How to get rid of the herb tree in the garden. Horsetail: An insidious weed or medicinal plant
Field horsetail is a very harmful weed. It gets into the garden most often together with imported or purchased soil. Its "tentacles" and spore-bearing parts easily spread throughout the entire site. If it is not removed in time, there will be trouble, all plants and even fruit bushes may die. Therefore, it is necessary to understand in detail what measures can be taken to act effectively and not in vain. So, let's talk a little in our format about the field horsetail plant, how to get rid of it in the garden, of course, we will tell you in more detail.
There are four main ways to fight:
Use of chemicals;
Application dolomite flour;
The use of other plants, in the vicinity of which it will be impossible for horsetail to grow;
Reduction of such an indicator as the acidity of the soil (soil).
So, how to get rid of horsetail in the garden? In order for you to choose the method yourself, it is worth telling a little more about each of them.
What are the preferred chemicals to use?
It is known from botany that horsetail is a herbaceous weed, it does not have flowers, it reproduces by simple spores, just like a mushroom. Because of this, experts recommend using herbicides to kill the weed. In particular, many of them recommend a drug such as Glyphos.
It is advised to use it in evening time, preferably when the weather is calm and dry. The drug is relatively dangerous, but harm beneficial insects he doesn't bring. For bees, for example, it is not dangerous.
Glyphos belongs to the IV hazard class of hazardous herbicides. For this reason, it should only be applied in rubber medical gloves... It is desirable that there are no blooming in the garden fruit plants because if it rains, they may die.
Some summer residents also advise using drugs such as Roundup or Tornado. But they are more effective against flowering weeds, but with spore plants it will be possible to cope with their help only partially: the horsetail will soon appear in the garden anyway. In general, Glyphos is the best option.
Is dolomite flour effective?
In order for the horsetail not to grow, the soil must be limed with preparations, products containing calcium. For this, the following lime materials are suitable:
dolomite flour;
chalk;
lime;
ash.
Why does the soil need to be limed? This will significantly reduce its acidity, and horsetail is afraid of this like a baby of a bad dream. Of all the above means, it is better to use dolomite flour: it is elementarily more effective. True, with the help of flour, it will be possible to completely get rid of the weed in 3-4 years. So this is an effective, but rather slow way.
What else you need to know about liming the soil:
The full dose is applied in the first year;
The next 2-3 years - no more than half of the initial dose.
The size of the dose depends on the type of soil. This information is best understood with this little table:
In general, liming is a very effective but slow way of getting rid of horsetail.
Will the unwanted neighborhood with plants dangerous for it get rid of horsetail?
Any agronomist knows that horsetail categorically cannot tolerate almost all cruciferous plants. These include, for example, the following:
mustard white;
oilseed and winter rape;
oil radish.
In terms of their effectiveness, the plants will be approximately the same, but in the CIS countries it is customary to use oil radish. Elementary for the reason that it costs the cheapest. After a person has noticed the appearance of horsetail, on next year in the same place it is necessary to plant any of the indicated plants. Thanks to the unique root system, these plants will simply suppress weeds. This practically guarantees 100% horsetail elimination.
Cruciferous plants are used, which is interesting, not only for combating horsetail, but also simply for "cleaning" the land for the garden from any weeds. And the soil itself is "resting" (there is an old expression "under steam" - it means the same thing). In general, cruciferous plants really effective remedy fight against field horsetail.
How to reduce soil acidity?
It has already been pointed out above that the plant loves soils with high acidity. Ordinary lime will help get rid of it. True, it will help this way not immediately: the soil must be cultivated for at least six months, but most often the weed completely disappears after about 1.5-2 years. In the first year, it is worth adding 2-3 kilograms of lime per 1 m², in the second - 0.75-1 kilograms per 1 m². If, together with the addition of lime, you regularly weed the weeds, then you can definitely forget about the chaff.
Interesting Facts
Horsetail is therefore a weed, as it sucks many useful minerals from the soil. In particular, it is rich in the following:
Vitamin C;
potassium salts;
saponins;
carotenes;
tannins.
