... get rid of mare's tail?

[sda]

Any suggestions? It seems very determined!

[Davie Crockett]

Bend the stalks over and trample them, then spray with glyphosate. the trampling damages the waxy surface and allows the weedkiller to penetrate the weed.

Alternatively, pick them and polish your pewter with them.

[citizentwiglet]

Do you have an awful lot of it? If you've only got small amounts, do try and dig out the individual weeds, but try not to break the (incredibly long) root. Even if you do break the root, it still helps to weaken the plant. You just need to keep on top of it, it is, unfortunately, a never ending task. Obviously, don't add it to your compost heap - in fact, it's best taken off site and either burnt or disposed of with your household waste.

I am sure I read somewhere that it can be used to make a solution to help stop seedlings damping-off, but as I can't find the article anywhere I wonder whether it was one of my more optimistic dreams.

[Davie Crockett]

Is this the article? :
To avoid damping off disease, sprinkle a thin eighth-inch layer of coarse sand over the compost when seedlings first emerge. This helps with drainage and lowers top humidity. An infusion or tea made from marestail, nettle and/or chamomile can also be sprayed as an anti-fungal deterrent to damping off.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5105339

[citizentwiglet]

Hero!!

[demi]

I thought this was about cutting a horses tail off!

[diggernotdreamer]

There is the positive side, it is full of minerals as it is so deep rooted. In Sweden it is dried and fed to horses as hay, in olden times it was eaten like asparagus when the young shoots came up, it does look as bit like asparagus as it starts coming up. I make nettle,comfrey and weed liquid using the dry method and add horse or mares tail tops to it. I kept a pair of scissors on my allotment and snippped off the tops as they came through, they dont seem to come through again that year and they weaken in time, not sure weed killer is a permanent solution as the roots apparently go down 10 feet or more.

[citizentwiglet]

We've done a bit of experimentation at the community garden and the 'nipping it / burning it off as it comes up' seems to be just as effective as the glysophate that the golf club next door use. It certainly does seem to weaken over time. Still a pain in the backside, though!