Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all,
can anyone direct me to a thread in the forum that deals specifically with the removal of mares tail? (the search facility resulted in hundreds of postings that only mention it in passing)I have rather a lot of it and know I have a big job ahead of me but would like to make sure I do it right

Hi Newbie

Try this one from 2006. It should be just what you want.

Alan

Thanks alan
Looks like a major job or an uneasy co-exsistance I'll get the kids to play football on it for a few days - that usually kills anything else!! then try and spray it.

I have loads of the stuff, spraying with Glyphosate helps a little but next year I am trying RootOut from Dax products. It was mentioned in KG lately and bought a big box for £25.00.

Will report if it helps better than the Glyph.

Charles

Hi Charles,

How did the Rootout perform.

Regards, Gerry.

I have't used it yet, after all, Mares Tail doesn't grow in winter.

At the end of February, I usually pick out the flower buds and deposit them in a big bin of water where the rot down, but it doesn't stop other plot holders flowers blooming and blowing more spores about.

Hi Charles,
I suspect that Root Out will not help with the Marestail. Maretail needs to be well bruised, to expose the more tender foliage, and then sprayed with Glyphosate. Marestail foliage is protected by a silicone covering and this barrier prevents weed killers hitting the target. By bruising you break through this silicone barrier and then when sprayed the weed killer will be able to do the job you want it to do.
JB.

Hi! Newbie,
I have had my allotments nearly 30 years and am still troubled with marestail. When I winter dig I put all the roots in a large barrel,place a sack of hen manure on top to weigh it down then fill the barrel with water. After a month I have good but nasty smelling liquid feed for vegetables. The "drowned" roots can later be added to the compost bin.

Hi All,
Can anyone tell me the best place to get a larger quantity of Glyphosate - about 5ltrs concentrate? I know it seems a lot but we have a number of local members preparing to wage war on a significant Knotweed and mares tail problem when they start to grow - we are taking a more 'coordinated' approach rather than each of us doing our own thing - we are hoping this will give us a better long term result. We have read widely on the impact of glyphosate and all the other alternative approaches to these menaces and decided this is the best method for us.

We buy ours at a local farmers suppliers as it's much cheaper there.

Hi Charles,
Take a look at this website.
www.allotment.org.uk/garden-diary/189/a ... er-banned/
JB.

Not all glyphosate is the same; there are various additives, in particular surfactants, to improve the effectiveness. The Roundup Biactive (on the website Johnboy mentions) is the good stuff !

I'm only just getting through some threads since I joined the forum and I've only just seen this.

Thanks for the info on mares tail - it's quite a problem on our plots so I'll be looking to get something that's going to kill it !

FA x