Mares/horse tail
About Mare's Tail / Horsetail
The name "horsetail" is derived from the latin Equisetum which translates as equus, meaning horse and seta which means bristle or hair.
Horsetail prefers moist and shady areas but is increasingly found on waste ground and non-cropped areas. It has a thick waxy cuticle and small needle-like leaves that make it difficult to get sufficient spray into the plant to kill the roots. Repeated cutting will weaken rhizomes but is generally ineffective on its own as horsetail has a deep root system. Cultural control methods can often make the problem worse.
Is marestail/horsetail harmful?
Horsetail is a poisonous weed if consumed. Grazing animals usually avoid it but it becomes more palatable as it dies.
Treating horsetail
Kurtail is a total weedkiller and will kill horsetail, weeds and grass in about 7-10 days. It will kill the horsetail systemically, right through to the root and treated plants will not grow back. You may need to treat new plants that grow from untreated roots, but once sprayed they too will be completely controlled.
Sprayed horsetail usually takes 1-2 weeks to look dead, but it will take longer to rot down and disappear. Only once it has gone is the grass safe to graze or bale for hay. Although the method of eradication sounds dramatic, there are no alternative chemicals that can reliably control horsetail in grassland, so Kurtail is the only product that will put a stop to the weed.
You can use a tractor or knapsack to apply Kurtail and you can re-plant immediately after treatment on all soils except sands, which require a 3 day gap. There is no chemical effect on the soil and no residuality from the treatment.
Have a look at our videos which show horsetail before and after (12 days after treatment).
For more information on Kurtail click here
