WEED CONTROL
Buyers guide to weed control Jana Silver finds solutions to combat invasive weeds with the help of industry experts Josh Brown, BASIS expert, ProGreen: “Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), also known as Mare's Tail, is a pernicious weed which will quickly spread to dominate a landscape. It is also capable of damaging hard surfaces such as tarmac or block paving if left unchecked. While Horsetail can spread by spores released during the first stage of its lifecycle it is much more commonly brought into site as fragments of rhizome in poor quality or poorly screened topsoil and compost. It develops a wide reaching root system and so also commonly invades areas by spreading under boundaries from neighbouring wasteland or poorly managed sites. “Horsetail is also capable of regenerating from very small root fragments. With this in mind, always make sure any material brought into site is of a good quality. Do not try to dig it out as this will only produce many fragments encouraging its spread. Instead, treat it with a professionally recommended herbicide as soon as horsetail is spotted and do not allow it time to establish and take hold. “There are two products which we at ProGreen recommend for horsetail control, which is Kurtail Evo and SBK. Lewis Blois, national account manager, Bayer Environmental Science: “With the weed season fast approaching amenity contractors are being encouraged to prepare a plan of attack for controlling weeds this spring. For successful Credit: Bayer Environmental Science.
Field Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) spreads quickly untreated.
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weed control, the first step of any integrated weed control programme is to monitor the site. The earlier the weeds and areas of potential weed growth are identified, the sooner they can be managed. “For example, electricity power sites can have zero tolerance policies for weeds, so it’s important to prevent weeds emerging as soon as the optimum weather conditions are present. The next step is planning. There are many different approaches that can be taken, so amenity contractors need to decide their plan of attack and whether to implement pre- or post-emergence weed control. “Finally, put the plan into practice. Cultural options for pre-emergence weed control are fairly limited and therefore residual herbicides are the most efficient solution to prevent weeds developing.
