How to kill Horsetails

[Moontanman]

Got any pics of your Horsetail problem? I grow them in my ponds sometimes, I rather like them.

[Southtown]

Here's some:

AMMONIUM SULFAMATE, REAGENT (ACS) - GFS-CHEMICALS

[alternety]

Beer! Good!

Reagent bad. Way too expensive to use for the application. Need many pounds.

Moontanman - If I could only ship them to you.

The neighbor about 1/4 mile away has about half an acre of them in a pond.

[Michaelangelica]

You seem to be one of many with this problem.
Horsetail and soil ph Grow Your Own - Growing, How To Grow Tomatoes Growing Fruit & Veg - Recipe Advice, Organic food Gardening, Chickens, Seeds for Sale
Field horsetail - Weed information - Organic Weed Management
I would try
1. Raising the pH to above 7.5 for a time. Vinegar is also said to be helpful:-
Horsetail Weed
2. Improving drainage Gypsum (if clayey soil- need many big bags ) or lime will help
http://www.swansonsnursery.com/PDF/1...Horsetails.pdf
3. Roundup Biactive (?) -tree strength- but first damage the plant with a 'wipper snipper' or bruise it in some way so that RU can get into the plant.
4. Planting some 'competetion' that likes higher pH (? cassurina?)
Other comments from the web:-

The best none chemical way to control horsetail is by removing the top growth every two weeks by scissors. Pulling on it can cause it to produce more shoots. Casoron is the best chemical control but has many label restrictions. Round-up does not work very well. Triclopyr (Lontrel) is good at suppressing horsetail but is not a longterm solution. 2,4-D will also suppress it.
- Dan 4---0-2007

All nasty stuff

A strong mix of Ammonium sulphamate ("Deep Root") applied in July/Aug to ALL visible horsetail will effectively wipe it out. Wear rubber gloves and rough up the horsetail to let the Deep Root penetrate past the waxy silica covered surface.. . .However it is being banned by an EU regulation (no idea why since it says on the packet "Approved under the control of pesticides act 1986") so act quickly! My garden centre has plenty, as does B&Q, the latter much cheaper as it is quite expensive.

I have found that brushwood killer sprayed on the foliage kills the weed, and hopefully the roots as well. Surrounding plants have to be shielded with plastic sheet.

Field horsetail - Weed information - Organic Weed Management

[alternety]

Good answer. I have not tried pH adjustment. I am not going to go that way. It is clay soil and the roots/node are very deep. Any thing requiring tilling to penetrate the soil will generate zillions of new plants. I don't think simply spreading on the surface will do it.

I have tried all the chemicals you listed. Kills foliage, but not the plant.

Which returns us to Ammonium Sulfamate, and the question - Where can I buy it. It is no longer sold as a herbicide.

[Donk]

You could try HERE

I found THIS LINK, which mentioned ammonium sulfamate available on ebay (as a compost accelerator only).

Just DO NOT spill any on the weeds, brambles, Japanese Knotweed, Marestail, tree stumps etc. on the way down to the compost heap.

[Turtle]

not to beat a dead horse tale, but how hard would it be to make your own ammonium sulfamate at home?

wiki

Originally Posted by wiki

It is a salt formed from ammonia and sulfamic acid.

ammonia is easy to get. how easy is it to get sulfamic acid?

edit ps: solid rocket propellant from ammonium sulfamate anyone? http://www.sid.ir/En/VEWSSID/J_pdf/84320080110.pdf

[alternety]

I believe I actually read the details about a process to make it. Not for me.

[alternety]

Donk - you first link actually sells it. Thank you very much. Why I never found it, I have no idea.

[Donk]

Originally Posted by alternety

Donk - you first link actually sells it. Thank you very much. Why I never found it, I have no idea.

Glad to be of service

Maybe you were looking for it under Herbicides. It's been banned - not because it's dangerous but because the manufacturers aren't going to pay to have it proved harmless. So they sell it as a "compost accelerant"...