Equisetum control

Roy M. Sachs rmsachs@ucdavis.edu
Mon, 04 Aug 2003 12:15:14 PDT
Thanks to Den, Jean and Lauw for advice.

For those interested in herbicides as aids in the control of horsetails:

a) Grammoxone is sold in the US as paraquat.

b) The Oregon State web site refers to a Pacific Northwest weed 
control handbook because herbicide permits change frequently and I 
suspect that will be the case in CA.

c) I did a web crawl on equisetum control and found most 
recommendations for Casoron  (dichlobenil is vulgar chemical name),

Of course, the horsetail shoots are right in middle of clumps of good 
geophytes (common habit of all weeds, no?) so the herbicide will have 
to be painted on the slightly thrashed horsetail shoots.


>Firstly, do not treat until the plant is fully grown in late summer because
>you need as much growth as you can get to absorb the herbicide. Then thrash
>(bruise) the stems and leaves with twigs (this breaks up the waxy surface).
>Then mix a systemic herbicide with a mix of light cooking-oil and
>white-spirit or turpentine (any light oil will do) until it is thin enough
>to spray and use it in place of the recommended water quantity. Finally,
>spray the mixture thoroughly over the whole plant. The oil/spirit mix will
>ensure that the herbicide is in contact with the plant for a sufficient
>period to kill it and it is rain-proof.
>
>There is also a giant, non-invasive form of this plant which looks
>absolutely magnificent.
>
>Good luck.
>
>Den.
>
>
>
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