How can I get rid of Horsetail Weeds?

[Ron B]

Crowding out with taller plants.

[viking46]

I have tried Roundup and hand pulling for two growing seasons to no avail! Roundup just doesn't work. Coming from the Prairies to Vancouver island - I can say this weed (Horsetail) is the worst I have seen - much worse than anything the Prairies can throw at you. So can anybody help? Something has to be able to kill it - what?

Thanks

[Chris Klapwijk]

Common horsetail, Equisetum arvense was the first vascular plant seen recovering after the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and therein lies the answer.
Equisetum arvense is found in areas with soil with little or no nutritional content, for example, gravel pits. Simply raising the nutritional content of your soil by adding generous quantities of composted materials will, in time, get rid of your horsetail.

[Eric La Fountaine]

This thread was merged to consolidate replies made to a thread in the test-bed. Thus the first reply predates the actual question.

[Lance]

Sheet mulching works fine. It depends upon the size of the area of course. Knock over and spray the offending weed with a high nitrogen (for organic purposes, use Metanaturals 16-0-0) spray. Cover it with thick cardboard, a layer of compost or soil (weedfree!) and whatever good mulch you have handy. This will kill it off quickly, and enrich the soil so that each year, there will be less and less.
In lake'ch
lance

i live in pa- usa and have had horsetail for 3 years now in a flower garden. i would like to know the best way to get rid of this weed once and for all. i would appreciate any help you can give me. thank you riverby@enter.net

[Newt]

Hi Arlene,

If you read all the responses you will find the answer from Chris.

Newt

[viking46]

After some hit and miss - I have found the answer - plain vinegar straight out of the bottle sprayed onto the soil just around the offending weed (s). With no rain in the next 24 hours - they turn brown and die. Also no new ones! Love it!

Then in 2 weeks time I can plant anything and it will grow quite nicely. The dead weed patch is about 2 inches in diameter so nothing nearby gets damaged. I also tried that on some clover in the lawn and it worked too! I think I just put Monsanto (Roundup) out of business!

[Newt]

Hi Viking,

I tell folks to use vinegar all the time! There's even a horticultural vinegar that is 20% acidic as opposed to the 5% household stuff. Glad to know it works on clover too!

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020515.htm

Newt

[Ron B]

Watch you don't acidify your soil with vinegar applications. Horsetail has chambered rootstocks, can renew itself from small sections that were not reached by chemicals that killed the rest. Repeat applications may be necessary. It also gives off spores before the foliage emerges.

[chuckrkc]

You won't get rid of all of it, but I have seen it at several gardeners plant exchanges. The last exchange, the stuff went like wildfire.

Sorry for being a smart alec, but I did learn something from Chris's response as well as Ron B's.

[Just Curious]

Dichlobenil any time know works very well. Situation and rates are key. Depending on soil type, even low rates can keep horsetail in check.

[Ron B]

That is a control for horsetail, not an eradicant. And it affects other plants.

Horsetail is just about the only plant growing on the tailings at the Tacoma smelter. What does that tell you?

[Just Curious]

Another control I've tried is Simple Green. It's a degreaser. You may need more than one application at 25%.

Doesn't affect much else but sometimes mottles leaves a bit.

[Ivygirl]

Originally Posted by viking46

After some hit and miss - I have found the answer - plain vinegar straight out of the bottle sprayed onto the soil just around the offending weed (s). With no rain in the next 24 hours - they turn brown and die. Also no new ones! Love it!

Then in 2 weeks time I can plant anything and it will grow quite nicely. The dead weed patch is about 2 inches in diameter so nothing nearby gets damaged. I also tried that on some clover in the lawn and it worked too! I think I just put Monsanto (Roundup) out of business!

Thank you thankyou! I love this suggestion! I get a liitle horsetail here and there and really hate to use the round up with the animals around but I usually just pull them out..now I will try vinegar! Thanks so much!

[Ron B]

I think glyphosate actually encourages field horsetail by eliminating competing plants.

