I have an irrigation ditch from an old cranberry bog flowing through a field on my property. Parts of it are filled with irises and cat-tails, but other parts are barren. I have been interested in horsetails as decorative plants for a while, but I haven't done much with them aside from allow a few wild field horsetails to mix in with some of my ferns for texture. I am interested in trying the scouring rush in one of these irrigation ditches, though.
If I were to submerge a few rushes in containers into this stream, is there a good chance that they might be able to start creeping through the bottom of the pot and establish themselves in the stream? Or would potting them up probably be enough to contain them? I would like to give them a shot to make the stream a little more interesting, but I really, really don't want them to take off on me. If anyone has any experience with these plants, I'd be interested in knowing whether or not I am playing with fire.
-Greg
Question about Scouring Rush (Equisetum hyemale)
They are a lot of work in moist area's. Each reed has several joints in it. If a reed falls over and they often do, each joint makes a new plant and they end up all over the place. Make sense? It's hard to pull it up because of the runner type roots. I like it best grown in a dry garden. It grows in a tight, upright clump and looks very attractive and does not spread due to lack of moisture.
At home, I grow it in a nice clump, I like it. I grow it at work it's out of control in a bog area and I haven't been able to get rid of it. If you'd like I can pictures and post them so that you can see how it looks both ways.
I've never grown it in a pot in a bog but if you do, I think that you are going to have to stay on top of it or I think you will be sorry.
This message was edited Jun 20, 2005 11:58 AM
Thanks for the information, branka. If you have time to take some pictures, I would like to see them in both habitats. As far as putting it into water, that is kind of what I was afraid of, but I might be interested in potting some up as patio plants for their unique appearance.
-Greg
I recently went out on the ditchbank and dug up some horsetail to plant in a pot. Have I messed up? I certainly don't want it to take over my garden. Read that it is spread by spores so now I worry that it will blow all over my yard. It is really a cool looking plant and would love to keep it in the pot that it is in. But if it is a nasty plant I will dispose of it.
2vernes, The main thing to worry about with horsetails is if they are able to get their roots into the ground. Once that happens, they are very difficult to eradicate completely as they create deep creeping rhizome systems that produce new stalks. Horsetail spores are produced at the tips of its fertile stems which are a bit different from the non-fertile stems which show themselves for most of the year.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/24498/
There is a chance that new plants could be formed from the spores, but you can always pinch back the fertile stems when they appear to prevent this from happening. I think if you keep them potted up out of the water, you'll be perfectly fine. In my case, I wanted to keep them in the water in a pot, which is a different story, as branka wrote above.
-Greg
I"ll get pictures today or tomorrow. 2vernes, I don't think you messed up, it's a neat looking plant and you will love it. Did you plan on putting the pot it a pond or just keeping it as a patio plant? We have some at work in a big pot, not kept in water. I water it daily and it's gorgeous with no problems at all.
If you do keep the pot in water and you see that it's going to misbehave, just pull it out and use it as a patio plant, you won't be sorry.
Here it is planted in clay at home and kept on the dry side. It stays in a tight clump. It gets tall as the summer progresses, about 4'. I forgot to take my camera to work to take a picture of horsetail gone wild. As soon as I do, I'll post it.
I checked the stuff that we had growing in a big pot at work and there are no roots coming out of the holes in the bottom. It's watered daily, sometimes twice daily. Since it's in a pot, it dries out quick, does not stay wet.
branka, Thanks for that picture. It is such an interesting looking plant, I am really tempted to try them in my stream, but I think I might be satisfied to keep one of them in a pot on my patio or maybe in some clay in a bed, like you do. I would like to see the picture of the rush growing in the aquatic environment too, when you get the change. Is the potted rush you refer to an indoors office plant, or does it live in a pot outside?
-Greg
I have mine in a couple of places. I have an artificially created bog area (large storage container buried in the ground). Here is a pic. I must tell you that it has escaped out of it, but not too badly.
I also have it in the top of my pond, above my waterfall.
When I decided to plant horsetail I used a large chinese pot with no drainage hole, kept it on the wet side and have a beautiful display on the patio, and I remove the spore tips as they appear. It is about 5 years in the pot and still has room to grow.
This seems to keep itt under control. The local drainage ditches are loaded almost to the chocking point with it.
I'm in southwestern Michigan, near South Bend, In and it grows all over here
thank you, rylaff, for the pictures. I love the texture it provides as a foil to the more leafy and succulent plants in your wet gardens. Those gardens look beautiful in the picture, I imagine it must be stunning in real-life. And it is interesting that you haven't had many problems with the escaped horsetail. Is there anything about the area that might hinder it's spread that you know of?
annabelle, it is interesting that you say that about the Chinese pot, because I have a large decorative one sitting in a closet gathering dust. My pot also lacks drainage holes, but since you've had five years of success with it, that gives me an idea! I would have been afraid of root rot, but since you keep it on the wet side and it is still going strong, I might give that idea a shot. Unfortunately, I only know of the smaller field horsetails growing in my area, but I imagine scouring rush must be around here too. Fortunately, it doesn't choke the drainage ditches around here though. I think the purple loosestrife has that covered in SE Mass. :)
Thanks for the information Greg. I have my horsetail planted in a witch's cauldron left over from a past halloween. There is no hole in the bottom and I keep it well watered. It looks really pretty and I will just have to pinch the tops when necessary. It lives on the deck. Love the way it looks when designers use it in modern homes and put it in long rectangular pots. Looks really sharp. I have even gone on the ditchbanks and collected horsetail to dry for floral arrangements. But when it gets dry, don't touch it--it breaks apart easily at each section.
2vernes, If you want to use horsetail indry arrg, there is a little trick. Right after you cut it put it in a vase or jar with 1 cup water and 1 cup glycerine. let set for a week. The horsetail will keep its color and not dry out. (take out of the mix and put in dry vase ) Worlds oldest method to preseerve flowers and greens
Thanks Annabelle, that sounds like a great idea and I will surely do it. I really like the horsetail arrangements. SheVerne