When weeding a garden, you can not destroy it, but use it to treat a variety of ailments. Horsetail is brewed like regular tea. It can help with diseases such as:
trophic ulcers, eczema, dermatitis and lichen (including color);
the presence of fistulas on the human body;
gout;
rheumatism;
other diseases.
The list is impressive, isn't it? By the way, it can be found in almost any pharmacy. But if there is a lot of it in the garden, then why not take the opportunity to dry yourself such "tea"? So, on the one hand, horsetail is a harmful weed, on the other, it can be used as an effective folk remedy!
It is interesting that the very name "field horsetail" is purely official, botanical. And sometimes people just don't know what it is about. Therefore, you can remember others, popular names of this plant:
tin grass;
Horse tail;
mop grass;
Panicle;
Cat's tail.
If you ever hear one of these names, then you should know - we are talking specifically about field horsetail. For women, by the way, it will be interesting to know what besides medicinal properties, the weed is also good cosmetic product... It helps with acne. Moreover, since it contains a lot of calcium, taking a decoction of this plant will promote the growth of beautiful and shiny, strong nails that will not exfoliate.
Here he is so unusual, this weed!
The war on weeds in orchards and vegetable gardens will always be relevant. That is why more and more chemicals appear on the markets. But, before purchasing them, you need to familiarize yourself with each weed separately so that the fight against it is effective.
The field horsetail is known to many gardeners. This herb has many other names. Among them: pestle, herringbone, tin grass, cat's tail, panicle, etc. In the garden, horsetail cannot be confused with other weeds because of its noticeable appearance.
How to get rid of horsetail in the garden is a question that worries many gardeners. This is definitely not easy. The thing is that a plant can develop on a site for a long time, spread through spores, and put powerful roots with tubers deep into the ground. Therefore, you can get rid of it by performing complex actions.
Field horsetail is one of the oldest perennial plants... Its age is over 400 million years. Grass covered part of the land even in the days of the dinosaurs.
Among the characteristic features of the plant is its unusual appearance, breeding methods. It is noteworthy that horsetail shoots come in two varieties. In spring and summer, the plant looks different. The only thing that the spring and summer horsetail have in common is the articulated stem, consisting of nodes.
Varieties of horsetail:
- the spring shoot is generative or spore-bearing. It ensures the reproduction of the grass;
- summer shoot is vegetative or photosynthetic. Its task is to stock up on nutrients, to put down a long root.
Spring shoots are also called pistils. They are eaten. They taste a bit like bread. There is no chlorophyll in the generative shoots. The color is gray, slightly brownish, there are shades of dirty pink.
It looks like a straight stem without ordinary leaves. Instead of leaves, the stem is covered with encircling teeth. The upper part of the shoot is an ovoid spike or strobilus. It contains millions of disputes. They are very small, weightless. The wind carries them away long distances. Some of them disappear, since they are viable for only two days. Where they enter the favorable moist soil, a new horsetail will appear.
Freshly sprouted horsetail is completely unlike its older brothers. It is a green stalk 2-4 mm long. It is a gametophyte. It contains an egg and sperm. When it rains, the egg is fertilized. After that, a sporophyte appears in place of the gametophyte. This is already a common horsetail.
The peculiarity of the spring shoot is that it lives for about a month or a little more. After it dries up. In summer, a vegetative horsetail shoot appears in place of the pistils. It looks like a dwarf herringbone or pine tree. Stem height is from 10 to 40 centimeters. It develops teeth, multifaceted lateral shoots. The color of the plant is rich emerald.
The lower part of the shoot is represented by a long rhizome. Its length can reach more than half a meter. There are small tubers on the roots. They form nutrients. The tubers are detached from the plant and develop independently. That is why the weed is very tenacious.
Another one characteristic feature plants in that it can be found all over the world. It loves the sun, moist sandy acidic soils. It tolerates drought or prolonged rainfall without problems. He loves to settle in peat bogs. It is from these developed places that peat soil for the garden is extracted, which is ordered by summer residents. Through the brought soil, horsetail finds itself in the garden. In order to reduce this likelihood, gardeners need to carefully examine the brought nutrient soil... The long, strong roots of the dark colored weed are quite visible.
The composition of the horsetail is saturated. It contains fatty acids, glucose, lignin, pectin, vitamin C, organic acids.
