Field horsetail is a rightly feared weed. If it gets out of hand, the worst case scenario is that you often have to dig up the ground. Therefore, he should be deprived of his livelihood.
Field horsetail, also known as horsetail, is quite an aesthetic plant in itself with its long-limbed leaves. But also very persistent and resistant, after all, horsetails have been surviving on Earth for around 400 million years. If you find the weeds in your garden, it's an indication of a waterlogging problem with your soil that you should fix quickly – and the horsetail and its roots along with it. Because even with a weed killer you won't get far with field horsetail.
In a moist garden soil, field horsetail feels very comfortable
+The field horsetail tends to settle in damp gardens, but woe betide you if you let it grow there: the underground foothills proliferate very strongly.
© Viewing angles/Imago
Field horsetail reproduces via spores and vegetatively via underground foothills. If you tackle the plant with a herbicide, which should be the last option in a near-natural garden, you don't have much chance of success. Because, like the dandelion, horsetail has very long taproots (up to two meters), which are also very branched. If you don't catch them completely, the horsetail will quickly spread again. Therefore, one should tackle the problem at the root and deprive it of its livelihood: a moist, wet, dense and loamy soil, as the marsh plant found abundant a long time ago.
If you spot the horsetail in your garden, the first measure should be to cut off the plant or mow it regularly in the lawn before it can form spores on individual stems above ground in spring. Horsetail is an indicator plant for waterlogging and soil compaction, and it also likes nutrient- and lime-poor soils. This is where you should start by regularly loosening and fertilizing the soil with a digging fork. If horsetail rhizomes or parts of them are found, they are completely removed. After a soil analysis, liming the soil can also be useful. If the soil is loamy, loosening it with sand and gravel will help to make it easier for the water to drain away and prevent waterlogging.
You can find even more exciting gardening topics in the regular newsletter of our partner 24garten.de.
Shading field horsetail as an alternative solution
Another, but equally laborious option is to starve the light-hungry plant by permanently covering the affected garden area with a black fleece or a light-proof weed film until the horsetail dies after about a year and no longer grows back. But during this time, unfortunately, no other plants either.
Ten rampant weeds that you should definitely remove from your garden
The common datura bears attractive flowers, but you shouldn't let it get that far. The poisonous plant forms stubborn taproots. © Viewing angles/Imago
The wind and birds spread millet species such as the bald finger millet faster than one would like. © Viewing angles/Imago
Sorrel propagates rapidly via seeds and roots. It is best to remove the stubborn weeds before they bloom. © imagebroker/Imago
If you don't remove moss in the garden in a timely manner, you will soon be able to say goodbye to the well-kept lawn. Scarifying often helps. © Panthermedia/Imago
Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). The pink flowering bindweed or the white bindweed are useful for insects. But with their rampant tendrils, they suffocate desired plants in the garden. Their roots grow up to two meters deep, so you should periodically pull out morning glory. © Panthermedia/Imago
The creeping couch grass or common couch grass is a sweet grass that spreads both via seeds and underground meter-long shoots. The weeds are very difficult to remove, so you should fight them consistently at an early stage, at least in beds. © agefotostock/Imago
Field horsetail, field horsetail, horsetail (Equisetum arvense). The field horsetail tends to settle in damp gardens, but woe betide you if you let it grow there: The underground foothills proliferate so much that you usually have to dig up the whole soil. © Viewing angles/Imago
Meadow with blooming dandelions.Oh how pretty, a blooming dandelion meadow. But please not in your own garden, because the dandelions multiply rapidly. And you can only get rid of the weeds if you remove the long root. © CHROME ORANGE/Imago
Goutweed leaves in close-up.The rampant classic: Instead of being annoyed by goutweed as a weed in the garden, it is better to enjoy it as a salad. © Viewing angles/Imago
Thistles.Thistles are not welcome in the garden because they have sprawling roots. © Rimmi/Imago
A small consolation: field horsetail can be used in the form of horsetail manure or broth as fertilizer to strengthen plants or as a remedy against pests and fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
Category list image: © blickwinkel/Imago