If the garden appeared horsetail-there are reasons for concern. And it’s not just that this plant is an aggressive weed. It is important that the horsetail is a lover of acidic and moist soils, which are unfavorable for most vegetable crops. So-it is necessary to take measures.
Horsetail is found everywhere, its shoots are familiar to every summer resident. But to deal with this weed superficial acquaintance is not enough, but because let’s learn more about it.
Botanical features of horsetail
Horsetail, or horsetail ordinary (Equisetum arvense) – a perennial herb with a long creeping rhizome, leaving the soil to a depth of 1 m.
Branched rhizome horsetail — a real headache gardener: get rid of it completely is virtually impossible. On the rhizome, numerous small roots and brown nodules are clearly visible, which simultaneously serve as “storerooms” with a supply of food, and organs of vegetative reproduction.
This weed is very tenacious and unpretentious; horsetail rhizomes can survive even forest fires.
In early spring, the horsetail forms spore-bearing shoots-pale yellowish or pinkish stems topped with cylindrical spikelets. When ripe spores dissipate (usually in may), generative shoots die. Disputes horsetail for germination needed moisture and shade.
In place of generative shoots in may-June there are cute erect hollow rigid vegetative shoots reaching 35-50 cm in height.
A characteristic feature of the plant is the correct alternation of internodes and nodes with whorls of scaly leaves located in them.
How to get rid of horsetail
In favorable conditions, this weed is capable of forming these thickets, in particular, in the vicinity of the grass: Wheatgrass, bluegrass, fescue and others. He does not interfere with any sun, no lack of light, no waterlogging, no drought… So to get rid of horsetail completely, have to work hard and be patient — will not work quickly.
Since horsetail prefers acidic soil (although it can grow on neutral soil), the first thing to do if you have an abundance of this weed is to deoxidize the soil using dolomite flour or lime.
Many believe that it is enough to do it once-and horsetail disappear. Alas. The level of acidity of the soil should be controlled-this is a variable indicator. And it is likely to have to be corrected regularly. But it really works!
A reliable and effective means to deal with horsetail grass — soil cultivation. Forgive me opponents of plowing and digging, but I have argument — personal experience. At one time I had a chance to develop a potato plot, abundantly overgrown with horsetail. Spring plowing, hilling, autumn digging-and horsetail was gone. For soil deoxidation used ash. A lot of ash. After plowing and digging as carefully as possible chose the rhizomes of perennial weeds. I have seen the result of this work, so I boldly recommend it to others.
True, in place of horsetail came Atriplex and Convolvulus arvensis… But that’s another story.
If you-the principal opponent of deep tillage, or horsetail you grow in beds with perennial crops, where digging is simply impossible, there is also a way, though more time-consuming. Here the deoxidation of the soil — the measure of the first, but not the only one. Horsetail will not easily go away, although the number will be considerably reduced. And then, noticing it in the garden, you should immediately remove it. And once again, and more… Regular weeding leads to the fact that the plant gradually depletes the food reserves accumulated in the rhizome, weakens and dies.
By the way, herbicides against horsetail are not particularly effective. Its long, deep rhizome chemistry does not completely destroy, and from what remains, the weed grows again.
Horsetail is a useful plant
Like many other weeds, horsetail has healing properties. So, if you can not get rid of it completely, you should think about the useful use.
Prepare medicinal raw materials – green shoots of horsetail-in July-August. Dries quickly, ensuring good ventilation, so that the grass doesn’t turn black. Decoctions and water infusions of horsetail are used as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic. The plant is part of the herbal collections used to treat rheumatism, gout, atherosclerosis. Important! Preparations of horsetail are contraindicated in exacerbation of pyelonephritis and nephrolithiasis.
Topical powder made from dry herb horsetail is used for dusting wounds festering. Concentrated aqueous extracts and herbal preparations are used for baths, compresses, washes for skin diseases and joint diseases.
Gardeners can be a useful ability horsetail to increase the resistance of plants to rust, powdery mildew, black spot of roses. For preventive purposes, decorative cultures are treated with horsetail infusion: 1 kg of fresh or 150 g of dry raw materials are poured with 10 liters of cold water and infused for a day. Then boil for 30 minutes, cooled and filtered. Diluted with water 1:5 and sprayed plants.
As you can see, even a malicious weed can be beneficial. But from the beds and flower beds it is still necessary to expel. Did you do it? What methods have you used, tell me!