Weed Ident

bauderline

Hi Folks,

Can anyone identify this strange looking weed which comes back every year in a damp part of my garden, it's very unusual looking at least to me.

Also what is the best way to annihilate it !?

Thanks!

Best regards, B.

tphase

I'm no expert but it looks like horsetail
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/controlling-horsetail-plants-28748.html

bauderline

I think you are correct, a quick google seems to confirm it. Will try to treat with brushwood weedkiller. Thanks!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's horsetail and difficult to eradicate. Even roundup will take a few applications and is best applied in late summer. Digging out is troublesome as the rhizomes are deep and if broken and small pieces are left they will sprout. It's fast spreading too. A real pest.

Holy Diver

bauderline wrote: »

I think you are correct, a quick google seems to confirm it. Will try to treat with brushwood weedkiller. Thanks!

You’ve a serious amount of willowherb going on also! A lesser evil I’m sure!

Conflats

What do you use this part of the garden for? Do you spray roundup on it regularly?

Have had marestail in areas along fences which would have got roundup to keep out weeds. Found a 2,4D containing product sprayed early in the year helped to get it under control after a few applications reduced to reoccurance

my3cents

LOL you'll never get rid of that Horsetail you might after a few years get on top of it enough to say you have it under control.

I had it in a garden in the UK and sprayed a big patch of it at least twice a year with Roundup (some years every two weeks) for TEN years and it was still coming up.

I would honestly say Japanese knotweed is easier to control but at least most Equisetum spp are less invasive and create smaller plants.

I don't think there is anything to be gained OP by spraying the fruiting bodies which is what you can see in your picture, although nothing to be lost either. The green "leaves" will emerge in a couple of weeks.

The problem is that the plants just don't absorb weedkillers well because of their prehistoric make up of a glass like Silica with a waxy outer layer (up to 25% of the plant by dry weight can be Silicon). If you can trample or roll the weeds before spraying you damage the outer Silica layer and can increase the weedkiller uptake. The technique I have used which also seems to increase uptake is to spray early in the morning when the plants are still covered in dew but that might just be wishful thinking.

As I've mentioned Roundup (Glyphosate) only controls Horsetail but I believe the use of Kurtail (Glufosinate-ammonium) can lead to much better results and even total eradication. Your problem may be getting hold of Kurtail which afaik is only available in the UK http://www.thegardenshop.ie/mares-tail/ . I've had good control with weedkillers containing triclopyr it will keep the weed down for 3 months or maybe a whole season but it often returns hardly damaged the following year.