Equisetum arvense

Good afternoon all! Managed to spend a few hours in the garden this morning and tackled the Horsetail Grass growing in a border I've been unable to spray with weedkiller! I pulled out a wheelie bin full, but no doubt it'll be back before summer is over! Hopefully the Sweet Peas and Morning Glory I planted will have made their way up the fence by then! 😀 #horsetailgrass #bigemrghorsetail

@columbiariver - It certainly was Laura! I didn't plant the Sweet Peas until I'd removed the Horsetail Grass, so they were getting plenty of light in my growhouse! 😀

Beautiful Shot

I feel your pain Ian next doors empty property is getting higher too I'm spraying what's headed into mine but mines coming up between plants in back so just pulling it out where I can 😟

@Keely - That's really annoying Keely! What are you spraying it with? The only weedkiller I've got to work is Kurtail! 😀

Evening Ian @bigemrg Good lord that looks a nightmare, you’ve done a Great job pulling it up annoying if it comes back 😠 Oh dear keely @keely that’s the last thing you want in your garden 😠

@jadojado29 - Evening Suzie! Thanks! Nightmare is exactly the right word! If I don't touch it, it'll be the same height within a month or so! 😢

@bigemrg gylsophate but it doesn't kill it off tbh it still comes back too much of it in neighbours to kill it off think you just have to work with it as it grows 2m below ground so I just pull it out as and when I see it 😟

@Keely - I can recommend a product called Kurtail - think it's called Kurtail Gold now! I bought a litre bottle about three years ago and I've still got more than half the bottle left! It's quite expensive, but you dilute a cap full with a litre of water so it lasts a lot longer than regular weedkiller! It works too, just couldn't spray this area as I had other plants amongst it! 😀

I will be telling new buyers next door about that tgry complete in house on Tuesday thank you going to save it for name 👍

@Keely - You're welcome Keely! It doesn't get rid of it permanently, but if you spray it when it's about 4 - 6 inches in height, it will kill it off for that season. Like you say, the trouble is that other roots are so deep, they sprout new shoots next year! Still, it's better than nothing! 😀

😮🙈

Good morning GTers! Would you believe it? Everything in the garden is running about a month late this year, but look what's turned up already! My heart sank when I found Horsetail Grass #strobilus popping up all over the place! I'm hoping I get to see my Tulips before this horrible stuff takes over! Have a lovely Sunday everyone! 😀 #horsetailgrass #bigemrghorsetail #newgrowth

Morning Ian. I have some lovely specimen of dandelion too 😉 and also not too many tulips yet. Although it was nice to be out there yesterday.

@charlottejhurst - Morning Charlotte! I'll swap this for your Dandelions any time! Yes, the sunny garden was rather pleasant yesterday! 😀

Oh no... 🙁🙁🙁 but fab pic!! #bestofapril

@brightcolours - Thanks Katie! 😀

Morning Ian , aggghhh !

@juliesgarden - Morning Julie! My thoughts exactly! 😀

Good morning Ian. Oh no ....the dreaded Horsetail Grass!!! Such a hateful weed. Hope you can control it until your TULIPS show .....enjoy your day 👋😊🌷

I'm having a nightmare with buttercups trying to take over my circular border in the grass. I should be grateful it's not horsetail grass as I've heard it's a nightmare. Good luck getting rid of it 😁

Yep despite digging out an entire bed, removing as much as possible as re planting still it has come back - it’s the cockroach of the weed world!

Oh bummer 🤬 Mr dare I say fab pic though 🤷‍♀️😉

My mum sprays her horsetail with cillet bang to kill it!!

Okay, it has now been two weeks since I sprayed this area of horsetail grass with Kurtail! It has been too wet to spray again but I don't think it will need it! I only sprayed the tops of the plants but they have now turned completely black and there has been no new growth! When it dries up I'll definitely be spraying the rest of the stuff! Let me know if you decide to use Kurtail and how you get on! I'm extremely pleased with it so far! 😀

@beckers1974 @nikk16 @Keely @titchyfra @richard.spicer.7906 @vespa @stergio @mrsflowerpot @carolecuttingitfine @mikethegardener - Another Kurtail vs horsetail grass update! 😀

Forgot to say, it doesn't seem to have effected any of my other plants that are in close proximity although I was careful not to spray directly onto them!

Love hearing good news

👏👏👏😁😁😁Winning the fight!

I'm wondering if it would be effective on some of my ivy? I want to leave most of it for the wildlife but in some places it's neither use nor ornament. I'm guessing it's a non-residual like glyphosate? Where did you find it, I had a look on Amazon but no luck.

@kathy - Thanks Kathy! Just wish it would dry up and let me get on with it! 😀

@tash74 - Thanks Natasha! I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere in ridding the garden of it! 😀

It's horrible having such pernicious weeds, I have bindweed, brambles, elder and couch all in my garden but luckily all in relatively small amounts that I should be able to get under control in the next 12 months.

