Sorry to hear about your issues with horsetail. It sure is a nuisance and can take years to get rid of. It will take a proactive and dedicated approach to eliminate this from your yard and/or garden.
Horsetail grows two kinds of stems each year. In early spring, fertile tan-to-white stems resembling short asparagus sprouts, grow up to a foot tall topped by a spore-bearing cone. After the fertile stems die back, sterile stems with whorls of feathery leaves emerge.
It is important to be diligent in the removal of the sterile stems each spring before germination as it will deplete the carbohydrate reserves and eventually exhaust the rhizome. Horsetail grows best in full sun, so shading the area is another approach, but be careful not to cover the area too close because the plant thrives in wet conditions. You can also improve drainage around the area to divert water away.
Horsetail also prefers poor, infertile soil, so improving the nutrient content in the soil with fertilizer or organic compost/aged manure is advised. It prefers acidic soil, so raising your soil pH with lime can also help.
Hi Abbey,
Sorry to hear about your issues with horsetail. It sure is a nuisance and can take years to get rid of. It will take a proactive and dedicated approach to eliminate this from your yard and/or garden.
Horsetail grows two kinds of stems each year. In early spring, fertile tan-to-white stems resembling short asparagus sprouts, grow up to a foot tall topped by a spore-bearing cone. After the fertile stems die back, sterile stems with whorls of feathery leaves emerge.
It is important to be diligent in the removal of the sterile stems each spring before germination as it will deplete the carbohydrate reserves and eventually exhaust the rhizome. Horsetail grows best in full sun, so shading the area is another approach, but be careful not to cover the area too close because the plant thrives in wet conditions. You can also improve drainage around the area to divert water away.
Horsetail also prefers poor, infertile soil, so improving the nutrient content in the soil with fertilizer or organic compost/aged manure is advised. It prefers acidic soil, so raising your soil pH with lime can also help.
Hope this helps!