Horsetail is rightly considered a dreaded weed in the garden. Fighting is too difficult. This is especially true for field horsetail. But varieties that are cultivated for decoration in ponds also tend to spread rapidly. What you should consider when caring for horsetail in the garden.

Horsetail is not always desirable in the garden

This is how horsetail spreads in the garden

Horsetail spreads in two ways. On the one hand, the plant does not form flowers, but spores. They are distributed throughout the garden by the wind.

On the other hand, horsetail reproduces via the underground rhizomes. The runners grow vertically and horizontally, reaching depths of two meters and more.

Only plant horsetail in the garden with a rhizome barrier

There are some horsetail species that have a high ornamental value. They are planted near ponds as they love very humid locations.

Before planting, always create a root barrier that is as deep as possible so that the underground runners do not reach other parts of the garden.

Place pond horsetail in the plant basket

Pond horsetail makes a particularly decorative effect on the edges of ponds.

So that the pond plants do not overgrow the entire pond, place them in special plant baskets that are buried at the edge of the pond.

Combat horsetail in the garden

Once you have horsetail in your garden, it's hard to get rid of the plant. This applies not only to field horsetail, but also to pond horsetail or winter horsetail. So think carefully about whether you really want to bring horsetail into your garden.

To combat horsetail or marsh horsetail, you must:

  • Cut new shoots immediately
  • Remove shoots with spores immediately
  • Dig up the rhizomes with a digging fork and dispose of them

Digging up rhizomes is of limited help. As soon as you leave just a small piece in the ground, the horsetail will sprout again. Therefore, never throw plant remains on the compost, but dispose of them in the garbage can.

tips

A good way to keep horsetail in check is to care for it in a pot. As a result, the plant cannot spread over the entire garden like weeds. However, the planter must be as deep as possible, since horsetail has very deep roots.

Category:

Vegetable garden