Mares tail

[david lawrence]

How best to eradicate or more likely reduce mares tail growing in a riverside field.  My friends are trying to make more of a mixed meadow instead of a grass field with some success apart from the dreaded mates tail

Any thoughts ?

thanks

david

[David R Barras]

The best option is spray the stuff. I've found that depitox works well on it.

[green heart]

1 hour ago, david lawrence said:

How best to eradicate or more likely reduce mares tail growing in a riverside field. 

 

If it's in a meadow situation, then some trampling/grazing animals should be a useful natural control.

Alternatively, regular rolling/mowing or a very focussed spot-application of Glyphosate based herbicide, with a sticky adjuvent, applied almost to run-off. 

Selective herbicides aren't usually any use for controlling 'simple plants' like moss or mares tail, so full marks if you can get good results using depoitox.

I'll have to try it, out of curiosity! 

Also, don't use Depitox on the riverside. 

 

[GarethM]

And drainage/opening up the tree lines.

Soft rush and mares tail is a big indicator of it being waterlogged.

[JLA1990]

2 hours ago, david lawrence said:

How best to eradicate or more likely reduce mares tail growing in a riverside field.  My friends are trying to make more of a mixed meadow instead of a grass field with some success apart from the dreaded mates tail

Any thoughts ?

thanks

david

In this scenario - regular mowing/cutting is your best best 

[peds]

Mares tail prefers acidic soil, if you can increase alkalinity it helps. Drainage, as mentioned. They like poor soil... so a nitrogen surplus would hinder them... but might not fit in with the wishes for a meadow. 

 

You might as well spray the weedkiller up your left nostril for the good it'll do for the mares tail. Waste of time.

 

I am, of course, a smelly hippy. But have you considered just ignoring it? Are you harvesting the area, does it's presence prevent that? 

[sime42]

Mare's Tail is good for making glass. If that helps at all?

[peds]

 

Yes please!

[sime42]

1 hour ago, peds said:

 

Yes please!

 

Mare's Tail is quite high in Silica, you can feel the grittyness when you cut/crunch/rub it. Silica is the main component of glass. I'm sure I once read or heard somewhere that because of that it was used in the glass making process. Frustratingly, I can find no reference to it now though. Maybe I dreamt or imagined it ........ Unless anyone else can bail me out here.

 

 

 

 

 

[dan blocker]

2 minutes ago, sime42 said:

 

Mare's Tail is quite high in Silica, you can feel the grittyness when you cut/crunch/rub it. Silica is the main component of glass. I'm sure I once read or heard somewhere that because of that it was used in the glass making process. Frustratingly, I can find no reference to it now though. Maybe I dreamt or imagined it ........ Unless anyone else can bail me out here.

 

 

 

 

 

Surely it’s better just to use sand🤔