Why is horsetail dangerous?
It is a weed. Its danger is that, appearing in the garden, it interferes with the full development of vegetable crops. The weed takes away moisture, nutrients that were intended for potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. As a result, summer residents get a smaller harvest than they expected.
Horsetail spreads very quickly, occupying a large area for personal plot... He impoverishes the land, depriving it of fertility.
An unpleasant feature of horsetail is that it is difficult to deal with it. In order for the weed to disappear, it is not enough to treat the area with chemicals or plow. An integrated approach is needed.
The plant, despite the fact that it clogs plantings, is often used in folk medicine. Experts advise with caution to use decoctions from green shoots. They can be dangerous. They contain toxic substances that accumulate in the human body. As a result, poisoning occurs. Horsetail should not be treated for more than two to three weeks.
Broths should not be drunk by pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with low blood pressure. The plant will only do harm to these categories. It is better to consult a therapist before self-medication with horsetail.
Vegetation control methods
How to deal with horsetail on garden plot? First, it is worth understanding that it is necessary to do this as early as possible. The property of a plant is an annual increase in numbers. Second, conventional weed control methods are not sufficient. Thirdly, it is possible to get rid of it only by complex actions to combat vegetation. Control measures should not be one-time, but permanent. You need to do this until the site is completely rid of the dangerous, annoying weed.
Among the methods of struggle stand out:
- Reducing soil acidity.
- The use of chemistry.
- Biological methods.
Some gardeners do not know about the acidity of the soil they are cultivating. Although this is a fairly important indicator affecting yield, weed spread. Usually, high acidity of the earth occurs where it is too humid, often rainy weather. Calcium is lost due to water. She washes it out.
In acidic soil, horsetail will begin to spread very quickly, capturing an area. It is this weed that will inform the owner of the field or plot about the increased acidity of the soil without any analysis.
To drive the weed out of the garden requires deoxidizing the soil. In other words, you need to correct the soil composition, making it neutral or slightly acidic. This is not difficult. However, the process is long. It can take anywhere from a few months to 1-3 years.
Substances that reduce acidity:
- Ash.
- Slaked lime.
- Plaster.
- Dolomite flour.
- Special deoxidizing agents.
- Cement dust.
If lime is taken, then it needs about 0.6 kg. one square meter. The owner of the site scatters it evenly on the soil. After watering is carried out. It is believed that it is best to deacidify the earth with lime in the fall, since in the summer it can damage root systems vegetable crops. This procedure with lime is carried out every 3 years.
Chalk, dolomite flour, old plaster scattered over the territory of the garden in a ratio of 300 grams per square meter. Deoxidizing drugs that can be bought in specialized stores are used according to the instructions.
Reducing the acidity of the soil helps to fight horsetail, subject to constant weeding, digging of the garden.
Chemicals
Gardeners, in addition to deoxidizing the soil, can use various chemicals in the fight against horsetail. Herbicides are effective, as they remove not only the plants themselves, but also spores, root tubers.
Prima herbicide
A chemical made of powerful ingredients. In a short period of time, it penetrates the weed, stops its growth. Death will occur in 2 weeks. The advantages of the drug are that it is not afraid of precipitation in the form of rain due to its rapid penetration into horsetail or other weeds. At the same time, the chemical quickly decomposes in the soil and does not disturb its fertility. Does not affect insects. The disadvantage is that Prima's properties decrease during frost.
Ground
It is a continuous action herbicide. Kills like vegetable crops and weeds. The advantage of the drug is that it effectively rid the garden of any malicious weeds, does not pollute environment, safe for the harvest. This tool has a significant plus - not too high a cost. Ground is applied in spring, before planting, or after harvest. It is sprayed over the soil. Can be applied directly to the weeds themselves. The downside of Ground is that insects can suffer during its use.
Zenkor
A time-tested drug against weeds. Selective action herbicide. He fights only with weeds. It can be used before planting and after the emergence of green shoots of crops. The drug is completely harmless to vegetables and poisonous to weeds. After the agent penetrates into weed plant, the pest turns yellow, withers, dies. The advantage of this drug is that it penetrates deep into the ground and has a destructive effect on plant roots. Non-toxic to humans, insects. Among the disadvantages of Zenkora is the low efficiency of the drug in greenhouses, in hot weather, the agent can damage some hybrids.
