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| Mare's Tail |
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Once established, Mare’s tail roots are usually too deep to dig out, thus making it difficult to control.
The creeping rhizomes can reach 2m (6ft) or more into the soil.
In late spring light brown stems appear, which later are covered in green needle like leaves these are topped off with a cone-like head, it is this head that produces the reproductive spores.
Chemical control;
Branded chemical controls containing; Dichlobenil, Glyphosate, Glufosinate, and / or Ammonium sulphamate will help to eradicate the weed.
A few do’s and don’t’s;
Apply with care as these herbicides are non-selective and may kill off adjacent plants.
Always use according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Apply dichlobenil based products in early spring, this hopefully, will kill off new growth.
Apply glyphosate, glufosinate or ammonium sulphamate based products in late summer when weed growth is rampant.
Prior to application of all herbicides, trample on plants to bruise the cuticle, this will help with herbicide penetration.
Further applications may be required later in the season or the following year.
Non-chemical control;
Fork out rhizomes, take care not to break the root stem, as any part left in will probably re-grow.
It will be virtually impossible to reach the deeper roots, however regular removal of the shallower roots will eventually* weaken those into distinction.
n.b. * this may be a few years
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