Field horsetail: herbicides for weed control, description, instructions for use

It is impossible to get rid of horsetail without herbicides. Treating the top layer of soil before sowing vegetables and cereals does not give a guaranteed result. The people call the weed ponytail because of the external similarity. He will drag out the entire garden in one season, if no measures are taken. Weed control is difficult.

Weed description

Grows in the forest, forest-steppe zone of North America, Eurasia (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus). Horsetail (common) loves acidic, moist soils. It reproduces vegetatively and by spores. The plant has 2 types of stems:

• pistils - spore-bearing reddish shoots up to 25 cm high;
• barren - green, jointed up to 50 cm high.

There are no flowers on horsetail. The spores mature in spikelets (sporangia) that form at the tops of the fruiting (spore-bearing) stems. It happens early in the spring. Spores are carried by the wind, germinating, they form small green stalks of gametophytes. They have sperm and an egg.

A new plant begins to develop after fertilization. The weed forms a creeping, brownish-black rhizome, on which spherical black nodules are formed. Having fallen off, they begin to develop. They form new weeds.

Horsetail has hard, rough stems. They are covered with branches and underdeveloped leaves. The powerful rhizome of the horse's tail goes into the soil to a depth of 0.6-1 m. Shoots-rhizomes spread, forming new barren stems. During the season, the plant captures a large area.

Why is horsetail dangerous?

This is an aggressive weed. During the growing season, it quickly builds up a large above-ground part. Its mass inhibits the vital activity of other plants. Horsetail can crush crops of wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables growing in the garden. Ponytail dehydrates and depletes the soil.

Destroying a weed is extremely difficult. It quickly spreads, capturing vast territories, making the soil barren. In fields, vegetable gardens infected with horsetail, the yield is low. Without the use of strong chemicals, it is impossible to clean the site of a malicious weed.

Specialists estimated the threshold of weed damage. The harvest will decrease significantly if 2 bushes of horsetail grow per 1 m² of field, vegetable garden during the season. To prevent this, experienced gardeners start fighting weeds in early spring. Methods of struggle are chosen taking into account the biological characteristics of the plant.The approach to solving the problem is complex.

Pest control herbicides

Not all chemicals kill horsetail. Powerless against the ponytail "Tornado", "Roundup". Root weed can be destroyed by other strong preparations of selective and continuous action.

Stomp

The mechanism of influence on plants is selective. The active substance of the drug does not affect the growth, development of vegetable crops, destroys only weeds. In hot weather, the Stomp loses its effectiveness. It does not reach the roots of horsetail.

Zenkor

High air temperature reduces the effect of the use of the herbicide "Zenkor".Apply it before or immediately after germination. The agent penetrates deep into the roots, does not harm cultivated plants, is not dangerous for pets and humans.

Ground

This is a full action product. It is inexpensive. It is used before or after harvesting vegetables, berries. Vegetable and horticultural crops need to be protected from herbicide drops. They suffer from the drug "Ground" no less than weeds.

Lack of herbicide - dangerous for insects (bees).

Glyphos

Drug of continuous action, IV class of danger. Its use does not harm bees and other beneficial insects. The weed is treated with a solution in the afternoon. The skin of the hands is protected with rubber gloves.

According to farmers, the active substance of the herbicide (glyphosphate) does not completely destroy the weed. Horsetail reappears in the spring on a field treated three times in the previous season. A solution of "Glyphos" is applied to the surface of the stems, leaves. The active substance with plant juices reaches the roots.

Agrokiller

Affects selectively, only on weeds. Processing of the site from field horsetail is carried out before planting cultivated plants. "Agrokiller" penetrates the tissues, spreads to the roots, stems. After 2 weeks, the weeds die. The plot is planted with vegetables, flowers, garden plants. In the garden, in the garden, Agrokiller is used once. With repeated use, the herbicide worsens the quality of the soil.

Lontrel-300

Concentrated weed killer has low consumption. A 1 liter bottle is enough to process a plot of 3 hectares. Apply "Lontrell-300" once. It is non-toxic, destroys plants selectively. The herbicide quickly penetrates into the root system of the field horsetail and destroys it.

Prima

The effectiveness of the herbicide is affected by air temperature. It decreases with frost. You need to wait 2 weeks for the result of the treatment. Prima penetrates quickly into the tissues of the ponytail. The weed stops growing. Precipitation does not affect the result. For insects and soil, the herbicide is not dangerous.

Other ways to deal with the plant

The ponytail gets into the garden in different ways. Spores are carried by the wind, insects, birds bring them. The weed can creep in from the neighboring territory, its roots, stems can get into the garden with soil. Destroy it by chemistry and other methods. The mechanical method is the most common and affordable. It is aimed at weakening the aggressive plant, comes down to simple operations with the soil:

• loosening;
• weeding;
• digging.

Biological methods

Horsetail does not grow near cruciferous crops. The reason is the substances that their root system secretes. Proper crop rotation facilitates the fight against horsetail in the garden, in the field. Areas where an aggressive weed has appeared are sown with vegetables next spring:

• daikon;
• radish;
• mustard;
• arugula;
• rapeseed.

Decrease soil acidity

The pH value characterizes the acidity of garden soil. It is considered acidic if the pH is less than 7. In an acidic environment, horsetail reproduces rapidly. Soil deoxidation is a method of weed control. Reduce acidity by adding:

• ash;
• dolomite flour;
• lime.

It is practical to add dolomite flour to the soil, it normalizes acidity, improves structure. Any time of application - spring, autumn. Estimated consumption:

• 250 g/m² if the soil is slightly acidic;
• 700 g/m² if the soil is strongly acidic.

Prevention

Dangerous imported soil. It may contain spores, fragments of rhizomes and tubers. The imported land must be sieved. Weeds that have penetrated the lawn, garden, garden must be weeded out.

Weeding depletes horsetail, prevents nutrients from accumulating in root tubers.

Liming the soil remains the best means of prevention. Lime is applied once every 3 years in the amount of 0.5-2 kg/m². The event is planned for the fall. In spring, summer, it can harm the root system of plants.

In spring and summer, grass growing in the garden and on garden paths needs to be mowed. Horsetail will not be able to reproduce by spores if it is mowed every 2 weeks. In rainy weather, weed more often, because in conditions of high humidity, weeds grow many times faster, capturing large areas.

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