Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), also called Mare’s tail, has got to be the most hated of all weeds. It’s the hardest ever to get rid of. That is not an exaggeration. I am telling you, it has made this Novice Gardener weep, given her nightmares, and possibly caused her craving of salt & vinegar potato chips.
So, horsetail looks innocent enough. In fact, it can look beautiful in that alien sort of way. Very sculptural. I mistook it for a pine tree seedling when one stalk appeared out of the mulch years ago. Neglect and ignorance led to the whole area later blanketed by the gold absorbing plants.
Horsetail growing thick after years of neglect
Yes, that’s right. It may be one of the few redeeming qualities of horsetail. It can accumulate gold in its cells. The others being its rough, wiry leaves so rich in silica that you can use them like a scouring pad, and supposedly taken as an herbal supplement to strengthen hair and nails.
There’s some chatter online about its ability to remove cellulite. I’ve met this cellulite. Believe me, you don’t want it around. Which, I guess, could pose a dilemma if you have both horsetail and cellulite.
Some people also mention that the young shoots in the spring are edible, but I’m not taking their word for it, because there are also mentions that they are poisonous, enough to kill pasture animals.
The side yard where the horsetail abounds had been designed, then redesigned, several times, all to work around the horsetail. Or precisely, to contain the offending weed. After 5 years, it’s hard to tell who’s winning, the gardener or the horsetail.
Horsetail growing between concrete slabs
The latest round of horsetail removal blitz involves pulling out all other vegetation in the area, digging out as much horsetail as possible, applying a thick sprinkling of lime, wait for 2 weeks. Then, it starts all over again. Digging, sprinkling, and waiting.
On the surface, there is less horsetail now, but who knows deep down. Roots are probably spreading and plotting revenge. Now someone on the internet mentions planting turnips to discourage horsetail. So, I’ll give it a try. Turnip seeds will be planted thickly and we shall see.
Hopefully, the neighbors won’t question our sanity. Growing turnips in a public area. But just maybe, maybe they won’t notice. They’re not exactly the gardening type.
Beautiful, no?
How about now?
Now?
The Novice Gardener 
Is this related to the prehistoric plant horsetail? I was a florist for many years and we loved designing with it. It’s much thicker and not wispy like the one you photographed.
Yes, it is. I think there are many kinds of equisetum. At the Botanic Garden in DC, I saw one that was much taller and bigger and the stems more rigid. I could see how they can be used in arrangements. The one invading my garden is the field horsetail. Not much to look at until you add roses and rhubarb flowers, apparently.
We used to bend it and tie in with raffia. It was durable and made interesting arrangements with exotic flowers.
Trade ya for my bermuda grass. At least you can make yours look pretty.
Oh, no, Granny, you wouldn’t wanna trade! I couldn’t do that to you. Trust me!
A weed is just a misplaced wild flower and mason jars make the best vases. Great pictures 🙂
Thanks, Cayenne, and I like the way you think!
How did the turnips work out? Intrigued as I am just about to try that one in our garden.
There is not one single method that will get rid of horsetail. It’s a combination of many. Improving soil drainage, making it less acidic, repeated cutting of emerging shoots, as well as crowding with turnips (and currently experimenting with a carpet of ajuga) will eventually reduce horsetail, but not in 1 or 2 seasons. I’ve heard of another method of planting sod, and repeated mowing supposedly helps. Good luck, it’s a beast! 🙂 P.S. You do occasionally get harvestable turnips from that method, which is a plus.
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