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Weed. Mares Tail....

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  • 26-08-2008 2:42pm
    #1
    baldbear
    Registered Users Posts: 5,550 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I have a problem with a weed which i think is called Mares Tail, from pictures i have seen on the web. It is really hard to get rid of. I have used Round up on it but it keeps coming back .Does any one have any ideas how to get rid of this weed?
    Oh yes it even comes through tarmac!!!!! :eek:
    Thanks.


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    #2
    itsmedee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19 ✭itsmedee


    hi.


    a bit of a nightmare this weed. I have cleared beds from this before.
    1. improve soil drainage.
    2. Chemical treatment. But you must bruise the weed first. (mares tail has an waxy leave witch has a resistants to chemical).
    3. Using a strimmer is the best way to bruise mares tail.


    Good luck!


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    #3
    Aeneas
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭Aeneas


    baldbear wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have a problem with a weed which i think is called Mares Tail, from pictures i have seen on the web. It is really hard to get rid of. I have used Round up on it but it keeps coming back .Does any one have any ideas how to get rid of this weed?
    Oh yes it even comes through tarmac!!!!! :eek:
    Thanks.

    This is one of the most difficult weeds of all to deal with. I have plenty in my garden and have come to accept that the best I can do is control, not eradicate, it. It's roots are deep - 6ft or more - and those separate plants you see are interconnected underground. If you have a small infestation continuous pulling - thus denying the plant light for photosynthesis - will weaken the plant. But you must remove ALL the plants. If you don't the piece left standing will continue to nourish the plant underground and you will soon be back where you started. And you must pull them up each time they regrow before they are an inch or so tall. Gradually they will reduce in number. The effectiveness of this approcah is shown in a lawn situation where regular mowing reduces radically the number of weeds. But leave the lawn for any period of time and they will be back. Weedkiller like Roundup will help control larger colonies but, as advised above, you will need to bruise the stems and repeat the treatment several times. Even then the plant has a remarkable capacity for recovery. Mares tail (or horsetail) thrive in damp situations and are generally found in wet meadows and on damp land. But where they are already established I am not sure that improved drainage makes much difference.


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    #4
    Minder
    Registered Users Posts: 2,774 ✭✭✭Minder


    baldbear wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have a problem with a weed which i think is called Mares Tail, from pictures i have seen on the web. It is really hard to get rid of. I have used Round up on it but it keeps coming back .Does any one have any ideas how to get rid of this weed?
    Oh yes it even comes through tarmac!!!!! :eek:
    Thanks.

    Where is it growing? Is it growing near any other plants or anything you want to keep?


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    #5
    Shamrogue
    Registered Users Posts: 164 ✭✭Shamrogue


    I've had some success with plain white vinegar. Just spray it on, you may need a second coat a week or two later. If nothing else it will give you an appetite!

    Regards...Sham


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