[Windwillow]

The hayfield is awash with horsetails - hundreds of them in one large area - can anyone advise me on how to get rid of them ? I know they are poisionous to horses.  One site I looked at suggests vinegar

[supplies for smallholders]

Hi,

As per my post on the sheep section:

Basically three options for mares tail....

1...Dig it out - Roots can go down 2 metre +  and if you miss a tiny bit it will be back !

2... Bruise the stems by driving over it several times then spray the whole area - as above will need multiple applications

3...Repeatedly cut the area - keep the area very short, eventually the plant will weaken as it wont have stem / leaves to create food so will die off - this may take two seasons to do.

DON'T ..... Plough and harrow the area - this will chop up the roots and multiply the problem 100 fold!

Someone once told me to put hens on the area, as they will keep it short and it will eventually die off.

Thanks

[Windwillow]

Many thanks, major problem as this is the area I have penned off for hay ! Am at my wits end

[Windwillow]

PS -spray them with what ??

[feldar]

Spray with roundup but add additive  or fairy liquid with it , to breakdown the waxy coating. Then reseed afterwards. You will loose this years crop of hay, but you may catch it before it spreads like wildfire.
Roundup will kill all the plantlife but you can then reseed with a good meadow mix, extreme i know but effective.

[Plantoid]

There may be good news in the offing ..my garden is now 18 inches high in a thick green blanket of horsetail.
The landscape gardeners who are doing a full scale re hatch of my garden to make it disabled  persons workable garden told me that there is a product  that takes three  sessions to do it ..you have to be cohsh  ( is this the correct initials ) registered to get it & have to wear nitrile rubber protection.
I'll see what they say when they come back on Tuesday..


 If they fight shy of trade names etc. I'll try some of my own experiments such as  spray a solution of caustic & a vehicle industrial wash detergent on the stuff to the break the wax coating , then  spray a strong dose of Round up mixed with SBK and paraffin on the caustic treated plants .

Small areas  are treatable by covering in thick black light excluding polythene , leave it in place for four weeks or so and lift it when the horsetail has turned white/pale yellow  ..spray with Round up straight away leave it to the light for 24 hrs and recover for a week , re spray as before and recover , finally lifting the cover after another week.

It appears to have  worked on the small part of the garden I treated but only time will tell..

[northfifeduckling]

ask your local herbalist to pick it all, they might be grateful to get it for free
http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/horsetail-herb.html

if you steep it in water (like nettle or comfrey brew) it is also a strong antifungal for the garden.

I know that does not help you with your hay and horses but what else is there than what a celeb gardenener advised : "Move house"??