Field horsetails the nightmare of every lawn lover

Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is a stubborn weed that plagues many lawns. It is a real powerhouse with an extensive root network, which penetrates metres deep into the ground. Horsetail is a spore plant that grows very quickly. They say "weeds don't wither", and that is certainly not a lie in this case!

🌿 Primal plant and primal strength

With most weeds, it is advisable to remove them from the garden manually or with a weed whacker. The roots of horsetail, however, are so strong that the plant immediately breaks off when pulled out. This causes new shoots to grow the next day, and horsetail quickly becomes a pest that takes over the entire lawn.

Due to the ban on selective weed killers, these too can no longer provide any help. Killing weeds with poison is therefore not an option. Field horsetails are, just like ferns, primordial plants but also very strong. So don't use home and garden remedies, such as vinegar and chlorine, because they have no effect and can only unbalance the soil. But what can you do to combat cattails?

🌿 Signal plant for poor soil

Besides the fact that horsetail is a pesky plant, it is a clear signal that your soil urgently needs a boost. Horsetails only grow in poor soil. In order to restore your lawn to health, its mineral content must be increased. Mother Nature actually intervenes here, because after a long time horsetail can make your soil fertile again by releasing the stored minerals. So you see, the ecosystem is logical and needs to be in balance.

Our golden tip? Lava flour or grit!

In the short term, you can only use a professional garden contractor who is still allowed to use pesticides*. The long-term solution is to enrich your soil with lava meal or lava grit! You will have to repeat this treatment regularly, and it will also make your soil airy and better able to take root.

The root system of horsetail is so strong and extensive because it has to search for minerals very deep in the ground. As always, it is better to take preventative action and regularly fertilise, liming, scarifying the lawn twice a year (you can read tips on scarifying here) and sowing. 

This will prevent bare spots where all sorts of weeds and perennial grasses can nestle. Is your soil in balance and do you maintain your garden well? Then you won't be bothered by weeds any time soon.

🌿 Horsetail, useful herb or annoying weed?

However, it is not all doom and gloom because horsetail plants can also enrich your garden! Precisely because this plant absorbs so many minerals from the soil, it can serve as a nutrient for the lawn. After removing the stems, you can use them as a mulch layer so that the absorbed minerals can be worked back into the soil. In this way, horsetail acts as a natural fertiliser, and you still get something positive out of it! However, never leave the stems in the garden if there are (domestic) animals around (such as cats, dogs, horses, sheep, etc.) because they are poisonous!

Horsetail is not only a bomb of minerals, but also very medicinal. Horsetail millet can be used to combat all kinds of fungal diseases and aphids in the kitchen garden. Horsetail tea can also cure many ailments in humans.

Do you really not know what to do anymore?

Then you can always call on a garden contractor for professional help!

*In some garden centres and web shops you can still find pesticides that would combat horsetail. However, this is incorrect because there are no selective pesticides on the market that get rid of horsetail, only products based on acids (which burn weeds and grass).

At Hermie the grass is always greener, and so is yours with our tips! 👇

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