Horsetail (Marestail) Control: How to Get Rid of Horsetail (Marestail)

This page is a general horsetail (marestail) control guide. By using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of horsetail (marestail). Follow this guide, use the recommended products, and we guarantee 100% control of horsetail.

Horsetail, also known as scouring rush, marestail, or field horsetail is a perennial weed that grows throughout the northern half of the United States. They are a real threat to a homes yard since it can easily spread and produce a large amount of spores that quickly germinate in the soil. However, the real issue is this weeds rhizomatous root system.

The smallest part of the horsetail roots can regrow helping them to overtake and take away essential nutrients making your lush, green yard appear barren or discolored. These weeds root system can reach up to 7 feet (2 meters) down into the soil making them hard to remove. Meaning that traditional methods of hand pulling weeds or ploughing will not work because it might cause the rhizomes to break then spread the infestation further.

Horsetail is a living fossil and only living members of the genus Equisetum, which can be found dating as far back as 350 million years ago. This ancient plant has waxy leaves helping it to be resistant to most herbicide by preventing penetration.

If you want to kill horsetail in your homes yard, you will have to approach the infestation with patience and diligence as you follow the recommend steps and products in this DIY guide.

Identification

Before you can proceed with treatment of horsetail, you will need to make sure the weed infesting your yard is indeed horsetail. Misidentification can lead you to using the wrong products, which leads to waste of time and money. Refer to the following characteristics associated with horsetail to properly identify the weed:

• Horsetails are herbaceous plants that are related to ferns. They don’t reproduce by seed, but rather by spore. In spring, horsetail first emerges as fertile stems.
• They are pale or brown in color, grow up to 10 inches in height, and possess spore cones that are 1.5 to 2 inches long. Once these stems have produced spores, they wither away.
• Afterward, the sterile stems emerge. Stems typically start brown, then progress to green later in the growing season. The stems are visibly jointed and hollow on the inside. These stems can grow up to 4 feet in height. A common species, field horsetail, will grow branches or modified leaves in a whorl arrangement along the stem. Other species of horsetail may lack these branches.

Use the above image and description to help you properly identify horsetail. If unsure, then contact us through phone or email or bring a photo of the plant infesting your property to one our store locations. One of our team representatives can examine the weed and recommend the appropriate product to control that plant.

Inspection

Once confirmed that are you dealing with horsetail, you can then move forward with inspection. During this phase, you are looking for horsetail in your yard and the conditions allowing the weed to survive. By knowing this, you will avoid unnecessary product applications as well as eliminated the conditions allowing the horsetail to thrive.

Where to Inspect

Horsetail is found in moist areas along streams, ditches, drainage ditches, rivers, swamps, roadsides, and in fields, crop fields, lawns, meadows, woods, landscapes, ornamental gardens, between slabs in gravel paths, and other areas where soil has been disturbed.

This weed prefers moist sites, but can live in dry areas once established.

What to Look For

In the spring season, light brown stems begin to appear. These stems will have a cone-shaped structure (which will be the spore) at the tip making them resemble small fir trees.

They will eventually become green then develop into a feathery-like plant in the summer season. Both type of shoots break easily from the joint when pulled and have a hard or rough touch to them.

Treatment

Before mixing or applying any type of herbicide material, you will need to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

Systemic herbicides containing one of these active ingredients 2,4-D amine, halosulfuron-methyl, or triclopyr will be most effective against horsetail. Prevention and early intervention in the early spring season before March and April are the most effective form of horsetail control.

We recommend using Sedgemaster Herbicide, which has the active ingredient halosulfuron-methyl 75%. This water dispensable granule will eliminate horsetail in both cool and warm-seasoned lawns, landscape areas, and other terrains within 2 weeks of application.

Though efficient on its own, this product can be mixed with a surfactant to improve performance.

Step 1: Mix and Prepare

Determine how much Sedgemaster Herbicide to use by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width in feet then multiply them together (length X width = square footage). To find acreage, take the square footage and divide it by one acre (square footage / 43,560 sq. ft. = acre).

To treat horsetail, use the rate of 0.06 oz. (1.8 grams) of Sedgemaster Herbicide in 1-2 gallons of water per 1,000 sq. ft. after this weed has leafed out.

Add 2 teaspoons (1/3 fluid ounce) of nonionic surfactant per gallon of water. 

This product will need to be mixed water, so we recommend using a handheld pump sprayer or backpack sprayer.

Fill the sprayer with half the amount of water, add measured amount of Sedgemaster Herbicide, then remaining half of water. Lastly, add the appropriate amount of surfactant to the spray tank. Give enough time for the surfactant to fully disperse.

Once everything has been added, close the spray tank lid then agitate for 2 minutes for solution to be evenly mixed.

Step 2: Apply Sedgemaster Herbicide

Adjust your sprayer to a low or medium spray pressure for either a spot or broadcast application. Spray the horsetail until wet, but not to the point of runoff.

Within 14 days after application, you will see effects of Sedgemaster Herbicide as a necrotic ring at the base of the weed, even though the leaves and stems remain green and a deep leathery green in color.

Since this product forms a suspension in water, it is important to maintain good agitation during mixing and spraying. If the spray suspension is allowed to settle for a short period of time, be sure to agitate the spray suspension for a minimum of 10 minutes. Apply the spray solution within 24 hours of mixing to be effective.

Keep people and pets off treated areas until spray solution has dried.

Due to this plant’s deep root system, follow-up applications are necessary to drive the chemical down to treat the entire root.

Make your follow-up application 7 to 14 days after the initial treatment. Do not apply any more than 5 and one-third ounces of the product per acre per season.

Applications are most effective when the plant is young and actively growing, and the roots are still shallow.

Prevention

When horsetail has been removed from your property, you will need to ensure this weed does not return. Listed below are some preventative measures to keep horsetail away from your homes property:

• Improve parts of your yard that do not drain well through aeration or fixing the terrain itself. Aerate the soil to help reduce compaction, improve the movement of water and nutrients since horsetail thrives in low-oxygen and moist areas.
• Apply the appropriate fertilizer for the season to promote turf growth to help choke out horsetail growth. 
• Till or hoe around the horsetail to prevent spreading the spores to other parts of your yard.
• Improve irrigation methods to avoid moist sites by adjusting watering to once per week with no more than an inch of irrigation. Water early in the morning to allow enough time for the turf to dry.

Key Takeaways

What are Horsetails?

• Horsetails are a perennial weed consisting of two types of stems, also called shoots. They begin to produce spores in March to April and continue growing to summer until it forms a dense carpet of weeds leading to death of desired plants.

How to Get Rid of Horsetail

• To get rid of horsetails, we recommend applying Sedgemaster Herbicide top and bottom of weed leaves until wet, but not to the point of runoff. 

Preventing Horsetail Reinfestation

• Prevent horsetail from remerging in your property by correcting moisture issues in your yard, aerating soil to help loosen the soil, and applying fertilizers in the correct season.