considered effective in combating the most annoying weeds. It should only be applied to weeds. Otherwise it will hurt horticultural crops. The advantage of the drug is that after it you do not need to carefully dig up the soil several times. Disadvantages: long lasting effect. weed It begins to fade only after 4-5 days. The disadvantage of Roundup is that it is afraid of rain, which washes away the active substances from plants. In dry weather it is also used with caution. The procedure is best done early in the morning or in the evening.
Tornado is a continuous action herbicide, ideal for killing hard-to-eradicate weeds. Among which is horsetail. Two cultivations of the land are required. The first is carried out in the spring before vegetable crops are planted. The second is after harvesting. The advantages of the drug are that it does not accumulate in the soil and spreads throughout the entire plant - from leaves to deep roots. Disadvantages - it must be applied directly to the weeds; it will not penetrate through the ground to the roots.
Biological methods
A characteristic feature of horsetail is that it cannot grow next to some plants. For example, cabbage, mustard, radish, horseradish. Therefore, in addition to all other actions aimed at controlling the weed, these crops need to be planted on the site.
The listed methods will help gardeners master the science of how to get rid of horsetail in the garden forever. The main thing is not to give up, but to fight the weed. Then the result of the work will not be long in coming.
Cat's eye, mop grass, broom, tin grass, horse tail... All these wonderful and very extraordinary names belong to such a plant as horsetail. Medicines produced on the basis of tin herb can effectively combat diseases such as cholelithiasis, diarrhea, eczema, dermatitis, trophic ulcers, lichen and other ailments. However, there is another side to this herbaceous plant. Horsetail is a garden weed, and difficult to remove.
Horsetail can get into the garden along with the applied soil. For example, this plant loves to settle on developed peatlands, from where soil is often brought for garden plantings. Before adding soil to your plot, you need to make sure that horsetail rhizomes are not “hidden” in it. Calculating them is not so easy; to do this, you need to carefully sort through most of the soil.
It can be quite difficult to find signs of horsetail during the annual digging of the site (both spring and autumn). The fact is that root system of this plant can lie at a depth of forty to sixty centimeters. Unfortunately, with the help of a shovel, it is simply impossible to reach the rhizomes, so this weed continues to live and develop quietly in the garden plot. To avoid its spread, you need to learn how to properly, and most importantly, deal with this plant in a timely and effective manner.
Methods for controlling horsetail
1. Chemicals
Horsetail belongs to herbaceous plants, which do not have flowers, but reproduce by spores. To destroy it, drugs such as Glyphos are suitable. This aqueous solution is used to destroy annual and perennial weeds. Belonging to class IV hazardous substances Glyphos does not harm beneficial insects (such as bees). The action of the drug is aimed at blocking the synthesis of aromatic amino acids occurring in horsetail. The consequence of this is the gradual death and then death of the plant.
It is preferable to apply glyphos and other herbicides in the evening. It will be simply wonderful if the weather on this day is calm and windless. During processing, the gardener should protect his hands with rubber gloves. Do not spray during or after rain, or during periods of drought.
2. Undesirable neighborhood
There are plants that horsetail does not tolerate. These include almost all representatives of the Cruciferous family: oilseed radish, winter rape, white mustard and others. In those places personal plot where the appearance of horsetail was noticed, next year you need to plant any of the cruciferous plants. The fact is that the root secretions of radish, rapeseed and other crops can suppress weeds. Such a neighborhood will lead to almost one hundred percent death of horsetail.
3. Reducing soil acidity
As you know, horsetail prefers to grow in soils with high acidity. Therefore, this indicator needs to be gradually reduced. By the way, the process of reducing acidity is a long one, it can take from six months to several years. In order not to act blindly, it is preferable to initially calculate the general acidity of the soils on the site. Lime should be added to the soil over several years. Calculation: two - three kilograms of lime per square meter in the first year and five hundred grams in the second - third year. If the procedure for reducing acidity is combined with regular weeding, then in a couple of years there will be no trace of horsetail in the garden.
In the fight against a weed such as horsetail, the main thing is to carry out work on an ongoing basis. Under no circumstances should you leave your garden unprepared after harvesting. The soil should be carefully dug up, and when the first shoots of horsetail appear, they should be destroyed immediately. Comprehensive measures will allow the gardener to forget about the weed plant for a long time!
