Hi FHtodd and welcome to Goy. Well in checking that I was about to give you the correct info I've discovered that 'mares tail' is the one that grows in water yours is 'horse tail'. Obviously it would be a lot easier if you could dig as much as possible up. As you can't next spring once it is part way grown trample on the stems and apply roundup or similar. Keep repeating and eventually you will get rid of most of it.

Yes, continual cutting of any top growth is the only way. If you think about it, horsetail is never found in lawns as it can't take the constant chopping off. Good luck, it out-lived the dinosaurs!

For a laugh (huh) one day, I decided to follow the threadlike black rhizome as far down as I could into our clay. I got to 2ft, straight down, before I found a thicker piece of stem, and a junction, and other stems growing up. They say it goes down 4ft or more. In the right soil, I can believe it. It fixes silica in the stems, and used to be used for scouring pots and pans. It does a good job on flower pots, but I refuse to promote its growth for that! Phil

Mares tail is virtually impossible to eradicate by weeding as the root system is so deep. I tried all the usual weedkillers and these had very little effect.

I have very recently found a solution which will eradicate marestail with one treatment.

I've written more about my experience with marestail and the new method here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/4757456972/

At nearly £30 a bottle I will stick to just pulling it up Anchorman. It thrives in poor soil and I have spent the last 12 years improving my soil and pulling it up when it appears, this year I have had hardly any.

Go Denise!!!

It is expensive but it dilutes doen to 20 litres so works out cheaper than the litre stuff you buy in the shops for 2.99+ a bottle. I've split the cost with several friends so it hasn't cost me more than about £6 and £2's worth has completely eradicated marestail from my third of an acre garden

I fully respect those who are prepared to weed and weed and weed for in your case 12 years. Most people just lose the will to live! :)

My elderly mum and 4 elderly customers have spent hours and hours a year pulling the stuff out and it is back again in weeks.

One spray with this stuff and it is gone. The relief particularly on my mum's face was a joy to see.

I Cannot believe any gardener does not weed Anchorman be it Ground elder, nettles or Mares tail plus what the birds, animals or wind plant its all part of maintaing a garden and I love a good weeding session. I have yet to be as easily convinced as you are that its gone after one application! Sorry but this sounds more like the hyped claims of the manufacturer which I believe they have yet to make/prove? If it does not come back next spring I will be very surprised as I understand it lurks down as low as 4-5 feet under the soil. It has a habit of coming up in the centre of a plant especially in rockeries.
Finally Mares tail is actually an aquatic weed (Hippuris vulgaris) which is commonly found in ponds or slow flowing streams So perhaps improving the drainage on your land as I have may help?

The drainage on my land could hardly be better. It is a light sandy loam all the way down to 10 feet( I had a digger dig to that depth for a soil test before an extension was built.)

You may love a good weeding session DRC but I can tell you for a fact lots of people loathe weeding (I'm a professional gardener and that's why they get me in!)

Also the last thing I want to do is do ineffective weeding on my own plot after looking after 35 other people's gardens a week.. it can get too much of a good thing :)

The sort of weeds like marestail that virtually refuse to give up the ghost are the worst.

I've tried to eradicate it on my own plot for 10 years without weed killer but last year just gave up and left the bottom section of my garden which was infested with it to its own devices.

Then I heard about Kibosh and I've tried it and it kills it stone dead in less than a week. I've dug down at least a foot and it's dead all the way down.

It may come up next year but from what I've seen I doubt it. I will report back in spring if I'm wrong.

I'm not a fan of weed killers and don't use them in my own garden as I find regular hoeing kills everything but marestail so I gave up and gave kibosh a try.

I am delighted to have the bottom section of my garden back...weed free for the first time in 10 years

Whoopee! :)

If it works that well perhaps you should let the company know!

I may well do but I will wait until spring to be sure it really is dead. Marestail is evil and may just be lying in wait to grab me and drag me into its lair in spring!

:)

I rather think some of it will - but it will come back less and weaker as mine has done over the years.

Wanna bet?

;^)

Thats my experience of it Anchorman.