- Prune giant horsetail in spring
- Limit growth by root barrier
- Caring for giant horsetail in the tub
- Thin out horsetail
- Cut horsetail for bouquets
While field horsetail is not very popular in the garden, giant horsetail, also known as winter horsetail, is particularly decorative around a pond. Annual trimming of this species of horsetail is part of the care.
Pruning the horsetail is advisable to limit growth
Prune giant horsetail in spring
Giant horsetail is an evergreen plant that adds color to the garden pond, especially in winter. The shoots are not cut in the fall. Wait until spring to cut back.
Cut horsetail by:
- bundle several stems
- Cut off the bottom of the stems with a sharp knife
- preferably cut right at the knot
- Sharpen knives more often
Horsetail contains a lot of silica. The small crystals quickly dull knives, requiring you to sharpen the sheath. That's why you shouldn't use pruning shears for cutting.
Limit growth by root barrier
Just like its little brother, field horsetail, giant horsetail tends to spread uncontrollably. You should never plant the perennials in the garden without a rhizome barrier.
The root barrier should be placed at least 60 centimeters deep in the ground. However, it cannot completely stop it from spreading because the rhizomes are very deep in the earth.
If the plant spreads too much, cut off all outer new shoots down to the ground.
Caring for giant horsetail in the tub
Giant horsetail makes less work if you plant it in containers. Zinc tubs with a depth of at least 80 centimeters are well suited. Here the horsetail cannot multiply via rhizomes.
Also cut back horsetail in pots in spring.
Thin out horsetail
Horsetail grows very densely in favorable locations. So that the new shoots have enough space, you should thin out the plant occasionally.
To do this, cut off the stems above the ground. To prevent the stem from fraying, it is best to start the cut directly over a knot.
Cut horsetail for bouquets
Horsetail is becoming increasingly popular in floristry because the stems are very decorative in flower arrangements and bouquets.
tips
To remove field horsetail from the garden, cutting all new shoots will help. In particular, you should cut the spore spikes as soon as they grow in spring. This at least keeps field horsetail somewhat in check.