Also called tin grass, cat's eye grass, mop grass, broom grass, ponytail grass. It is the basis for the manufacture medicines, which have an effective effect in the fight against cholelithiasis, diarrhea, eczema, dermatitis, lichen and other diseases. But such on the positive side this herb is sharply contrasted with its very big drawback- horsetail is a garden plant, which is sometimes very difficult to get rid of.
Description of the plant
This is a perennial spore-forming herb that reaches a height of 40-50 cm. It has a long creeping rhizome, on which small tuberous shoots are formed, with the help of which vegetative propagation herbs. Aboveground shoots are dimorphic, that is, they can be generative and vegetative.
Generative ones are presented in a brownish or pink color, have brown leaf teeth in the shape of a triangle; vegetative - green, erect, empty, have a pointed apex. Reproduction occurs by spores, after which they ripen and die completely. But after a few weeks the bushes become green again. Then the formation of lateral branches occurs, which are practically indistinguishable in appearance from the appearance of vegetative processes.
Did you know? Horsetail is one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet, its age is approximately 400 million years, it is even older than dinosaurs.
Horsetail grows in the subarctic, temperate and tropical climates of Eurasia, throughout North America. Ideal conditions for him are sandy moistened ones. Widespread in non-traditional.
Why is horsetail dangerous?
In addition to the fact that this grass is annoying and poisons the lives of all gardeners, it should be remembered that it poisonous. Horsetail spreads very quickly in the soil; it is enough to get a few spores into the soil, and expect next year abundant growth this. At the same time, it is difficult to eradicate; even the most proven and popular remedies do not always help with this problem. All you need is a systematic approach and the use of comprehensive methods to combat this unwanted inhabitant of yours. 
Vegetation control methods
As you dig up yours every year, you may find it difficult to spot signs of this weed. Its root shoots are located at a depth of 40-60 cm, where it is difficult to reach with an ordinary shovel. As a result, horsetail lives and grows in your garden. Only timely and systematic application effective methods combating it will help prevent its active spread. Let's consider several ways.
Reduced acidity
Everyone knows that horsetail grows in soils with increased acidity. Therefore, to get rid of it, this indicator must be gradually reduced. Remember that the reduction process is very long and can last from 5-6 months to a couple of years.
To do this, add slaked lime or slaked lime to the soil. Such components will help solve the problem. The main thing is to correctly calculate the dosage: 2-3 kg of limestone per 1 square meter in the first year and 500 g in the second or third year. If you combine the procedure with regular weeding, then in a few years this problem will disappear forever. 
Did you know?In Japan, horsetail stems are boiled in a special way, and they are used to polish wooden objects of applied art, which gives them an exquisite and unusual shine.
Chemicals
Horsetail belongs to the class that does not have flowers and reproduces by spores. In order to completely get rid of it in the garden, use those that kill different kinds weeds. Most of their varieties belong to class IV in terms of the hazard of substances and are harmless to such beneficial insects, How . These types of drugs block the synthesis of aromatic amino acids that occurs in this herb. As a result, the weed gradually dies and dies.
Carry out herbicide treatment in the evening. Especially good condition there will be calm weather without wind and precipitation.
Important!You can get rid of this grass using potent herbicides (Glyphos or) with a high content chemical substance(about 10 liters per hectare). But this increases the likelihood that harmful substances will end up both in and in the harvest itself.
Biological methods
If you are thinking about how to get rid of horsetail in the garden, then the family will come to your aid Cruciferous plants. Its representatives are the worst enemies for the horsetail; it cannot stand being near them. 
If you notice the preconditions for the appearance of a weed in your own garden, then be sure to plant the seeds of Cruciferous plants the next season. This is due to the fact that they have special secretions from the rhizomes that can suppress weeds. This method will lead to the almost complete disappearance of the annoying horsetail.
It is worth trying another method of dealing with the plant - or covering the places where it grows with black polyethylene. In this case, organic and inert substances can be used. Drain areas of the soil where moisture levels are higher than normal.
A little about the beneficial properties
Horsetail has become famous as a real “healer” thanks to its unique medicinal properties.
The herb is widely used as an anti-inflammatory and diuretic for pain in the bladder and kidneys, has a cardiotonic and restorative effect. Infusions from such a plant, firstly, improve metabolic processes, and secondly, rid the body of excess fluid, thereby reducing swelling of the body and internal organs.