How to speed up your mowing
02 May 2024
There are two species of horsetail/marestail, field (Equisetum arvense) and giant horsetail (E. telmateia), whose tendency to take over patches of ground with their impenetrable stems presents a real challenge to gardeners. Horsetails are very deep-rooted, with wiry rhizomes that penetrate to two metres or more and can regenerate from deep down to form new plants. They can persist for years, even if the top growth is suppressed.
Horsetails are very deep-rooted, with wiry rhizomes that penetrate to two metres or more and can regenerate from deep down to form new plants. They can persist for years, even if the top growth is suppressed.
When Which? Gardening magazine trialled different methods for controlling horsetail, we found that spraying with Vitax SBK weedkiller after trampling plants had the most immediate impact, rapidly reducing the number of weeds.
The best chemical-free method for organic gardeners is digging up by the root. You might not be able to get it all, but it will weaken the plant over time. Take care not to leave bits of root behind as they will resprout and could make things worse.
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Glyphosate is effective at killing off the top growth, but takes longer than Vitax SBK and digging to have a significant impact on the number of stems, depending on the application method. Glyphosate gel is tricky to apply to the narrow stems and left us with a horsetail-infested plot all summer in our trial.
The main concern is that glyphosate can cause cancer. A second concern is the negative effect glyphosate use has on bee health. However it is legal to use. Find out more about glyphosate.
Burning has a limited effect and becomes trickier as the weeds grow taller through the growing season.