Get rid of weeds (field horsetail)

Horsetail: botanical profile

Of the Field horsetail is easy to identify:

• The stem is ribbed and hollow.
• The cross-section of the side shoots is star-shaped.
• The branches are arranged in whorls.
• The brownish colored rungs are knotless.
• The number of teeth on the leaf sheaths corresponds to the number of ribs.
• The sprouts do not appear when the cat stems show up.
• Field horsetail has no cones. This is an important differentiator to the poisonous marsh horsetail.

Why is cat tail so difficult to control?

Field horsetail thrives even in heavily herbicide or salty soils. This pioneer plant even grows on very wet, extremely nutrient-poor areas.

The horsetail forms widely branched rhizomes that can reach up to two meters deep into the earth. To get rid of a single plant permanently, you need about four cubic feet Garden soil dig up and carefully select all parts of the plant.

Deprive the cat's tail of its livelihood

Self Herbicides hardly work against this stubborn plant, which is even tolerant of pollutants. Field horsetail is considered a pointer plant for loamy to clayey and very moist soils. You can take advantage of this in the fight against weeds:

• Loosen the compacted soil by digging regularly and improve the soil structure by adding sand and compost.
• Create a lupine bed in the affected area. These Plants are excellent at combating weeds. With their impressive flower umbels they not only look very appealing. Their roots also loosen the soil and thus create conditions that the field horsetail does not like.
• Other rhizome-forming ornamental plants such as lily of the valley are helpful in the fight against the cat's tail.
• Regular Green manure provides additional loosening of the soil.

Moderate liming can also be useful

If the soil is too acidic, you can increase the pH by lime. However, you should definitely do one beforehand Soil analysis carry out and dose the agent very precisely so as not to damage other plants unintentionally.