Horsetail - how do I eliminate it without weedkiller?

Answer 1

Dig it out. It grows through rhizomes and is fairly aggressive. The only non-chemical way to get it out is through manual labor.

Answer 2

Prevention and control
Digging it out: really not a viable proposition unless you only have a small patch and a lot of time!

Shading: as they do not have significant leaves, horsetails do not compete well with vigorously growing crops. In the vegetable garden a couple of crops of potatoes, for example would help to control this weed. A tall growing summer green manure, such as Phacelia tanacetifolia or buckwheat, might be an alternative. One reference states that a crop of nasturtiums will smother it out, but this is not something we have tried. It will take several seasons before the weed is controlled.

Hoeing off the tops: another reference says that continual removing of the tops should kill off the weed in 3-4 years. A combination of hoeing and growing a smothering crop might well be a good method to try.

Mulching: a heavy, light-excluding mulch can be used around ornamentals to keep this weed in hand. Try newspaper or cardboard, covered with woodchips, bark or leafmould to make it look more attractive.

Improve the soil: horsetail tends to thrive in poor conditions, so improve the soil by adding plenty of organic matter.

SOURCE: WEB


Other than that - it's weedkiller - To be honest I use a product called ROUNDUP - it is a systemic weedkiller that kills the leaves and then the roots - it is bio degradeable - as soon as it hits soil the effects are removed and harmless to other plants - HOWEVER - spray cautiously - IT WILL KILL ANYTHING IT CONTACTS plant wise

Answer 3

Horsetail really is a persistant weed, dig out what you can, cut the tops off what you can't dig out and consider using glyphosate.
I know you don't want to use weedkiller, but Glyphosate is safe. It disappears when it comes into contact with the soil. Plus you don't have to spray it, you can get it in a gel pen/stick and you paint it on to the plant, then you can cover it with a freezer bag and tape the bag shut around the base of the stem.

Answer 4

Dig it out, and be assured that it will return as root systems have been recorded over 20 metres deep. In lawns continual mowing will help.

Answer 5

Just keep pulling it out. It's exercise and it will do you good. Weed killer is easy to use, as are most things these days; which may well be contributing to our size increase.