Stomp
Selective herbicide wide range actions. It can be used to control a wide variety of weeds. He will not touch vegetable crops. Its disadvantages - in hot dry weather, the agent will not penetrate the roots of the weed, but will remain on the soil surface.
Agrokiller
Effective for weeds and safe for other plants. Its active substance penetrates the weed, spreading along the stem, leaves, roots and destroying them. The agrokiller is sprayed on the soil with weeds until other plants are planted. After 2 weeks, the garden can be planted. Disadvantage of the drug - suitable for single use. Only if the agent is sprayed once, it does not have a detrimental effect on vegetable crops, soil quality. In addition, the prepared solution cannot be stored. It must be used immediately for its intended purpose.
Lontrel-300
He is selective. Its advantages - non-toxic, not afraid of rain, destroys harmful plants in a short period of time, penetrates into the roots. Lontrel-300 is profitable to buy. It takes very little to process a large plot of land. One liter of funds is spent on 3 hectares of land. Often the drug is used to feed beets. To do this, it is mixed with fertilizers. Disadvantages of the drug - it is used only once.
Roundup according to reviews refers to effective in the fight against the most annoying weeds. It only needs to be applied to weeds. Otherwise it will hurt horticultural crops... The advantages of the drug - after it, you do not need to carefully dig up the soil several times. Disadvantages - long lasting effect. Weed grass begins to fade only after 4-5 days. The downside of Roundup is that it is afraid of rain, which washes away the active substances from the plants. In dry weather, it is also used with caution. The procedure is best done early in the morning or in the evening.
Tornado is a continuous herbicide ideal for killing stubborn weeds. Among them, the horsetail. Two land cultivation is required. The first is carried out in the spring before the vegetable crops are planted. The second is after harvesting. Advantages of the drug - it does not accumulate in the soil, it spreads throughout the plant - from leaves to deep roots. Disadvantages - it must be applied directly to the weeds, it will not penetrate through the ground to the roots.
Biological methods
A characteristic feature of the horsetail is that it cannot grow near certain plants. For example, cabbage, mustard, radish, horseradish. Therefore, in addition to all other actions aimed at combating the weed, you need to plant these crops on the site.
These methods will help gardeners master the science of how to get rid of horsetail in the garden forever. The main thing is not to give up, but to fight the weed. Then the result of the work will not be long in coming.
Horsetail is a well-known weed that can sprout anywhere in the garden. It actively grows in mid-May. It is necessary to fight this plant as fashionable before. Otherwise, you can forget about the high and high-quality harvest of those crops that grow on your site. To remove horsetail, you can use different methods struggle, among which distinguish between biological, chemical.
Harm
Since the horsetail is a weed, therefore, it is very harmful to many garden crops. It consists in the fact that the weeds suck out all the useful nutrients from the soil.
This includes potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen. He centers them in his roots. As a result garden crops do not receive the necessary nutrition, their growth and development is inhibited.
But besides the harmful effect, horsetail is also a unique medicinal plant. Many useful components are not concentrated, including silicic acid. It is very necessary for the human body to fully function. She plays important role in the construction of the skeleton, the work of mucous membranes and wound healing. But this is a separate topic. If you do not have any plants growing on your site, then you can afford to grow field horsetail for medical use. It may also be useful for you to learn about which remedies are worth using.
Prophylaxis
Most often, the weed starts in the event that the gardener does not carefully cultivate the brought land. To prevent this from happening, you need to assess its standing immediately after the soil has been brought to the site. Make sure that no black rhizomes are there. Otherwise, be sure that very soon horsetail will flaunt on your site. But getting rid of it will be much worse.
This weed also begins to grow in those soils where the acidity is high. To avoid this, it is necessary to carry out liming of the soil. For these purposes, preparations that contain calcium are excellent. These include lime, ash, chalk and dolomite flour.
It will also be useful to learn about how the roots of trees are removed on the site, and what the problem is.
