How to kill Horsetails

[freeztar]

I have tried black plastic. It grew through it. I have seen it grow through black top roads.

Aye, I know.

Persistance is key!

 

The only non-chemical alternative I have seen is to starve it to death by cutting off or poisoning all the shoots as soon as they come up. I am in the fifth year of this plan. It is reacting very well. There is much more of it now.

It's a dangerous job. The roots should not be touched.

 

AS behaves like food. Therein lies the interest.

Please explain (with references preferably).

[alternety]

It is what I was trying to explain a bit at the beginning of this post. It is chemically the same as fertilizer the plant will absorb and move through the assimilation process. It winds up within the structure that tries to make use of it. It effectively attaches to the proper molecular links but it is inactive because of a different twist in the molecule than the normal molecule has. I think this is the levo vs dextro thing (remember, not chemist). They sell sugar that gets taken up but won't metabolize because of the difference in molecule shape; not chemical composition. I want to put the horsetail on a fatal weight loss program.

 

It cannot be broken down by the normal plant processes and also will not move out of the way. It thus prevents the plant from metabolizing food and it starves.

 

The idea,in my mind, is that this mechanism does not provide a quick kill that disrupts the flow of materials through the plant structure like the normal contact herbicide. Instead it is carried further into the plant's structure and it works slowly so more of it penetrates further. And the plant will not recognize it as bad and react.

 

What started me on this is some old articles that reported very good results on horsetail, which is a very widely distributed scourge of man.

[CraigD]

Isn't it used in bombs?

That might be why large quantities are restricted?

I think you’re thinking of ammonium nitrate.

 

In common fertilizer form, mixed with almost any fuel oil, it makes ANFO, it makes a somewhat low energy-density but quite effective explosive, which almost anybody who’s every worked in a rock quarry knows how to make and use. Truckloads of this stuff were the explosives used in the 1993 WTC terrorist bombing, the 1993 Bishopsgate IRA bombing, and the 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist bombing.

 

To the best of my knowledge, Ammonium sulfamate can’t be readily used in an explosive.

[Moontanman]

Got any pics of your Horsetail problem? I grow them in my ponds sometimes, I rather like them.

[Southtown]

Here's some:

 

AMMONIUM SULFAMATE, REAGENT (ACS) - GFS-CHEMICALS

[alternety]

Beer! Good!

 

Reagent bad. Way too expensive to use for the application. Need many pounds.

 

Moontanman - If I could only ship them to you.

 

The neighbor about 1/4 mile away has about half an acre of them in a pond.

[Michaelangelica]

You seem to be one of many with this problem.

Horsetail and soil ph Grow Your Own - Growing, How To Grow Tomatoes Growing Fruit & Veg - Recipe Advice, Organic food Gardening, Chickens, Seeds for Sale

Field horsetail - Weed information - Organic Weed Management

I would try

1. Raising the pH to above 7.5 for a time. Vinegar is also said to be helpful:-

Horsetail Weed

2. Improving drainage Gypsum (if clayey soil- need many big bags ) or lime will help

http://www.swansonsnursery.com/PDF/1_GENERAL/Horsetails.pdf

3. Roundup Biactive (?) -tree strength- but first damage the plant with a 'wipper snipper' or bruise it in some way so that RU can get into the plant.

4. Planting some 'competetion' that likes higher pH (? cassurina?)

Other comments from the web:-

The best none chemical way to control horsetail is by removing the top growth every two weeks by scissors. Pulling on it can cause it to produce more shoots. Casoron is the best chemical control but has many label restrictions. Round-up does not work very well. Triclopyr (Lontrel) is good at suppressing horsetail but is not a longterm solution. 2,4-D will also suppress it.

- Dan 4---0-2007

All nasty stuff

A strong mix of Ammonium sulphamate ("Deep Root") applied in July/Aug to ALL visible horsetail will effectively wipe it out. Wear rubber gloves and rough up the horsetail to let the Deep Root penetrate past the waxy silica covered surface.. . .However it is being banned by an EU regulation (no idea why since it says on the packet "Approved under the control of pesticides act 1986") so act quickly! My garden centre has plenty, as does B&Q, the latter much cheaper as it is quite expensive.

I have found that brushwood killer sprayed on the foliage kills the weed, and hopefully the roots as well. Surrounding plants have to be shielded with plastic sheet.

Field horsetail - Weed information - Organic Weed Management

[alternety]

Good answer. I have not tried pH adjustment. I am not going to go that way. It is clay soil and the roots/node are very deep. Any thing requiring tilling to penetrate the soil will generate zillions of new plants. I don't think simply spreading on the surface will do it.

 

I have tried all the chemicals you listed. Kills foliage, but not the plant.

 

Which returns us to Ammonium Sulfamate, and the question - Where can I buy it. It is no longer sold as a herbicide.

[Donk]

You could try HERE

 

I found THIS LINK, which mentioned ammonium sulfamate available on ebay (as a compost accelerator only).

Just DO NOT spill any on the weeds, brambles, Japanese Knotweed, Marestail, tree stumps etc. on the way down to the compost heap.

:doh:

[Turtle]

not to beat a dead horse tale, but how hard would it be to make your own ammonium sulfamate at home?

 

wiki

It is a salt formed from ammonia and sulfamic acid.

 

ammonia is easy to get. how easy is it to get sulfamic acid? :doh:

 

edit ps: solid rocket propellant from ammonium sulfamate anyone? http://www.sid.ir/En/VEWSSID/J_pdf/84320080110.pdf

[alternety]

I believe I actually read the details about a process to make it. Not for me.

[alternety]

Donk - you first link actually sells it. Thank you very much. Why I never found it, I have no idea.

[Donk]

Donk - you first link actually sells it. Thank you very much. Why I never found it, I have no idea.

Glad to be of service :phones:

 

Maybe you were looking for it under Herbicides. It's been banned - not because it's dangerous but because the manufacturers aren't going to pay to have it proved harmless. So they sell it as a "compost accelerant"...