I’VE lost count of how many emails I’ve been getting about horsetail (Equisetum arvense).

It seems as if every plot has it coming through, it’s a total nuisance.

Horsetail is really invasive and usually finds its way into your plot from next door or the surrounding area from rhizomes underground and its roots can be two metres long!

I absolutely hate the stuff and sadly I have it on my plot too.

If you have it, do not and and I repeat, do not ever rotivate your plot because they can grow from the smallest piece of plant left in the ground.

So if you go chopping it up, you will make the problem a billion times worse.

What to do then?

Well if you’re going to use weed killer (I sort of hope you won’t just for the love of our bees) you will need to bruise the stems first, and it may take several years of treating the area before you are free of it.

I find just keep carefully pulling it up and putting it somewhere to dry and die before burning it keeps it in check to some degree.

Digging it up now with a fork is good and try to get as much of it as possible. Don’t ever put it in the compost heap!

This stuff will never compost down and it will simply lie in wait until you add it back into your plot.

It’s a total thug of a weed, but it’s not all bad.

If you ever get to speak to a herbalist they will tell you so many positive things about this thug, I mean plant.

It’s good for hair, bones, skin issues even for kidneys! But seeing as I’m not a qualified herbalists I cannot tell you how.

I’d love to know myself because trust me I grow it in abundance and if I knew how to make it into something useful I blimming well would!

My allotment to do list:

Sow some summer cauliflower, beetroot and carrots.

If you have fruit trees or bushes in pots now would be great to get them planted.

It’s almost your last chance to get in Jerusalem artichokes tubers.

Why not try growing some scorzonera or salsify.

If scab is problem on your apples and pears now is the best time to apply treatment.

If you have an allotment query, email vixlot@outlook.com