How to get rid of this weed

Hello and welcome to the forum DarylTav

Horsetail is very difficult to get rid of as other have said. Is it coming in from a neighbours garden or just in yours? The trouble with it is the roots go down several foot so digging out is impossible. You have to bruise the stems for Roundup to work and even then as "M" says it will take a few applications/years!

 

Mares/Horse Tail is a survivor going back to the days of the Dinosaur and is a real tough plant. It has a waxy shell on the stems and so liquid will just run off it which is why Weedkiller has such a hard time. Bruising the stems, [hitting them with a tool, or trampling on them] can break the waxy cover and let the Weedkiller soak in.

What is horsetail?


Horsetail is an invasive, deep-rooted weed with fast-growing rhizomes (underground stems) that quickly send up dense stands of foliage.





Appearance


Horsetail is easily recognised by its upright, fir tree-like shoots that appear in summer.

In spring, fertile light brown stems, 20-50cm (10-20in) tall, appear with a cone-like spore producing structure at the end of the stems.

In summer, sterile green shoots develop into fir tree-like plants, 60cm (2ft) tall.



The problem


The creeping rhizomes of this pernicious plant may go down as deep as 2m (7ft) below the surface, making them hard to remove by digging out, especially if they invade a border. They often enter gardens by spreading underground from neighbouring properties or land.





Control


Non-chemical controls
Removing horsetail by hand is difficult. Although rhizomes growing near the surface can be forked out, deeper roots will require a lot of excavation. Shallow, occasional weeding is not effective and can make the problem worse, as the plant can regrow from any small pieces left behind. However, removing shoots as soon as they appear above the ground can reduce infestation if carried out over a number of years.

If horsetail appears in lawns, it can be kept in check by mowing regularly.

Chemical controls
Infestations of horsetail can be weakened with weedkiller.

• On vacant soil, where there are no herbaceous perennials, bulbs or crops, you can use Bayer Ground Clear Weedkiller containing glyphosate/flufenacet/metosulam to inhibit new shoots
• Tough weedkillers containing glyphosate (e.g. Scotts Roundup Ultra 3000, Scotts Tumbleweed, Bayer Tough Rootkill, Bayer Garden Super Strength Weedkiller or Doff Maxi Strength Glyphosate Weedkiller or for spot treatment use Scotts Roundup Gel) can be applied in late summer when growth is strong. Before using, bruise the shoots with a rake to ensure effective penetration

 

That's as good as anything

 

Good luck with it Daryl, don't expect to kill it off in one go.