How to get rid of Horsetail plant

How to get rid of Horsetail plant: 8 Tricks (Do’s & Don’ts!)

2,4-D spray is the most efficient method to eradicate Horsetail plants for good. If you want to eradicate the Horsetail naturally, cut the plant to a height of 2-inches and spray 2,4-D on it. Combining cultural and chemical control methods is the ideal way to control a pesky weed like Horsetail.

Horsetail plant is invasive. Horsetail plant also called the Scouring rush grows aggressively up to 4 feet in height. The plant can spread up to 6 feet horizontally.

Horsetail plant is hard to get rid of in a landscape. Let’s look at the natural and chemical means to get rid of Horsetail.

How do you kill Horsetails naturally?

To kill Horsetail weeds naturally mow the weed to a height of 2-inches and cover the weeds with a landscape fabric/black plastic. The plants will no longer be able to assimilate food themselves.

Killing Horsetail with Bleach

You cannot kill Horsetail with bleach. As you know many other types of weeds can be killed by using bleach, but not Horsetail!

Many gardeners use a mixture of bleach and salt to eradicate weeds.

Killing Horsetail with Vinegar

Vinegar can’t be used to eradicate Horsetail efficiently. You’ll notice that even after spraying the entire Horsetail plant with Vinegar it keeps coming back.

Some people told me that spraying it more than once is effective. It works when you cover the Horsetail after spraying vinegar on it.

Covering Horsetail with some kind of cardboard works well. I don’t think this is an efficient way to eradicate Horsetail.

Killing Horsetail with salt

You can use Horsetail to eradicate Horsetail but you need to know that no other plant would grow in that specific area.

That’s why using salt solution to eliminate Horsetail is not recommended in gardens. There are other efficient ways to eliminate Horsetail.

How to use: Add 1kg of cooking salt to 3 gallons of boiling water and drench the horsetail weed in this solution.

You may have to use this solution thrice or four times for it to be effective. You’ll see that the leaves of Horsetail turn brown after spraying this solution.

Does mowing kill Horsetail?

You can not kill Horsetail by mowing. You can just keep its growth under control if you mow the affected area regularly.

Mow the Horsetail plants to up to 2 inches for best results. Do this as soon as it grows back up to keep its growth in control.

This takes a lot of patience but it does the job.

Dolomite lime Horsetail

Dolomite lime is an efficient way to eradicate Horsetail weed. Apply dolomite lime to the soil according to the instructions on the label.

You might need to adjust the amount of dolomite lime according to your soil type. Clay soils need a lot of dolomite lime in such cases.

After adding dolomite lime to the soil, work it into the soil with a rake or a shovel and water the area thoroughly. You may need to do this once/twice a year for 5 years to eradicate Horsetail completely.

Tip: Fertilize only after two weeks of Dolomite lime treatment.

Will covering Horsetail kill it?

Yes, covering Horsetail with a black cover or landscape fabric for a season would kill this pesky weed. If possible keep the cover intact for longer than a season.

The patch of Horsetail will eventually die as it doesn’t get the much-needed sunlight.

Killing Horsetail with fire

You can kill Horsetail weeds by scorching the weed using a propane torch. The weed will come back after the first scorching.

Scorch the weed as soon as you see the new shoot growths and you’ll be able to get rid of these pesky weeds in a couple of seasons.

This is because you’ll have weakened the rhizomes as you scorched the shoots regularly.

What is the best Weedkiller for Horsetail?

2,4-D is the most-efficient weedkiller that eradicates Horsetail weeds efficiently. Cut Horsetail weeds to 2-inches height from the ground and then spray 2,4-D on the cut plants.

Will 2,4 D kill Horsetail?

Yes, 2,4-D can kill Horsetail efficiently. Spraying 2,4-D on the Horsetail weeds works wonders to eradicate the weed completely.

Spraying 2,4-D directly on Horsetails doesn’t work as these weeds have a protective-waxy coating on the foliage.

Trim the Horsetail weed to 2-inches height from the ground using a lawn mower. You can also use grass trimmers to achieve the same.

Now spray ample amount of 2,4-D on the cut Horsetail plants. Take a look at those weeds after a week or two and you’ll find that they’re no longer there.

Unlike other control methods, 2,4-D gets rid of Horsetail weeds for good. I’ve sprayed Horsetail in my garden 6 months ago and there’s no sign of them till now.

Killing Horsetail with WD40

Many people who I know said WD40 works wonders to eradicate Horsetail weed. It’s a household item that can be used to get rid of Horsetail weed.

Spray some WD40 on Horsetails and watch ’em wither and die.

Does Roundup kill Horsetail?

You can’t kill Horsetail weeds by spraying Roundup/Glyphosate. Waxy coating of the Horsetail plants protects them from most herbicides.

Horsetails are resistant to Roundup even if you could get it into the plants somehow. Do not spray Roundup on these weeds as it’ll only waste your time and energy.

How do you stop Horsetail from spreading?

Prune off the Horsetail stems as soon as you see them. Cover these cut Horsetail plants with a landscape fabric to prevent its spread. Dig up the Horsetail rhizomes and dispose of them, do this as soon as you see a new Horsetail sprout.

Stubborn weeds like Horsetail should be controlled wisely. Not only should you take measures to eradicate them but you also need to control the weed’s spread.

How quickly does Horsetail grow?

Horsetail grows and spreads vigorously. It can grow up to a width of 6-feet and a height of 4-feet. How much ever it grows, it grows from a single rhizome.

The rhizome gives out a number of shoots as it spreads. So, you need to control its spread first to get rid of it efficiently.

Horsetail control methods

  • Prune off the Horsetail stems as soon as you see them. By doing this you are blocking the food supply of the plant.
  • Cover the cut Horsetail plants with a black cover/landscape fabric to prevent the leaves from food assimilation.
  • Dig up the area around the Horsetail weeds so you get all the rhizomes. Get rid of as many rhizomes as you can. Some rhizomes will still be left in the soil, get rid of them again as you see them sprout.

I wish you a weed-free garden 🙂