Dolomite flour remains the most popular and convenient means for liming soil. In addition to the fact that it lowers the acidity of the soil, it also improves its structure and saturates it with magnesium. Compared to lime, dolomite flour can be applied to the site at any time of the year.
The video shows the prevention of the appearance of a plant:
Timely removal of foliage, plant debris and weeds is also a preventive measure. Monitor the moisture content of the soil. It should not be too high, as this creates favorable conditions for the growth and development of the field horsetail. It is also worth paying attention to how it happens
How to get rid of horsetail
Today, every gardener can solve this problem if he chooses one of the proposed options.
Biological method
For the plant in question, proximity to cabbage crops is not permissible. The fact is that their root secretions have a detrimental effect on the weeds, as a result of which they die.
Chemicals
Horsetail is a herb that lacks flowers and reproduces by spores. Chemicals can be used to defeat this weed. There are quite a few of them today, then gardeners allocate such a remedy as Glyphos.
chemical glyphos
it water solution which effectively removes both annual and perennial weeds. His hazard class is fifth. The drug was developed in such a way that its components do not have a detrimental effect on beneficial insects.
The action of the remedy is based on the fact that there is a blockage of the synthesis of aromatic amino acids, which occurs in the field horsetail. As a result of this, there is a slow dying off, and after that the weed itself dies.
Glyphos is worth using in the evening, when the street is quiet and calm. When doing this, the grower should wear protective equipment such as gloves. It is not recommended to spray weeds after rain or during dry periods.
The next effective drug Puma Gold remains. This herbicide is used to control annual and perennial weeds. The drug Furore Ultra remains no less effective. It is a selective herbicide with a systemic effect. It can be used immediately after the first horsetail shoots have been found. By clicking on the link, you can learn more about how to destroy at the site.
Puma Gold
The wide range of influence and the absence of phytotoxicity in the presented preparations is the merit of modern scientific developments. The presented chemicals allow not only to save the crop from weeds, but also not to achieve the development of new plants. Thus, it is realistic to increase the quantity and quality of products harvested at the end of the season. The same means can destroy
Reducing soil acidity
Every gardener should understand that the development of the field horsetail is associated with an increased acidity of the soil. So for weed control it is necessary to reduce this figure. But it should be noted right away that lowering acidity is a long process. It can last from six months to a couple of years.
To get a guaranteed result from liming, you must initially know the acidity level in your area.
So, if the indicator is exceeded, then it is worth adding lime to the soil. For 1 m2, about 2-3 kg of lime will go away. This is for the first year. In the second and third years - 500 g. If liming is combined with regular weeding, then after a few years not a trace of horsetail will remain on your site. In addition to lime, dolomite flour or ordinary ash can be used to reduce acidity. In exactly the same way, you can deduce
The video shows a decrease in soil acidity:
It will be interesting for every gardener to know how to get out of the garden, and which chemicals to use first.
When fighting a weed such as horsetail, it must be remembered that this is a long and regular process. Do not leave the plot unprepared after harvest. The soil definitely needs digging, and if the first shoots are found, they should be removed immediately. An integrated approach will allow every gardener to forget about weeds for a long time.
Horsetail is noticeably superior to other weeds in its ability to take nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the soil.
We are used to seeing these Christmas trees, but in early spring horsetail may not be recognized. Juicy brownish-pink "candles" appear on damp meadows and wastelands, in ravines and on abandoned beds. These first spore-bearing shoots at the beginning of summer are replaced by green tough thin twigs.
The summer horsetail herb has long been used in folk medicine as a hemostatic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.
And yet, despite these virtues, horsetail has a reputation as a vicious weed. It looks small and even boring: it has neither flowers nor spreading leaves. Loves high humidity, prefers light soils. However, I am ready to adapt to the most different conditions.
Like most weeds, horsetail is stubborn and hardy. Where the land has not been disturbed by a plow or a shovel for years, it does not let its black and white rhizome further than 40-50 cm. In crops, it sometimes deepens into the soil by 1.5 m. in the rhizome with small nodules located on it, reserves of sugars and starch.
Horsetail is especially successful in making its harvests on fallow lands or in a potato field, where it takes a weighty portion of mineral nutrition from the cultivated host.
