[jt69er]

I have "mares tails" coming up through newly laid tarmac, is there anything I can do to prevent more coming up?Weedkiller wont work i'm told!

[Oldtree]

This thread here has a person who has them too and says that a systemic glyphosate weedkiller wont's do it. their suggestion is to use Vitax or Hytrol:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...php?p=72264120

You cant dig them up so you are going to have to get something that will be absorbed by the plants and taken down into the roots to kill it off.

It may be that you could use a combination of glyphsate to weaken them and then at the same time use Vitax or Hytrol.

brusing not breaking the stems may also help pre application.

[jt69er]

thanks for your reply

[Oldtree]

Just found this claim to fame using glufosinate-ammonium:

http://www.progreen.co.uk/Weed-Kille...LT/prod_2.html

But generally it seems that there is a similar problem here as with ivy which is getting the weedkiller to adhere to the plant long enough to be absorbed, due to a waxy coating to the leaf/plant.

I have been contemplating the ivy problem for a while as I lost the gable end of an old stone cottage to it last year. I have spoken to a few older stone masons and the one thing that they all used that they said was the only thing that had any success against ivy was ? (a horrible idea to use nowdays) along with twice the amount of glyphosate. So I am going to try a more ecologicaly sound variation of this idea by spraying vegetable oil along with glyphosate at 40ml per liter onto the ivy to see if I can save the other gable end, cutting wont do it as the ivy is throughout the stone and expanding slowly.

[bbam]

Originally Posted by jt69er

I have "mares tails" coming up through newly laid tarmac, is there anything I can do to prevent more coming up?Weedkiller wont work i'm told!

Firstly be sure you are dealing with a desperate weed. If it is horse tail you need to kill it ASAP and be sure it doesn't get transferred anywhere else in the garden.
If you bruise ye stems it will help it soak in weed killer. It recommend stamping in it or driving on it before spraying and you'll have better results.

Seriously. You need to take this weed in hand. I've seen it ruin gardens as it spreads so easily and is hard to kill. The tinyest piece dropped on soil will grow and spread rapidly.

[Sido]

Horse tails - I'm told that they are very difficult to kill because they are an ancient plant rather than a modern one. Something like dinosaurs used to munch on only smaller.
If its a plant growing through tarmac I suppose the cheapest solution after bruising them would be to put some cheap thin bleach on them or some caustic soda. This will break down any cellulose - (the stuff that plants are made of).

[MayoForSam]

I have a fairly serious problem with mare's tail in my garden too, it has spread a lot recently and I'm worried it will spread under my tarmac driveway.

Someone mentioned this product 'Kurtail' which has gotten some good reviews: http://www.progreen.co.uk/Weed-Kille...ad#read_review

Anyone know if it's available here in Ireland?

[Cardinal Richelieu]

Originally Posted by MayoForSam

I have a fairly serious problem with mare's tail in my garden too, it has spread a lot recently and I'm worried it will spread under my tarmac driveway.

Someone mentioned this product 'Kurtail' which has gotten some good reviews: http://www.progreen.co.uk/Weed-Kille...ad#read_review

Anyone know if it's available here in Ireland?

Nope not licensed but that's only a brand name, the active ingredient glufosinate-ammonium is licensed in another herbicide called Basta for professional use.

http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/getprod.asp?prod=3017

Product Name Basta
PCS No. 90216
Authorization Holder Bayer CropScience Limited
Marketing Company Bayer CropScience Limited
Product Type PPP
Function Herbicide
User Type Professional

Active Substance Content
Glufosinate (- ammonium) 200 g/l

http://www.bayercropscience.ie/labels/Basta.pdf

[Oldtree]

Looks like real nasty stuff on a quick google:

http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/glufosin.htm

Would it work on ivy too I wonder???

[NIMAN]

I have HorseTail on a garden path.

Anyone know if I was to use harsh weedkiller on it, is there any possibility that it might damage the lawn on either side of the path?

[Oldtree]

As long as you are careful to avoid spray drift or splashes then you should be ok. use a long wide piece of cardboard to prevent this on a windless day.

[NIMAN]

Would it do any damage underground i.e. any chance of it speading sidewards while in the soil, thus getting under the lawn? Thats probably a stupid question?

[lottpaul]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

Would it do any damage underground i.e. any chance of it speading sidewards while in the soil, thus getting under the lawn? Thats probably a stupid question?

No - if you follow the instructions carefully there will be no danger of it spreading in the soil. Most weedkillers become inert on contact with the soil and they are only damaging to green leaves etc.

[Prenderb]

We used a glyphosate weedkiller on some behind the shed (before it spread any further) and it seems to have been quite effective for now...

[Oldtree]

Originally Posted by NIMAN

Would it do any damage underground i.e. any chance of it speading sidewards while in the soil, thus getting under the lawn? Thats probably a stupid question?

No, a systemic weedkiller would only kill other plants (usually closely related)that were linked (grafted) by roots to the applied to plants.