@tash74 - Kurtail is specifically for horsetail and marestail but they do all sorts of specialised weedkiller! I got it from a company called Pro Green, and you can find their website here: https://www.progreen.co.uk/

Thanks Ian! Will check them out.

@bigemrg does Kurtail work on brambles??

So, it has been a week since I sprayed the evil horsetail grass with a product called Kurtail, and to my absolute delight, look what has started to happen! I shall repeat the application next week then hopefully I'll be rid of the stuff in this area of the garden for good - fingers crossed! I can then get on and do the rest of the garden! Happy days! 😀

@nikk16 @Keely @titchyfra @richard.spicer.7906 @vespa @stergio - You guys may be interested in this! 😀

Good luck, I'll be interested to see how you get on as if this works I'll be using it too! It's such a horrible invasive weed, I really hope it's a success. 👍🏻👍🏻

@mrsflowerpot - It has certainly done more damage than any other weedkiller I've used, and I've tried loads!

Oooooh I'm gonna give it a try on one of my clients gardens then, they have a real problem with it growing through there block paved drive! Thanks 👌🏼👌🏼

Wow that is brill i would have to spray all my neighbours though as that is where mine comes from it is never ending although only odd spike here there and everywhere. Did you buy it online?

Looking promising Ian so far, hope it pays off in the end 😀👍🏼

@mrsflowerpot @Keely - I got it online here: https://www.progreen.co.uk/

That's good strong stuff by the looks of it well done🤗

@richard.spicer.7906 @godfreye - Am very excited about developments! 😀

That looks promising @bigemrg 👏👍 hope they don't sell out lol 😂

@titchyfra - It does! I'm already dreaming of a horsetail grass free life! Dilutes 25ml per litre of water and that can treat 100 square metres I think! My one litre bottle should last a while! 😀

Good afternoon everyone! This is the time of the year I dread - horsetail grass growing season! I've let it grow so far this year as I have a product called Kurtail that is supposed to kill it for good, but it needs to be applied to established growth! It breaks my heart to see this in my garden but I'll try anything that may rid me of the stuff! So, I'm donning my marigolds and heading out with a spray bottle full of what will hopefully be deadly to my nemesis! Wish me luck! 😀

Good luck! Hope it works. Horsetail is creeping in from our neighbours garden, needless to say I am not happy.

Good luck, my nightmare is bindweed, comes in from the field behind me, it strangles plants 😱

Good luck Ian. I have the same issue @katgreen

@nikk16 - Oh dear! I'd try and stop it before it turns into epidemic levels! It's awful stuff! Do your neighbours understand what it is? Are they willing to try and deal with it?

@katgreen @sara2309 - Sorry to hear that Kathryn and Sara! Not sure what you can do with that other than dig it out!

Good luck

Unfortunately my neighbour cuts his lawn once a year at best and lets the hedge grow to enormous heights so there's no chance of him bothering about the weeds unfortunately. :-(

Thanks @tina 😀

@nikk16 - Oh no! Hope you can restrict it somehow! Watch this space to see how the Kurtail works out! 😀

@bigemrg Ian I hope get rid of for good bindweed & ivy is a pain in the 😉 for me lol 😂

@clickchick - Thanks Jean! We all have our crosses to bear! lol 😁

Help me identify this plant - this is a type of horsetail grass (equisetum) that is the bane of my gardening life! It's arrived early this year too! I must spend several hours a week pulling it out during the summer months! It's awful stuff and I sympathise with anyone who is plagued by it! #weed #nightmare

It's horrible stuff

Yes it is @joanboston - the roots go so deep you can't dig them out and if you cut through them you end up with more plants! It grew through my four layers of weed suppression matting and three inches of gravel in just one season too!

Can't like that! I thought I had problems with vine weavil

Ugh, your photo filled me with horror. No sign of mine yet but I'm sure it's on its way. Mine has come through slabs by finding any gaps. The only place it's under control is the lawn. Doesn't like the mower. If only I could mow the borders.

@vespa My only safe haven is the pond area, although I'm sure it will find its way through the liner one day! It's already come through the gaps in my slabs around the pond too! You have my sympathies!

Hmm, I need to check something in the garden which has suddenly appeared and looks a little like this. Never seen it before in previous years. Before the bud opens, is it quite sticky? @bigemrg

@richard.spicer.7906 - This isn't a bud it's some sort of seed spore, and yes it's a bit sticky! I pull these out as soon as I see them before they can propagate even faster! Fingers crossed you don't have them!

#plantID_weed #equisetum #HorsetailGrass

Hey @richard.spicer.7906 did you ever work out whether or not you had this?

Not yet, I meant to look tonight but home late after dark. Will try and take a peek in the morning before work 👍🏼

@richard.spicer.7906 - Okay! I pulled out about 20 more this afternoon - notably not all were sticky! They're popping up all over the garden unfortunately...