Once you decide to get rid of this green "predator", do not expect to defeat it by simple weeding. Most likely, after a couple of weeks with chagrin, you will find that the horsetail on the site has become even more than it was.
And this is not surprising: the nodules of rhizomes remaining in the ground are organs of vegetative reproduction. By destroying the aerial part of the plant, you just forced it to vigorously fight for survival. That's when the nodules came in handy for the weed nutrients.
How to get rid of horsetail
How to deal with this harmful plant?
Among other things, the presence of this weed is considered one of the signs of increased acidity of the soil. It helps to reduce it by introducing dolomite flour or crushed slaked lime for digging.
On a note
Against horsetail, you can apply the herbicide "Glyphos". It blocks the synthesis of aromatic amino acids in plants, as a result of which the weed gradually dies off. It is practically safe for bees, however, it causes a limitation of their flight from 6 to 12 hours.
The biological method of combating horsetail
Horsetail does not tolerate the proximity to cabbage crops (formerly called crucifers). Their root exudates are capable of suppressing weeds. Therefore, in places where the appearance of horsetail was noticed, radish, radish, daikon, rapeseed or mustard should be planted the next year.
Horsetail - traditional medicine recipes
In winter, you can prepare an infusion of horsetail to boost immunity.
Its use will help to resist viral infections. 1 tbsp. l. dry herbs pour a glass of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, drain. Drink this amount of infusion in 3-4 doses during the day.
With exacerbation of cystitis, horsetail decoction is used. 2 tbsp. l. Pour dried herbs with 1 liter of water, boil for 10 minutes, let it brew in a warm place for 20 minutes, drain. Take 150-200 ml 2-3 times a day. Do not throw out the squeezed grass, but place it in a gauze bag and apply it warmly to the lower abdomen.
Victor A. Krylov
Field horsetail is an obsessive weed, very tenacious, likes to grow on sour and clay soils... Its summer shoots are very similar to young Christmas trees. In spring, the plant gives spore-bearing pinkish shoots, very juicy and not branched.
Refers to root weeds that reproduce by means of rhizomes. They have a thin and strong root, black or dark brown in color. It lies at a depth of sixty centimeters.
How to get rid of horsetail in the garden
Prepare a respirator and gloves, garden tools, lime fertilizers, chemicals and cruciferous seeds. Now let's get started.
1. According to agronomists, fields and vegetable gardens are becoming more and more clogged every year. Marsh horsetail is rightfully considered the most intrusive weed that loves to litter crops. Its thickets actively deplete and dry out the soil, which makes it difficult to care for crops, reduces the productivity of gardens and fields.
2. Horsetail roots break through to a sufficiently large depth, and the shoots are very large, so a special approach to them is needed. How to get rid of horsetail in the garden? There are special ways to control this weed that work well.
You can stop at mechanical method- weeding, digging, loosening. Of course, this method is very laborious, but the most reliable. Weeding is done carefully, all weeds must be removed from the garden, otherwise they will germinate in a new way. The roots, as mentioned above, penetrate very deeply, so it will not be possible to completely pull out the plant. The remains will give new shoots very quickly.
3. It is worth taking advantage of horsetail's love for acidic soils. It is necessary to introduce limestone, calcite, dolomite, and sugar into the ground. This helps to reduce the acidity of the earth. Horsetail does not like non-acidic soils. To get rid of it in this way may not be immediate, but it will work out. This method reduces the concentration of nutrients in the earth, so you should carefully read the instructions on the packaging of the chemicals used.
4. How to get rid of horsetail in the garden with the least effort? You can populate the area with such as white mustard, arugula or winter rapeseed. This will greatly overshadow the existence of the horsetail.
5. You can plant seeds, which acts as a kind of orderly on the site. But the fastest and perhaps the most in an efficient way it is considered to be chemical after all. In specialized stores, buy fertilizers that kill weeds, but do not harm crops.
6. Another method for getting rid of horsetail in the garden is not to allow its spores to ripen, as a result of which the plant gradually dries up. To do this, from the beginning of spring, every twelve days, simply mow the weed and weed the aisles. However, you should observe the growth of horsetail, because in rainy weather, its shoots appear and stretch much faster. Good luck!