[jimweed]

Round up does nothing to horsetail, Round up is good as a grassy weed killer. 2,4 -D eliminates horsetail right away, and it won't hurt your turf grasses. And is extremely low in toxicity to people and scientists are trying to find some evidence that it might be slightly toxic to pets. http://www.24d.org/published.htm . Likely your best and safest solution to rid horse tail. Jim. please read feel free to read some of the articles in the link if you think degreasers, and vinagers are any safer then 2,4-D. And it works awesome on horsetail. As well casoron will keep it down once you have removed it. Horsetail is one of the easiest weeds to control. Jim

[Newt]

2,4 -D eliminates horsetail right away, and it won't hurt your turf grasses. And is extremely low in toxicity to people and scientists are trying to find some evidence that it might be slightly toxic to pets.

You decide for yourself. I think I like vinegar better considering

Horsetail is one of the easiest weeds to control

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_...Rec_Id=PC33440

Newt

[jimweed]

{24-D is a chlorophenoxy-herbicide which as a group has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Depending on the degree of exposure periodic medical examination is indicated.} Thats about all I can find in that link that says it poison humans? I guess if you were to acidently drink a bottle of it unmixed, wow, maybe you might have some concern to learn those toxology reports on this pesticide, but were only trying to control a few weeds with a .6% mixture.
Is the general public view on 2,4-D mislead by the word Pesticide? When,

1996
World Health Organization completes its toxicological review of 2,4-D and determines the compound does not present a risk to human health.

2005
EPA releases 2,4-D Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED). EPA's review of human health and environmental data concludes there is no additional evidence that would implicate 2,4-D as a cause of cancer and it does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health when product instructions are followed.

The EPA concluded that acute and short-term margins of exposure for homeowner applications of 2,4-D to lawns were "not of concern." Epidemiological studies of animal and human data by the EPA found no definitive link between human cancer cases and 2,4-D.
"EPA's comprehensive findings are consistent with decisions of other authorities such as the World Health Organization, Health Canada, European Commission and recent studies by the U.S. National Cancer Institute on 2,4-D,"

http://www.24d.org/newsarticles/Page...ad-science.pdf

These are not made up or wrote by me. As far as lawn weed control goes there is no other alternative then hand pulling. And thats about as realistic as a jeweler making his own diamonds. And used properly really causes little concern to pulbic health. Vinager will kill your grass. It might taste a little better.
As for horsetail, they are all rooted together and do need a translocative herbicide to get a good control, burning off the top will not do much. Jim

[Yanzi]

where can I purchase this horticulture vinegar, 20% here in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada?

[Newt]

Yanzi, I found this source in Ontario.
http://www.natural-care.ca/liquid%20products.htm

Here's an interesting conversation. I've selected the parts that pertain to your situation in BC. This first poster lives in BC and the post was from 2006.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...514210084.html

* Posted by squeeze z8 BC (My Page) on
Sat, Jun 10, 06 at 10:49

the only vinegar commonly available [in Canada] is 5-6% acetic acid, which is what is legal for food products - there is a 20% vinegar produced that is commonly called agricultural vinegar, but due to chemical regulations it's only legal most places if it's licensed as an herbicide - if it's available in your area you'll only find it at a nursery that carries a range of farm and garden chems

Bill

* Posted by slacker (My Page) on
Thu, May 1, 08 at 9:19

you can cook down the 5 - 6 % vinager yourself. It is mostly water, if you boil or freeze ( it works both ways ) you can take the water out and be left with a higher concentration.

The water in a gallon of vinager will boil away first or freeze first, the freezing is easiest. I pour a gallon of vineger into a picture, and check it every two hours, as the water begins to freeze just scoop it out.

Just what i have learned since going organic, works at killing dandilions, if you get them when they are young plants

This post was from 2004 and the poster 'trying 2b organic' lives in BC.
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=59477&page=3

trying 2b organic
01-16-2004, 12:10 AM
You may be able to use Horticultural Vinegar without a licence depending on whether your state has an exempted list. Im trying to get it exempted here in British Columbia. For now I cant use "no-name brand" horticultural vinegar to kill weeds because it isnt registered (and therefore has not been tested and proven reasonalbly safe by the govt of canada) and i cant use brand name vinegar like Burn Out because it is a pesticide and i would therefore require a licence. You can try the infra-red burner or any of the propane burners i guess. You can get those for cheap now, they dont work that great however.

Please keep in mind that vinegar at that strength can be very dangerous and you must take precautions not to get it in your eyes or on your skin.

Newt