Mare's Tail and Ways to Control it Organically

Mare's Tail and Ways to Control it Organically

a large bunch of mares tail

Q - I have a problem with mare's tail in my garden and don’t want to use weedkiller, is there anything I can do?

Mare's tail (or horsetail as it's also known) is very difficult to get rid of. Even if you do spray weedkiller, the stems and leaves have a waxy coating that repels moisture (and therefore the weedkiller spray). Also, the rhizomatous roots bury themselves deep in the soil and will re-generate a new plant from the smallest remnant if you try to dig them out.

 

From an organic control point of view, it is helpful to know that horsetail is a prehistoric plant that has survived from the Carboniferous period. Back then, millions of years ago, the soil was more acidic, compacted and with a much lower fertility level; this is why horsetail is often seen on marginal, poor quality land.

The reason this is helpful to know is that by creating conditions that the plant doesn't like (open, fertile soil with balanced pH), it will be less likely to thrive. 

As regards initial control, dig as much of the roots out as possible - though as we said, it's almost inevitable that more stems will grow from any small pieces. If new growth is regularly pulled up or hoed off before the leaves get time to process the sun's energy (and send it to the roots), the roots will be weakened and eventually die. 

To improve soil structure and fertility, add plenty of compost, well rotted manure or other organic soil improvers. This will open up the soil structure and aerate it.

manure in a wheelbarrow

It will also encourage worms, who further aerate the soil as they tunnel through it, while simultaneously raising nutrient levels. The horsetail won't like that one bit. 

If your soil is stubbornly acidic, this can be remedied with the application of garden lime.