This Weed...

[thelewisgang]

I am trying to find out what this weed is. It has, in recent weeks, decided to like my garden, sprouting up between the slabs and borders between slate. It is really coarse.
https://ibb.co/w0D8fp7

[douglas9401]

Mare's Tail. Indestructible.

[thelewisgang]

thank you. It pulls out easily but I am finding it difficult to control it now as I have a knee problem so can't bend down easily. I have never had it in my garden until quite recently

[douglas9401]

I gave it a right good scrape with the hoe and poured salt on the open wounds but it popped up a few days later asking for pepper too.

[douglas9401]

I should add that my brother-in-law, a farmer, and a friend who works with land services with our local council tell me the only thing that'll kill it is diesel.

That's not a great idea so the beast flourishes.

[perseverer]

For all the gory details read

https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/horsetail

[thelewisgang]

Interesting article. The side where it has appeared (no sign of it in the lawn thank goodness) I have a neighbour & their garden is concreted/patio/fake grass. No flower beds at all so it couldn't have come through from their side. I don't have it anywhere else in my garden

[Chipchopper]

Marestail has a waxy coating that repels most herbicides.
You could try an organic treatment, such as "Kurtail" but it will help if weed is ruffed up to allow it to be absorbed, a wire rake might help.

[Atheist]

erhaps try vinegar? It's cheap and so can be re-applied at low cost.

[rowanwitch]

Go over it with a wire rake to bruise it, then use the strongest brushkiller you can find ( one that tackles brambles) and give it a good dose of that, repeat every time it starts to grow back. It will probably be a couple of years but combined with wedding out bits anywhere else it occurs you should at least slow it down, personally I would take up the slabs, dig out what you can and re lay them on a minimum 4"bed of concrete as you will spend as much on weedkiller .

[galasalmon]

Mares tail is in all the gardens round me .the only thing that will kill it is Kurtail (quite expensive ) It turns it brown and then it dies off but does come up in other places .It hasn’t been so bad this year maybe with all the rain we have had .

[maggiebee]

Some weeds are lovely and I just leave them where they are. Others, like mare's tail, are a nightmare. My dad had an allotment years ago and no matter how he tried he just couldn't get rid of it. There seem to be some strong weedkillers on the market, but would try salt, boiling water, vinegar etc. before resorting to this.

[thelewisgang]

I appreciate all your helpful replies. Thank you