Drowning Horsetail to make liquid feed
Horsetail can be a real nuisance as it is difficult to eradicate. However, weed can be turned to good use by drowning, in a lidded bucket or a water butt, and using the liquid as plant feed and the sludge as a booster to the compost bin.
Horsetail is high in silica and a when soaked to make a tea which, is said, to coat the leaves of treated plants producing a fungicide and protect against blackspot, mildew, and mint rust. The plants need to be fully submerged under
the water so are best put in a sack or an old vegetable net pinned down with a large stone or suspended in a submerged weighted bag. Regular stirring is recommended. The fermentation process can range from 10 days to 3 weeks, depending
on the ambient temperature. During fermentation, the mixture will produce gas which will bubble on the surface. Once the bubbling has stopped it has finished bubbling the liquid can be strained and used.
Allotment site Committees, or groups
in affected areas of allotments, might organise plot holders to spend a day on an allotment wide horsetail harvest and drowning.
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