Mare's Tail

Wasn't quite sure where to post this.
Tesco is selling "super concentrated" Round Up Tree Stump and Root Killer. It says on the pack that it's effective against Mare's Tail. Anyone tried it.

 

Even the Monsanto Roundup 450 biactive (trade) doesnt work effectivly on mares tails....... I doubt the tescos stuff will...... if so then they might be on to something.

Mares tails are like knotweed, controlable but nigh on impossible to kill certainly in less than two years.

 

If this only has Glyphosate in it then it won't do any better than any other Glyphosate based herbicide. If it killed mares tails because of, say, an addition of some clever surfactant (that made it stick to the plant's waxy coat) then I expect it would be advertised specifically as such.

A greater concentration may well help, but as Pro says, the trade product, at higher strength, is of limited effect.

The chemical you want is Ammonium sulphamate, only now sold as a compost heap accelerator. You could Google for appropriate concentrations.

This product has not had its licence renewed. I have read a variety of commentaries on this. Certainly the documentation required to get it licensed would have been expensive, and may not have been cost effective for a small operator (Dax mainly sells fleece and weed suppressing membrane). Its not a good chemical for large trade usage - its quite expensive, and it takes 6-8 weeks to clear from the soil. I have read that the appropriate documentation for licence renewal was provided, but the authorities required significant additional testing on dogs to be performed that the company (Dax Products) was unwilling to do. I have read that the big Pharma companies put pressure to make it difficult for small operators to either fund large trials or be successful. I have read that Ammonium sulphamate is a very simple chemical (which degrades, over time, to Ammonium sulphate, a standard Nitrogen fertilizer), and therefore unlikely to have the sorts of side effects that complicated hormone or enzyme based products may have but that are much more difficult to discover.

Here is an opinion on Ammonium sulphamate by John Harrison, gardening book author, who I have much respect for.

What I can say is that it has been exceptionally effective against Mares tail in my garden (when purchased as its original herbicide preparation; I haven't tried mixing-my-own from the compost accelerator)

The Dax "Root Out" compost accelerator product for is available here http://www.garden-products.info/rootout.htm - just don't spill any on your weeds en-route to the compost heap!

 

Thanks guys. It's for a "friend". W'ell see how it goes:wink:

 

Our garden is sometimes over-run with the stuff, so I dig deep as poss to get the root out, then put salt down and avoid planting anything, so now awaiting the result. In the meantime, it Is coming up elsewhere.

 

Hmm! The problem is Mik, the roots go a loooooong way down.:( Think 15' (5 metres) or more. The roots have been found growing through tops of mine tunnels!! I wouldn't bother about trying to dig them out and I'm afraid that all the salt is going to do is poison the soil:wink:

 

Hi! just a tip.


I strim them to half their original hight first. This opens up the stems and make it easier for whatever chemical you are using to get into the plant. These pests have a waxy coating which makes it hard to kill. Get past that and your laughing!


Still more than one treatment is usually needed though.