WEED PROBLEMS
QHorsetail is taking over my garden, but hoeing is proving difficult. Any ideas? @podefc Is there any way to get rid of ground elder that doesn’t involve chemical warfare? @josanders71
I am going to conflate these two questions together because although they refer to two very different plants that occur in different conditions, they ultimately pose the same question: what can you do about persistent perennial weeds without having to resort to using chemicals? For a start, know your enemy. Horsetail only thrives in damp conditions, so improving drainage is the best remedy. That can, however, be impractical and expensive. Horsetail’s roots go down six or more feet, so hoeing is a complete waste of time. Ground elder roots and rhizomes are very close to the surface, so hoeing merely breaks them up, and every broken section will form a new plant. Secondly, it is best to find a degree of acceptance. We have some ground elder here at Longmeadow that is established in a holly hedge, and I mow it weekly. It keeps coming back but has not spread in the past 20 years. I have also seen very successful allotments riddled with horsetail. It is cut regularly, composted and the vegetables grow well among it. You might even embrace it: ground elder is a pretty umbellifer, and horsetail looks magnificent among loose, exuberant planting. Ultimately, the most practical and easiest solution is to dig out any roots of weeds such as ground elder (pictured right), couch grass and bindweed wherever possible. Otherwise, keep cutting them back, which weakens the plants, making them less intrusive and more manageable.